diff --git a/NEWS.md b/NEWS.md
index 2f2a6af8e6..c0f0a3ce74 100644
--- a/NEWS.md
+++ b/NEWS.md
@@ -2,6 +2,16 @@
 
 ## Breaking changes
 
+* CategoricalArrays.jl is no longer reexported: call `using CategoricalArrays`
+  to use it [#2404]((https://github.com/JuliaData/DataFrames.jl/pull/2404)).
+  In the same vein, the `categorical` and `categorical!` functions
+  have been deprecated in favor of
+  `transform(df, cols .=> categorical .=> cols)` and similar syntaxes
+  [#2394]((https://github.com/JuliaData/DataFrames.jl/pull/2394)).
+  `stack` now creates a `PooledVector{String}` variable column rather than
+  a `CategoricalVector{String}` column by default;
+  pass `variable_eltype=CategoricalValue{String}` to get the previous behavior
+  ([#2391](https://github.com/JuliaData/DataFrames.jl/pull/2391))
 * `isless` for `DataFrameRow`s now checks column names
 ([#2292](https://github.com/JuliaData/DataFrames.jl/pull/2292))
 * `DataFrameColumns` is now not a subtype of `AbstractVector`
@@ -22,13 +32,6 @@
   choose the fast path only when it is safe; this resolves inconsistencies
   with what the same functions not using fast path produce
   ([#2357](https://github.com/JuliaData/DataFrames.jl/pull/2357))
-* `stack` now creates a `PooledVector{String}` variable column rather than
-  a `CategoricalVector{String}` column by default;
-  pass `variable_eltype=CategoricalValue{String}` to get the previous behavior
-  ([#2391](https://github.com/JuliaData/DataFrames.jl/pull/2391))
-* the `categorical` and `categorical!` functions have been deprecated in favor of
-  `transform(df, cols .=> categorical .=> cols)` and similar syntaxes
-  [#2394]((https://github.com/JuliaData/DataFrames.jl/pull/2394))
 
 ## New functionalities
 
diff --git a/src/DataFrames.jl b/src/DataFrames.jl
index 9d45d575bb..35653e2129 100644
--- a/src/DataFrames.jl
+++ b/src/DataFrames.jl
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 module DataFrames
 
 using Statistics, Printf, REPL
-using Reexport, SortingAlgorithms, Compat, Unicode, PooledArrays
-@reexport using CategoricalArrays, Missings, InvertedIndices
+using Reexport, SortingAlgorithms, Compat, Unicode, PooledArrays, CategoricalArrays
+@reexport using Missings, InvertedIndices
 using Base.Sort, Base.Order, Base.Iterators
 using TableTraits, IteratorInterfaceExtensions
 import LinearAlgebra: norm
diff --git a/src/abstractdataframe/reshape.jl b/src/abstractdataframe/reshape.jl
index 44e172eedc..7db56ff20a 100644
--- a/src/abstractdataframe/reshape.jl
+++ b/src/abstractdataframe/reshape.jl
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ that return views into the original data frame.
   By default a `PooledArray{String}` is created.
   If `variable_eltype=Symbol` a `PooledVector{Symbol}` is created,
   and if `variable_eltype=CategoricalValue{String}`
-  a `CategoricalArray{String}` is produced.
+  a `CategoricalArray{String}` is produced (call `using CategoricalArrays` first if needed)
   Passing any other type `T` will produce a `PooledVector{T}` column
   as long as it supports conversion from `String`.
   When `view=true`, a `RepeatedVector{T}` is produced.
diff --git a/test/broadcasting.jl b/test/broadcasting.jl
index 2668ff98b8..5204b86779 100644
--- a/test/broadcasting.jl
+++ b/test/broadcasting.jl
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 module TestBroadcasting
 
-using Test, DataFrames, PooledArrays, Random
+using Test, DataFrames, PooledArrays, Random, CategoricalArrays
 
 const ≅ = isequal
 
diff --git a/test/cat.jl b/test/cat.jl
index 1153442461..af1c7325bc 100644
--- a/test/cat.jl
+++ b/test/cat.jl
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 module TestCat
 
-using Test, Random, DataFrames
+using Test, Random, DataFrames, CategoricalArrays
 const ≅ = isequal
 
 #
diff --git a/test/constructors.jl b/test/constructors.jl
index 38d5e08dda..d856f1461c 100644
--- a/test/constructors.jl
+++ b/test/constructors.jl
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 module TestConstructors
 
