diff --git a/src/main/java/io/vertx/core/eventbus/MessageProducer.java b/src/main/java/io/vertx/core/eventbus/MessageProducer.java
index 4db346eef..c609d753a 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/vertx/core/eventbus/MessageProducer.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/vertx/core/eventbus/MessageProducer.java
@@ -34,7 +34,9 @@ public interface MessageProducer<T> extends WriteStream<T> {
    *
    * @param message the message to send
    * @return  reference to this for fluency
+   * @deprecated instead use {@link #write} with a producer obtained from {@link EventBus#sender}
    */
+  @Deprecated
   MessageProducer<T> send(T message);
 
   /**
@@ -44,7 +46,9 @@ public interface MessageProducer<T> extends WriteStream<T> {
    * @param message the message to send
    * @param replyHandler reply handler will be called when any reply from the recipient is received, may be {@code null}
    * @return  reference to this for fluency
+   * @deprecated instead use {@link EventBus#request(String, Object, Handler)}
    */
+  @Deprecated
   <R> MessageProducer<T> send(T message, Handler<AsyncResult<Message<R>>> replyHandler);
 
   @Override
diff --git a/src/test/java/io/vertx/core/eventbus/EventBusFlowControlTest.java b/src/test/java/io/vertx/core/eventbus/EventBusFlowControlTest.java
index 4ebb0b7c2..220044ad4 100644
--- a/src/test/java/io/vertx/core/eventbus/EventBusFlowControlTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/io/vertx/core/eventbus/EventBusFlowControlTest.java
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ public class EventBusFlowControlTest extends VertxTestBase {
   private void sendBatch(MessageProducer<String> prod, int batchSize, int numBatches, int batchNumber) {
     while (batchNumber < numBatches) {
       for (int i = 0; i < batchSize; i++) {
-        prod.send("message-" + i);
+        prod.write("message-" + i);
       }
       if (prod.writeQueueFull()) {
         int nextBatch = batchNumber + 1;
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ public class EventBusFlowControlTest extends VertxTestBase {
 
     boolean drainHandlerSet = false;
     for (int i = 0; i < wqms * 2; i++) {
-      prod.send("message-" + i);
+      prod.write("message-" + i);
       if (prod.writeQueueFull() && !drainHandlerSet) {
         prod.drainHandler(v -> {
           fail("Should not be called");
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ public class EventBusFlowControlTest extends VertxTestBase {
     while (!prod.writeQueueFull()) {
       int val = count++;
       expected.add(val);
-      prod.send(val);
+      prod.write(val);
     }
     consumer.resume();
     assertWaitUntil(() -> !prod.writeQueueFull());