diff --git a/jOOQ/src/main/java/org/jooq/impl/DefaultConfiguration.java b/jOOQ/src/main/java/org/jooq/impl/DefaultConfiguration.java
index 40957b6b8b..83c5c1c1de 100644
--- a/jOOQ/src/main/java/org/jooq/impl/DefaultConfiguration.java
+++ b/jOOQ/src/main/java/org/jooq/impl/DefaultConfiguration.java
@@ -137,27 +137,30 @@ public class DefaultConfiguration implements Configuration {
     // -------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
     /**
-     * Create a new "empty" configuration object.
-     * <p>
-     * This can be used as is, as a "dummy" configuration object, or as a base
-     * implementation for creating more sophisticated "derived" configurations
-     * through the various <code>derive()</code> or <code>set()</code> methods.
+     * Create a new configuration object.
      */
     public DefaultConfiguration() {
         this(DEFAULT);
     }
 
     /**
-     * Create a new "empty" configuration object given a {@link SQLDialect}.
-     * <p>
-     * This can be used as is, as a "dummy" configuration object, or as a base
-     * implementation for creating more sophisticated "derived" configurations
-     * through the various <code>derive()</code> or <code>set()</code> methods.
-     *
-     * @param dialect The pre-existing {@link SQLDialect}.
+     * Create a new configuration object.
      */
     DefaultConfiguration(SQLDialect dialect) {
         this(
+            null,
+            dialect,
+            SettingsTools.defaultSettings()
+        );
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Create a new configuration object.
+     */
+    DefaultConfiguration(ConnectionProvider connectionProvider, SQLDialect dialect, Settings settings) {
+        this(
+            connectionProvider,
+            null,
             null,
             null,
             null,
@@ -175,7 +178,7 @@ public class DefaultConfiguration implements Configuration {
             null,
 
             dialect,
-            SettingsTools.defaultSettings(),
+            settings,
             null
         );
     }
@@ -214,507 +217,6 @@ public class DefaultConfiguration implements Configuration {
         );
     }
 
-    /**
-     * This constructor is maintained for backwards-compatibility reasons.
-     * Spring users tend to construct this <code>DefaultConfiguration</code>
-     * through reflection.
-     *
-     * @deprecated Use
-     *             {@link #DefaultConfiguration(ConnectionProvider, ExecutorProvider, TransactionProvider, RecordMapperProvider, RecordListenerProvider[], ExecuteListenerProvider[], VisitListenerProvider[], TransactionListenerProvider[], ConverterProvider, SQLDialect, Settings, Map)}
-     *             instead. This constructor is maintained to provide jOOQ 3.2,
-     *             3.3, 3.7, 3.8 backwards-compatibility if called with reflection
-     *             from Spring configurations.
-     */
-    @Deprecated
-    DefaultConfiguration(
-        ConnectionProvider connectionProvider,
-        ExecuteListenerProvider[] executeListenerProviders,
-        SQLDialect dialect,
-        Settings settings,
-        Map<Object, Object> data)
-    {
-        this(
-            connectionProvider,
-            null,
-            null,
-            null,
-            null,
-            null,
-            null,
-            executeListenerProviders,
-            null,
-            null,
-            null,
-            null,
-            null,
-
-            null,
-
-            dialect,
-            settings,
-            data
-        );
-    }
-
-    /**
-     * This constructor is maintained for backwards-compatibility reasons.
-     * Spring users tend to construct this <code>DefaultConfiguration</code>
-     * through reflection.
-     *
-     * @deprecated Use
-     *             {@link #DefaultConfiguration(ConnectionProvider, ExecutorProvider, TransactionProvider, RecordMapperProvider, RecordListenerProvider[], ExecuteListenerProvider[], VisitListenerProvider[], TransactionListenerProvider[], ConverterProvider, SQLDialect, Settings, Map)}
-     *             instead. This constructor is maintained to provide jOOQ 3.2,
-     *             3.3, 3.7, 3.8 backwards-compatibility if called with reflection
-     *             from Spring configurations.
-     */
-    @Deprecated
-    DefaultConfiguration(
-        ConnectionProvider connectionProvider,
-        RecordMapperProvider recordMapperProvider,
-        ExecuteListenerProvider[] executeListenerProviders,
-        SQLDialect dialect,
-        Settings settings,
-        Map<Object, Object> data)
-    {
-        this(
-            connectionProvider,
-            null,
-            null,
-            null,
-            recordMapperProvider,
-            null,
-            null,
-            executeListenerProviders,
-            null,
-            null,
-            null,
-            null,
-            null,
-
-            null,
-
-            dialect,
-            settings,
-            data
-        );
-    }
-
-    /**
-     * This constructor is maintained for backwards-compatibility reasons.
