diff --git a/tests/integration/test_boto3.py b/tests/integration/test_boto3.py
index cff712a..0bdb6a0 100644
--- a/tests/integration/test_boto3.py
+++ b/tests/integration/test_boto3.py
@@ -57,25 +57,6 @@ def get_user(iam_client):
     return _get_user
 
 
-@boto3_skip_vendored_requests
-def test_boto_vendored_stubs(tmpdir):
-    with vcr.use_cassette(str(tmpdir.join("boto3-stubs.yml"))):
-        # Perform the imports within the patched context so that
-        # HTTPConnection, VerifiedHTTPSConnection refers to the patched version.
-        from botocore.vendored.requests.packages.urllib3.connectionpool import (
-            HTTPConnection,
-            VerifiedHTTPSConnection,
-        )
-
-        from vcr.stubs.boto3_stubs import VCRRequestsHTTPConnection, VCRRequestsHTTPSConnection
-
-        # Prove that the class was patched by the stub and that we can instantiate it.
-        assert issubclass(HTTPConnection, VCRRequestsHTTPConnection)
-        assert issubclass(VerifiedHTTPSConnection, VCRRequestsHTTPSConnection)
-        HTTPConnection("hostname.does.not.matter")
-        VerifiedHTTPSConnection("hostname.does.not.matter")
-
-
 @pytest.mark.skipif(
     os.environ.get("TRAVIS_PULL_REQUEST") != "false",
     reason="Encrypted Environment Variables from Travis Repository Settings"
diff --git a/vcr/patch.py b/vcr/patch.py
index a283287..169d194 100644
--- a/vcr/patch.py
+++ b/vcr/patch.py
@@ -16,15 +16,16 @@ _HTTPSConnection = httplib.HTTPSConnection
 # Try to save the original types for boto3
 try:
     from botocore.awsrequest import AWSHTTPConnection, AWSHTTPSConnection
-except ImportError:
+except ImportError as e:
     try:
-        import botocore.vendored.requests.packages.urllib3.connectionpool as cpool
+        import botocore.vendored.requests  # noqa: F401
     except ImportError:  # pragma: no cover
         pass
     else:
-        _Boto3VerifiedHTTPSConnection = cpool.VerifiedHTTPSConnection
-        _cpoolBoto3HTTPConnection = cpool.HTTPConnection
-        _cpoolBoto3HTTPSConnection = cpool.HTTPSConnection
+        raise RuntimeError(
+            "vcrpy >=4.2.2 and botocore <1.11.0 are not compatible"
+            "; please upgrade botocore (or downgrade vcrpy)"
+        ) from e
 else:
     _Boto3VerifiedHTTPSConnection = AWSHTTPSConnection
     _cpoolBoto3HTTPConnection = AWSHTTPConnection
@@ -203,15 +204,7 @@ class CassettePatcherBuilder:
             # botocore using awsrequest
             import botocore.awsrequest as cpool
         except ImportError:  # pragma: no cover
-            try:
-                # botocore using vendored requests
-                import botocore.vendored.requests.packages.urllib3.connectionpool as cpool
-            except ImportError:  # pragma: no cover
-                pass
-            else:
-                from .stubs import boto3_stubs
-
-                yield self._urllib3_patchers(cpool, boto3_stubs)
+            pass
         else:
             from .stubs import boto3_stubs
 
@@ -460,24 +453,7 @@ def reset_patchers():
         # unpatch botocore with awsrequest
         import botocore.awsrequest as cpool
     except ImportError:  # pragma: no cover
-        try:
-            # unpatch botocore with vendored requests
-            import botocore.vendored.requests.packages.urllib3.connectionpool as cpool
-        except ImportError:  # pragma: no cover
-            pass
-        else:
-            # unpatch requests v1.x
-            yield mock.patch.object(cpool, "VerifiedHTTPSConnection", _Boto3VerifiedHTTPSConnection)
-            yield mock.patch.object(cpool, "HTTPConnection", _cpoolBoto3HTTPConnection)
-            # unpatch requests v2.x
-            if hasattr(cpool.HTTPConnectionPool, "ConnectionCls"):
-                yield mock.patch.object(cpool.HTTPConnectionPool, "ConnectionCls", _cpoolBoto3HTTPConnection)
-                yield mock.patch.object(
-                    cpool.HTTPSConnectionPool, "ConnectionCls", _cpoolBoto3HTTPSConnection
-                )
-
-            if hasattr(cpool, "HTTPSConnection"):
-                yield mock.patch.object(cpool, "HTTPSConnection", _cpoolBoto3HTTPSConnection)
+        pass
     else:
         if hasattr(cpool.AWSHTTPConnectionPool, "ConnectionCls"):
             yield mock.patch.object(cpool.AWSHTTPConnectionPool, "ConnectionCls", _cpoolBoto3HTTPConnection)
diff --git a/vcr/stubs/boto3_stubs.py b/vcr/stubs/boto3_stubs.py
index a4d349a..37fd9e3 100644
--- a/vcr/stubs/boto3_stubs.py
+++ b/vcr/stubs/boto3_stubs.py
@@ -1,17 +1,6 @@
 """Stubs for boto3"""
-try:
-    # boto using awsrequest
-    from botocore.awsrequest import AWSHTTPConnection as HTTPConnection
-    from botocore.awsrequest import AWSHTTPSConnection as VerifiedHTTPSConnection
-
-except ImportError:  # pragma: nocover
-    # boto using vendored requests
-    # urllib3 defines its own HTTPConnection classes, which boto3 goes ahead and assumes
-    # you're using.  It includes some polyfills for newer features missing in older pythons.
-    try:
-        from urllib3.connectionpool import HTTPConnection, VerifiedHTTPSConnection
-    except ImportError:  # pragma: nocover
-        from requests.packages.urllib3.connectionpool import HTTPConnection, VerifiedHTTPSConnection
+from botocore.awsrequest import AWSHTTPConnection as HTTPConnection
+from botocore.awsrequest import AWSHTTPSConnection as VerifiedHTTPSConnection
 
 from ..stubs import VCRHTTPConnection, VCRHTTPSConnection