diff --git a/activesupport/CHANGELOG.md b/activesupport/CHANGELOG.md
index 468b990f39..ed30c7de70 100644
--- a/activesupport/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/activesupport/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+*   The decorated `load` and `require` methods are now kept private.
+
+    Fixes #17553.
+
+    *Xavier Noria*
+
 *   `String#remove` and `String#remove!` accept multiple arguments.
 
     *Pavel Pravosud*
diff --git a/activesupport/lib/active_support/dependencies.rb b/activesupport/lib/active_support/dependencies.rb
index a89c769e34..65a370dd30 100644
--- a/activesupport/lib/active_support/dependencies.rb
+++ b/activesupport/lib/active_support/dependencies.rb
@@ -205,7 +205,10 @@ module ActiveSupport #:nodoc:
     # Object includes this module.
     module Loadable #:nodoc:
       def self.exclude_from(base)
-        base.class_eval { define_method(:load, Kernel.instance_method(:load)) }
+        base.class_eval do
+          define_method(:load, Kernel.instance_method(:load))
+          private :load
+        end
       end
 
       def require_or_load(file_name)
@@ -241,18 +244,6 @@ module ActiveSupport #:nodoc:
         raise
       end
 
-      def load(file, wrap = false)
-        result = false
-        load_dependency(file) { result = super }
-        result
-      end
-
-      def require(file)
-        result = false
-        load_dependency(file) { result = super }
-        result
-      end
-
       # Mark the given constant as unloadable. Unloadable constants are removed
       # each time dependencies are cleared.
       #
@@ -269,6 +260,20 @@ module ActiveSupport #:nodoc:
       def unloadable(const_desc)
         Dependencies.mark_for_unload const_desc
       end
+
+      private
+
+      def load(file, wrap = false)
+        result = false
+        load_dependency(file) { result = super }
+        result
+      end
+
+      def require(file)
+        result = false
+        load_dependency(file) { result = super }
+        result
+      end
     end
 
     # Exception file-blaming.
diff --git a/activesupport/test/dependencies_test.rb b/activesupport/test/dependencies_test.rb
index 67e31fc1e1..96e9bd1e65 100644
--- a/activesupport/test/dependencies_test.rb
+++ b/activesupport/test/dependencies_test.rb
@@ -1037,6 +1037,18 @@ class DependenciesTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
     assert_nothing_raised { ActiveSupport::Dependencies.hook! }
   end
 
+  def test_load_and_require_stay_private
+    assert Object.private_methods.include?(:load)
+    assert Object.private_methods.include?(:require)
+
+    ActiveSupport::Dependencies.unhook!
+
+    assert Object.private_methods.include?(:load)
+    assert Object.private_methods.include?(:require)
+  ensure
+    ActiveSupport::Dependencies.hook!
+  end
+
   def test_unhook
     ActiveSupport::Dependencies.unhook!
     assert !Module.new.respond_to?(:const_missing_without_dependencies)