-     * Spring users tend to construct this <code>DefaultConfiguration</code>
-     * through reflection.
-     *
-     * @deprecated Use
-     *             {@link #DefaultConfiguration(ConnectionProvider, ExecutorProvider, TransactionProvider, RecordMapperProvider, RecordListenerProvider[], ExecuteListenerProvider[], VisitListenerProvider[], TransactionListenerProvider[], ConverterProvider, SQLDialect, Settings, Map)}
-     *             instead. This constructor is maintained to provide jOOQ 3.2,
-     *             3.3, 3.7, 3.8 backwards-compatibility if called with reflection
-     *             from Spring configurations.
-     */
-    @Deprecated
-    DefaultConfiguration(
-        ConnectionProvider connectionProvider,
-        RecordMapperProvider recordMapperProvider,
-        RecordListenerProvider[] recordListenerProviders,
-        ExecuteListenerProvider[] executeListenerProviders,
-        VisitListenerProvider[] visitListenerProviders,
-        SQLDialect dialect,
-        Settings settings,
-        Map<Object, Object> data)
-    {
-        this(
-            connectionProvider,
-            null,
-            null,
-            null,
-            recordMapperProvider,
-            null,
-            recordListenerProviders,
-            executeListenerProviders,
-            visitListenerProviders,
-            null,
-            null,
-            null,
-            null,
-
-            null,
-
-            dialect,
-            settings,
-            data
-        );
-    }
-
-    /**
-     * This constructor is maintained for backwards-compatibility reasons.
-     * Spring users tend to construct this <code>DefaultConfiguration</code>
-     * through reflection.
-     *
-     * @deprecated Use
-     *             {@link #DefaultConfiguration(ConnectionProvider, ExecutorProvider, TransactionProvider, RecordMapperProvider, RecordListenerProvider[], ExecuteListenerProvider[], VisitListenerProvider[], TransactionListenerProvider[], ConverterProvider, SQLDialect, Settings, Map)}
-     *             instead. This constructor is maintained to provide jOOQ 3.2,
-     *             3.3, 3.7, 3.8 backwards-compatibility if called with reflection
-     *             from Spring configurations.
-     */
-    @Deprecated
-    DefaultConfiguration(
-        ConnectionProvider connectionProvider,
-        TransactionProvider transactionProvider,
-        RecordMapperProvider recordMapperProvider,
-        RecordListenerProvider[] recordListenerProviders,
-        ExecuteListenerProvider[] executeListenerProviders,
-        VisitListenerProvider[] visitListenerProviders,
-        SQLDialect dialect,
-        Settings settings,
-        Map<Object, Object> data)
-    {
-        this(
-            connectionProvider,
-            null,
-            null,
-            transactionProvider,
-            recordMapperProvider,
-            null,
-            recordListenerProviders,
-            executeListenerProviders,
-            visitListenerProviders,
-            null,
-            null,
-            null,
-            null,
-
-            null,
-
-            dialect,
-            settings,
-            data
-        );
-    }
-
-    /**
-     * This constructor is maintained for backwards-compatibility reasons.
-     * Spring users tend to construct this <code>DefaultConfiguration</code>
-     * through reflection.
-     *
-     * @deprecated Use
-     *             {@link #DefaultConfiguration(ConnectionProvider, ExecutorProvider, TransactionProvider, RecordMapperProvider, RecordListenerProvider[], ExecuteListenerProvider[], VisitListenerProvider[], TransactionListenerProvider[], ConverterProvider, SQLDialect, Settings, Map)}
-     *             instead. This constructor is maintained to provide jOOQ 3.2,
-     *             3.3, 3.7, 3.8 backwards-compatibility if called with reflection
-     *             from Spring configurations.
-     */
-    @Deprecated
-    DefaultConfiguration(
-        ConnectionProvider connectionProvider,
-        TransactionProvider transactionProvider,
-        RecordMapperProvider recordMapperProvider,
-        RecordListenerProvider[] recordListenerProviders,
-        ExecuteListenerProvider[] executeListenerProviders,
-        VisitListenerProvider[] visitListenerProviders,
-        ConverterProvider converterProvider,
-        SQLDialect dialect,
-        Settings settings,
-        Map<Object, Object> data)
-    {
-        this(
-            connectionProvider,
-            null,
-            null,
-            transactionProvider,
-            recordMapperProvider,
-            null,
-            recordListenerProviders,
-            executeListenerProviders,
-            visitListenerProviders,
-            null,
-            null,
-            null,
-            converterProvider,
-
-            null,
-
-            dialect,
-            settings,
-            data
-        );
-    }
-
-    /**
-     * Create the actual configuration object.
