diff --git a/manifests/osds.pp b/manifests/osds.pp
index 5cad2883..c3ab9512 100644
--- a/manifests/osds.pp
+++ b/manifests/osds.pp
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@
 # [*defaults*] A config hash
 #   Optional. Defaults to a empty hash
 #
+# **DEPRECATED PARAMS**
+#
 # [*pid_max*] Value for pid_max. Defaults to undef. Optional.
 #   For OSD nodes it is recommended that you raise pid_max above the
 #   default value because you may hit the system max during
@@ -34,17 +36,15 @@
 #   http://docs.ceph.com/docs/nautilus/rados/troubleshooting/troubleshooting-osd/
 #
 class ceph::osds(
-  $args = {},
+  $args     = {},
   $defaults = {},
-  $pid_max = $ceph::profile::params::pid_max,
-)
-{
-  create_resources(ceph::osd, $args, $defaults)
+  # DEPRECATED PARAMS
+  $pid_max  = undef,
+) {
 
-  if $pid_max {
-    $sysctl_settings = {
-      'kernel.pid_max' => { value => $pid_max },
-    }
-    ensure_resources(sysctl::value,$sysctl_settings)
+  if $pid_max != undef {
+    warning('pid_max parameter is deprecated and has no effect.')
   }
+
+  create_resources(ceph::osd, $args, $defaults)
 }
diff --git a/manifests/profile/params.pp b/manifests/profile/params.pp
index c156f66c..009dafbb 100644
--- a/manifests/profile/params.pp
+++ b/manifests/profile/params.pp
@@ -137,12 +137,6 @@
 #   Set to 0 to disable it.
 #   Optional. Default provided by Ceph
 #
-# [*pid_max*] Value for pid_max. Defaults to undef. Optional.
-#   For OSD nodes it is recommended that you raise pid_max above the
-#   default value because you may hit the system max during
-#   recovery. The recommended value is the absolute max for pid_max: 4194303
-#   http://docs.ceph.com/docs/nautilus/rados/troubleshooting/troubleshooting-osd/
-#
 # [*rgw_keystone_version*] The api version for keystone.
 #   Possible values 'v2.0', 'v3'
 #   Optional. Default is 'v2.0'
@@ -177,7 +171,14 @@
 # [*rbd_default_features*] Set RBD features configuration.
 #   Optional. String. Defaults to undef.
 # 
-
+# **DEPRECATED PARAMS**
+#
+# [*pid_max*] Value for pid_max. Defaults to undef. Optional.
+#   For OSD nodes it is recommended that you raise pid_max above the
+#   default value because you may hit the system max during
+#   recovery. The recommended value is the absolute max for pid_max: 4194303
+#   http://docs.ceph.com/docs/nautilus/rados/troubleshooting/troubleshooting-osd/
+#
 class ceph::profile::params (
   $fsid = undef,
   $release = undef,
@@ -214,7 +215,6 @@ class ceph::profile::params (
   $osd_recovery_max_single_start = undef,
   $osd_max_scrubs = undef,
   $osd_op_threads = undef,
-  $pid_max = undef,
   $rgw_keystone_version = 'v2.0',
   $rgw_keystone_admin_domain = undef,
   $rgw_keystone_admin_project = undef,
@@ -225,10 +225,16 @@ class ceph::profile::params (
   $fs_data_pool = undef,
   $fs_name = undef,
   $rbd_default_features = undef,
+  # DEPRECATED PARAMS
+  $pid_max = undef,
 ) {
 
   validate_legacy(Hash, 'validate_hash', $client_keys)
 
+  if $pid_max != undef {
+    warning('pid_max parameter is deprecated and has no effect.')
+  }
+
   if $authentication_type == 'cephx' and empty($client_keys) {
     fail("client_keys must be provided when using authentication_type = 'cephx'")
   }
diff --git a/metadata.json b/metadata.json
index 4bc1f23c..de7f3d47 100644
--- a/metadata.json
+++ b/metadata.json
@@ -63,10 +63,6 @@
             "name": "puppetlabs/stdlib",
             "version_requirement": ">=5.0.0 <9.0.0"
         },
-        {
-            "name": "duritong/sysctl",
-            "version_requirement": ">=0.0.1 <1.0.0"
-        },
         {
             "name": "openstack/openstacklib",
             "version_requirement": ">=9.0.0"
diff --git a/releasenotes/notes/deprecate-pid-max-a891b20388920412.yaml b/releasenotes/notes/deprecate-pid-max-a891b20388920412.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..5345c86e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/releasenotes/notes/deprecate-pid-max-a891b20388920412.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+---
+upgrade:
+  - |
+    The puppet-ceph module no longer depends on any sysctl module thus the
+    dependency on duritong/sysctl module is removed and not needed anymore.
+deprecations:
+  - |
+    The pid_max parameter in classes ceph::osds and ceph::profile::params is
+    deprecated and no longer used.
diff --git a/spec/classes/ceph_osds_spec.rb b/spec/classes/ceph_osds_spec.rb
index 77e6794d..c056daf9 100644
--- a/spec/classes/ceph_osds_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/classes/ceph_osds_spec.rb
@@ -43,21 +43,9 @@ describe 'ceph::osds' do
       should contain_ceph__osd('/srv/data').with(
         :ensure  => 'present',
         :cluster => 'CLUSTER')
-      should_not contain_sysctl__value('kernel.pid_max')
     }
   end
 
-  context 'sets pid_max when enabled' do
-    let :params do
-    {
-      :pid_max => 123456,
-    }
-    end
-    it do
-      should contain_sysctl__value('kernel.pid_max').with_value(123456)
-    end
-  end
-
   on_supported_os({
     :supported_os => OSDefaults.get_supported_os
   }).each do |os,facts|