diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/commons/gitlab_ui.js b/app/assets/javascripts/commons/gitlab_ui.js
index 82a191d056b..6c18a0fd390 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/commons/gitlab_ui.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/commons/gitlab_ui.js
@@ -1,6 +1,4 @@
 import Vue from 'vue';
-import { GlLoadingIcon, GlTooltipDirective } from '@gitlab-org/gitlab-ui';
+import { GlLoadingIcon } from '@gitlab-org/gitlab-ui';
 
 Vue.component('gl-loading-icon', GlLoadingIcon);
-
-Vue.directive('gl-tooltip', GlTooltipDirective);
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/diffs/components/diff_gutter_avatars.vue b/app/assets/javascripts/diffs/components/diff_gutter_avatars.vue
index 1b59777f901..254bc235691 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/diffs/components/diff_gutter_avatars.vue
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/diffs/components/diff_gutter_avatars.vue
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ import { mapActions } from 'vuex';
 import Icon from '~/vue_shared/components/icon.vue';
 import { pluralize, truncate } from '~/lib/utils/text_utility';
 import UserAvatarImage from '~/vue_shared/components/user_avatar/user_avatar_image.vue';
+import { GlTooltipDirective } from '@gitlab-org/gitlab-ui';
 import { COUNT_OF_AVATARS_IN_GUTTER, LENGTH_OF_AVATAR_TOOLTIP } from '../constants';
 
 export default {
@@ -10,6 +11,9 @@ export default {
     Icon,
     UserAvatarImage,
   },
+  directives: {
+    GlTooltip: GlTooltipDirective,
+  },
   props: {
     discussions: {
       type: Array,
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/set_status_modal/set_status_modal_wrapper.vue b/app/assets/javascripts/set_status_modal/set_status_modal_wrapper.vue
index 8950ae31627..4d461baf74d 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/set_status_modal/set_status_modal_wrapper.vue
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/set_status_modal/set_status_modal_wrapper.vue
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import Icon from '~/vue_shared/components/icon.vue';
 import GfmAutoComplete from '~/gfm_auto_complete';
 import { __, s__ } from '~/locale';
 import Api from '~/api';
-import { GlModal } from '@gitlab-org/gitlab-ui';
+import { GlModal, GlTooltipDirective } from '@gitlab-org/gitlab-ui';
 import eventHub from './event_hub';
 import EmojiMenuInModal from './emoji_menu_in_modal';
 
@@ -16,6 +16,9 @@ export default {
     Icon,
     GlModal,
   },
+  directives: {
+    GlTooltip: GlTooltipDirective,
+  },
   props: {
     currentEmoji: {
       type: String,
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/vue_shared/components/gl_countdown.vue b/app/assets/javascripts/vue_shared/components/gl_countdown.vue
index 9327a2a4a6c..a35986b2d03 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/vue_shared/components/gl_countdown.vue
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/vue_shared/components/gl_countdown.vue
@@ -1,10 +1,14 @@
 <script>
 import { calculateRemainingMilliseconds, formatTime } from '~/lib/utils/datetime_utility';
+import { GlTooltipDirective } from '@gitlab-org/gitlab-ui';
 
 /**
  * Counts down to a given end date.
  */
 export default {
+  directives: {
+    GlTooltip: GlTooltipDirective,
+  },
   props: {
     endDateString: {
       type: String,
diff --git a/changelogs/unreleased/gl-ui-tooltip.yml b/changelogs/unreleased/gl-ui-tooltip.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..99ded9f812e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelogs/unreleased/gl-ui-tooltip.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+title: Remove gitlab-ui's tooltip from global
+merge_request:
+author:
+type: performance