-     * <p>
-     * This constructor has been made package-private to allow for adding new
-     * configuration properties in the future, without breaking client code.
-     * Consider creating a configuration by chaining calls to various
-     * <code>derive()</code> methods.
-     *
-     * @deprecated Use
-     *             {@link #DefaultConfiguration(ConnectionProvider, ExecutorProvider, TransactionProvider, RecordMapperProvider, RecordListenerProvider[], ExecuteListenerProvider[], VisitListenerProvider[], TransactionListenerProvider[], ConverterProvider, SQLDialect, Settings, Map)}
-     *             instead. This constructor is maintained to provide jOOQ 3.2,
-     *             3.3, 3.7, 3.8 backwards-compatibility if called with reflection
-     *             from Spring configurations.
-     */
-    @Deprecated
-    DefaultConfiguration(
-        ConnectionProvider connectionProvider,
-        ExecutorProvider executorProvider,
-        TransactionProvider transactionProvider,
-        RecordMapperProvider recordMapperProvider,
-        RecordListenerProvider[] recordListenerProviders,
-        ExecuteListenerProvider[] executeListenerProviders,
-        VisitListenerProvider[] visitListenerProviders,
-        ConverterProvider converterProvider,
-        SQLDialect dialect,
-        Settings settings,
-        Map<Object, Object> data)
-    {
-        this(
-            connectionProvider,
-            null,
-            executorProvider,
-            transactionProvider,
-            recordMapperProvider,
-            null,
-            recordListenerProviders,
-            executeListenerProviders,
-            visitListenerProviders,
-            null,
-            null,
-            null,
-            converterProvider,
-
-            null,
-
-            dialect,
-            settings,
-            data
-        );
-    }
-
-    /**
-     * Create the actual configuration object.
-     * <p>
-     * This constructor has been made package-private to allow for adding new
-     * configuration properties in the future, without breaking client code.
-     * Consider creating a configuration by chaining calls to various
-     * <code>derive()</code> methods.
-     *
-     * @deprecated Use
-     *             {@link #DefaultConfiguration(ConnectionProvider, ExecutorProvider, TransactionProvider, RecordMapperProvider, RecordUnmapperProvider, RecordListenerProvider[], ExecuteListenerProvider[], VisitListenerProvider[], TransactionListenerProvider[], ConverterProvider, SQLDialect, Settings, Map)}
-     *             instead. This constructor is maintained to provide jOOQ 3.2,
-     *             3.3, 3.7, 3.8, 3.9 backwards-compatibility if called with
-     *             reflection from Spring configurations.
-     */
-    @Deprecated
-    DefaultConfiguration(
-        ConnectionProvider connectionProvider,
-        ExecutorProvider executorProvider,
-        TransactionProvider transactionProvider,
-        RecordMapperProvider recordMapperProvider,
-        RecordListenerProvider[] recordListenerProviders,
-        ExecuteListenerProvider[] executeListenerProviders,
-        VisitListenerProvider[] visitListenerProviders,
-        TransactionListenerProvider[] transactionListenerProviders,
-        ConverterProvider converterProvider,
-        SQLDialect dialect,
-        Settings settings,
-        Map<Object, Object> data)
-    {
-        this(
-            connectionProvider,
-            null,
-            executorProvider,
-            transactionProvider,
-            recordMapperProvider,
-            null,
-            recordListenerProviders,
-            executeListenerProviders,
-            visitListenerProviders,
-            transactionListenerProviders,
-            null,
-            null,
-            converterProvider,
-
-            null,
-
-            dialect,
-            settings,
-            data
-        );
-    }
-
-    /**
-     * Create the actual configuration object.
-     * <p>
-     * This constructor has been made package-private to allow for adding new
-     * configuration properties in the future, without breaking client code.
-     * Consider creating a configuration by chaining calls to various
-     * <code>derive()</code> methods.
-     *
-     * @deprecated Use
-     *             {@link #DefaultConfiguration(ConnectionProvider, ExecutorProvider, TransactionProvider, RecordMapperProvider, RecordUnmapperProvider, RecordListenerProvider[], ExecuteListenerProvider[], VisitListenerProvider[], TransactionListenerProvider[], DiagnosticsListenerProvider[], ConverterProvider, SQLDialect, Settings, Map)}
-     *             instead. This constructor is maintained to provide jOOQ 3.2,
-     *             3.3, 3.7, 3.8, 3.9, 3.10 backwards-compatibility if called with
-     *             reflection from Spring configurations.
