diff --git a/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/core/Definitions.scala b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/core/Definitions.scala
index 9174b573786b..273474208f79 100644
--- a/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/core/Definitions.scala
+++ b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/core/Definitions.scala
@@ -1763,7 +1763,7 @@ class Definitions {
     RootRef(() => ScalaPackageVal.termRef)
 
   private val PredefImportFns: RootRef =
-    RootRef(() => ScalaPredefModule.termRef, isPredef=true)
+    RootRef(() => ScalaPredefModule.termRef)
 
   @tu private lazy val YimportsImportFns: List[RootRef] = ctx.settings.Yimports.value.map { name =>
     val denot =
diff --git a/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/typer/ImportInfo.scala b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/typer/ImportInfo.scala
index e8698baa46ac..0054b53e4b13 100644
--- a/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/typer/ImportInfo.scala
+++ b/compiler/src/dotty/tools/dotc/typer/ImportInfo.scala
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ import scala.compiletime.uninitialized
 
 object ImportInfo {
 
-  case class RootRef(refFn: () => TermRef, isPredef: Boolean = false)
+  case class RootRef(refFn: () => TermRef)
 
   /** The import info for a root import */
   def rootImport(ref: RootRef)(using Context): ImportInfo =
@@ -24,9 +24,6 @@ object ImportInfo {
       untpd.ImportSelector(untpd.Ident(nme.WILDCARD))  // import all normal members...
       :: untpd.ImportSelector(untpd.Ident(nme.EMPTY))  // ... and also all given members
       :: Nil
-    if ref.isPredef then                               // do not import any2stringadd
-      selectors = untpd.ImportSelector(untpd.Ident(nme.any2stringadd), untpd.Ident(nme.WILDCARD))
-        :: selectors
 
     def sym(using Context) =
       val expr = tpd.Ident(ref.refFn()) // refFn must be called in the context of ImportInfo.sym
diff --git a/library/src/scala/Predef.scala b/library/src/scala/Predef.scala
index c97b2c761229..7fa23502636b 100644
--- a/library/src/scala/Predef.scala
+++ b/library/src/scala/Predef.scala
@@ -419,9 +419,11 @@ object Predef extends LowPriorityImplicits {
   @(deprecated @companionMethod)("Implicit injection of + is deprecated. Convert to String to call +", "2.13.0")
   @(deprecated @companionClass)("Implicit injection of + is deprecated. Convert to String to call +", "2.13.0") // for Scaladoc
   // scala/bug#8229 retaining the pre 2.11 name for source compatibility in shadowing this implicit
-  implicit final class any2stringadd[A](private val self: A) extends AnyVal {
+  private[scala] final class any2stringadd[A](private val self: A) extends AnyVal {
     def +(other: String): String = String.valueOf(self) + other
   }
+  @deprecated
+  private[scala] def any2stringadd[A](self: A): any2stringadd[A] = new any2stringadd[A](self)
 
   /** @group char-sequence-wrappers */
   final class SeqCharSequence(sequenceOfChars: scala.collection.IndexedSeq[Char]) extends CharSequence {
diff --git a/tests/neg/i7137.scala b/tests/neg/i7137.scala
index 5b7ec3a36e5d..5192a91d7cff 100644
--- a/tests/neg/i7137.scala
+++ b/tests/neg/i7137.scala
@@ -3,5 +3,5 @@ object App {
   val any: Any = 3
   val str: String = any + "a" // error
   val str2: String = any2stringadd(any) + "a" // error
-  val str3: String = Predef.any2stringadd(any) + "a"
+  val str3: String = Predef.any2stringadd(any) + "a" // error
 }