diff --git a/plugin/forward/forward.go b/plugin/forward/forward.go
index d244218b5..0c95bafdf 100644
--- a/plugin/forward/forward.go
+++ b/plugin/forward/forward.go
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/coredns/coredns/plugin/dnstap"
 	"github.com/coredns/coredns/plugin/metadata"
 	clog "github.com/coredns/coredns/plugin/pkg/log"
-	"github.com/coredns/coredns/plugin/pkg/proxy"
+	proxyPkg "github.com/coredns/coredns/plugin/pkg/proxy"
 	"github.com/coredns/coredns/request"
 
 	"github.com/miekg/dns"
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ const (
 type Forward struct {
 	concurrent int64 // atomic counters need to be first in struct for proper alignment
 
-	proxies    []*proxy.Proxy
+	proxies    []*proxyPkg.Proxy
 	p          Policy
 	hcInterval time.Duration
 
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ type Forward struct {
 	maxConcurrent              int64
 	failfastUnhealthyUpstreams bool
 
-	opts proxy.Options // also here for testing
+	opts proxyPkg.Options // also here for testing
 
 	// ErrLimitExceeded indicates that a query was rejected because the number of concurrent queries has exceeded
 	// the maximum allowed (maxConcurrent)
@@ -65,18 +65,18 @@ type Forward struct {
 
 // New returns a new Forward.
 func New() *Forward {
-	f := &Forward{maxfails: 2, tlsConfig: new(tls.Config), expire: defaultExpire, p: new(random), from: ".", hcInterval: hcInterval, opts: proxy.Options{ForceTCP: false, PreferUDP: false, HCRecursionDesired: true, HCDomain: "."}}
+	f := &Forward{maxfails: 2, tlsConfig: new(tls.Config), expire: defaultExpire, p: new(random), from: ".", hcInterval: hcInterval, opts: proxyPkg.Options{ForceTCP: false, PreferUDP: false, HCRecursionDesired: true, HCDomain: "."}}
 	return f
 }
 
 // SetProxy appends p to the proxy list and starts healthchecking.
-func (f *Forward) SetProxy(p *proxy.Proxy) {
+func (f *Forward) SetProxy(p *proxyPkg.Proxy) {
 	f.proxies = append(f.proxies, p)
 	p.Start(f.hcInterval)
 }
 
 // SetProxyOptions setup proxy options
-func (f *Forward) SetProxyOptions(opts proxy.Options) {
+func (f *Forward) SetProxyOptions(opts proxyPkg.Options) {
 	f.opts = opts
 }
 
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ func (f *Forward) ServeDNS(ctx context.Context, w dns.ResponseWriter, r *dns.Msg
 		for {
 			ret, err = proxy.Connect(ctx, state, opts)
 
-			if err == ErrCachedClosed { // Remote side closed conn, can only happen with TCP.
+			if err == proxyPkg.ErrCachedClosed { // Remote side closed conn, can only happen with TCP.
 				continue
 			}
 			// Retry with TCP if truncated and prefer_udp configured.
@@ -254,7 +254,7 @@ func (f *Forward) ForceTCP() bool { return f.opts.ForceTCP }
 func (f *Forward) PreferUDP() bool { return f.opts.PreferUDP }
 
 // List returns a set of proxies to be used for this client depending on the policy in f.
-func (f *Forward) List() []*proxy.Proxy { return f.p.List(f.proxies) }
+func (f *Forward) List() []*proxyPkg.Proxy { return f.p.List(f.proxies) }
 
 var (
 	// ErrNoHealthy means no healthy proxies left.