-using Test, DataFrames
+using Test, DataFrames, CategoricalArrays
 using DataFrames: Index, _columns, index
 const ≅ = isequal
 
diff --git a/test/data.jl b/test/data.jl
index 0e95c63cff..897484d962 100644
--- a/test/data.jl
+++ b/test/data.jl
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 module TestData
 
-using Test, DataFrames, Random, Statistics
+using Test, DataFrames, Random, Statistics, CategoricalArrays
 const ≅ = isequal
 
 @testset "constructors" begin
diff --git a/test/dataframe.jl b/test/dataframe.jl
index 157329e72a..9e9adebf8e 100644
--- a/test/dataframe.jl
+++ b/test/dataframe.jl
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 module TestDataFrame
 
-using Dates, DataFrames, Statistics, Random, Test, Logging, DataStructures
+using Dates, DataFrames, Statistics, Random, Test, Logging, DataStructures,
+      CategoricalArrays
 using DataFrames: _columns, index
 const ≅ = isequal
 const ≇ = !isequal
diff --git a/test/dataframerow.jl b/test/dataframerow.jl
index 13993a42fd..68058de3b6 100644
--- a/test/dataframerow.jl
+++ b/test/dataframerow.jl
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 module TestDataFrameRow
 
-using Test, DataFrames, Random, Logging
+using Test, DataFrames, Random, Logging, CategoricalArrays
 const ≅ = isequal
 const ≇ = !isequal
 
diff --git a/test/deprecated.jl b/test/deprecated.jl
index 5007021a1e..189df3d9f8 100644
--- a/test/deprecated.jl
+++ b/test/deprecated.jl
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 module TestDeprecated
 
-using Test, DataFrames
+using Test, DataFrames, CategoricalArrays
 
 const ≅ = isequal
 
diff --git a/test/duplicates.jl b/test/duplicates.jl
index 5d6a8a7695..f763399e18 100644
--- a/test/duplicates.jl
+++ b/test/duplicates.jl
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 module TestDuplicates
 
-using Test, DataFrames
+using Test, DataFrames, CategoricalArrays
 const ≅ = isequal
 
 @testset "nonunique" begin
diff --git a/test/grouping.jl b/test/grouping.jl
index 49092f2dc7..336c84eb82 100644
--- a/test/grouping.jl
+++ b/test/grouping.jl
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 module TestGrouping
 
-using Test, DataFrames, Random, Statistics, PooledArrays
+using Test, DataFrames, Random, Statistics, PooledArrays, CategoricalArrays
 const ≅ = isequal
 
 """Check if passed data frames are `isequal` and have the same element types of columns"""
diff --git a/test/join.jl b/test/join.jl
index a7a39798eb..56bb16dcc6 100644
--- a/test/join.jl
+++ b/test/join.jl
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 module TestJoin
 
-using Test, DataFrames, Random
+using Test, DataFrames, Random, CategoricalArrays
 using DataFrames: similar_missing
 const ≅ = isequal
 
diff --git a/test/reshape.jl b/test/reshape.jl
index 647045358c..6e215e7e92 100644
--- a/test/reshape.jl
+++ b/test/reshape.jl
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 module TestReshape
 
-using Test, DataFrames, Random, Logging, PooledArrays
+using Test, DataFrames, Random, Logging, PooledArrays, CategoricalArrays
 const ≅ = isequal
 
 @testset "the output of unstack" begin
diff --git a/test/select.jl b/test/select.jl
index c0f460dd86..99dc122322 100644
--- a/test/select.jl
+++ b/test/select.jl
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 module TestSelect
 
-using DataFrames, Test, Random, Statistics
+using DataFrames, Test, Random, Statistics, CategoricalArrays
 
 const ≅ = isequal
 
diff --git a/test/sort.jl b/test/sort.jl
index 835044a21e..6a02d99014 100644
--- a/test/sort.jl
+++ b/test/sort.jl
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 module TestSort
 
-using DataFrames, Random, Test
+using DataFrames, Random, Test, CategoricalArrays
 
 @testset "standard tests" begin
     dv1 = [9, 1, 8, missing, 3, 3, 7, missing]
diff --git a/test/tables.jl b/test/tables.jl
index 6ca9144234..7b3673e189 100644
--- a/test/tables.jl
+++ b/test/tables.jl
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 module TestTables
 
-using Test, DataFrames
+using Test, DataFrames, CategoricalArrays
 
 struct NamedTupleIterator{T <: NamedTuple}
     elements::Vector{T}