-     */
-    @Deprecated
-    DefaultConfiguration(
-        ConnectionProvider connectionProvider,
-        ExecutorProvider executorProvider,
-        TransactionProvider transactionProvider,
-        RecordMapperProvider recordMapperProvider,
-        RecordUnmapperProvider recordUnmapperProvider,
-        RecordListenerProvider[] recordListenerProviders,
-        ExecuteListenerProvider[] executeListenerProviders,
-        VisitListenerProvider[] visitListenerProviders,
-        TransactionListenerProvider[] transactionListenerProviders,
-        ConverterProvider converterProvider,
-
-        Clock clock,
-
-        SQLDialect dialect,
-        Settings settings,
-        Map<Object, Object> data)
-    {
-        this(
-            connectionProvider,
-            null,
-            executorProvider,
-            transactionProvider,
-            recordMapperProvider,
-            recordUnmapperProvider,
-            recordListenerProviders,
-            executeListenerProviders,
-            visitListenerProviders,
-            transactionListenerProviders,
-            null,
-            null,
-            converterProvider,
-
-            clock,
-
-            dialect,
-            settings,
-            data
-        );
-    }
-
-    /**
-     * Create the actual configuration object.
-     * <p>
-     * This constructor has been made package-private to allow for adding new
-     * configuration properties in the future, without breaking client code.
-     * Consider creating a configuration by chaining calls to various
-     * <code>derive()</code> methods.
-     *
-     * @deprecated Use
-     *             {@link #DefaultConfiguration(ConnectionProvider, ExecutorProvider, TransactionProvider, RecordMapperProvider, RecordUnmapperProvider, RecordListenerProvider[], ExecuteListenerProvider[], VisitListenerProvider[], TransactionListenerProvider[], DiagnosticsListenerProvider[], UnwrapperProvider, ConverterProvider, SQLDialect, Settings, Map)}
-     *             instead. This constructor is maintained to provide jOOQ 3.2,
-     *             3.3, 3.7, 3.8, 3.9, 3.10, 3.11 backwards-compatibility if
-     *             called with reflection from Spring configurations.
-     */
-    @Deprecated
-    DefaultConfiguration(
-        ConnectionProvider connectionProvider,
-        MetaProvider metaProvider,
-        ExecutorProvider executorProvider,
-        TransactionProvider transactionProvider,
-        RecordMapperProvider recordMapperProvider,
-        RecordUnmapperProvider recordUnmapperProvider,
-        RecordListenerProvider[] recordListenerProviders,
-        ExecuteListenerProvider[] executeListenerProviders,
-        VisitListenerProvider[] visitListenerProviders,
-        TransactionListenerProvider[] transactionListenerProviders,
-        DiagnosticsListenerProvider[] diagnosticsListenerProviders,
-        ConverterProvider converterProvider,
-
-        Clock clock,
-
-        SQLDialect dialect,
-        Settings settings,
-        Map<Object, Object> data)
-    {
-        this(
-            connectionProvider,
-            metaProvider,
-            executorProvider,
-            transactionProvider,
-            recordMapperProvider,
-            recordUnmapperProvider,
-            recordListenerProviders,
-            executeListenerProviders,
-            visitListenerProviders,
-            transactionListenerProviders,
-            diagnosticsListenerProviders,
-            null,
-            converterProvider,
-
-            clock,
-
-            dialect,
-            settings,
-            data
-        );
-    }
-
-    /**
-     * Create the actual configuration object.
-     * <p>
-     * This constructor has been made package-private to allow for adding new
-     * configuration properties in the future, without breaking client code.
-     * Consider creating a configuration by chaining calls to various
-     * <code>derive()</code> methods.
-     *
-     * @deprecated Use
-     *             {@link #DefaultConfiguration(ConnectionProvider, ConnectionProvider, ExecutorProvider, TransactionProvider, RecordMapperProvider, RecordUnmapperProvider, RecordListenerProvider[], ExecuteListenerProvider[], VisitListenerProvider[], TransactionListenerProvider[], DiagnosticsListenerProvider[], UnwrapperProvider, ConverterProvider, SQLDialect, Settings, Map)}
-     *             instead. This constructor is maintained to provide jOOQ 3.2,
-     *             3.3, 3.7, 3.8, 3.9, 3.10, 3.11, 3.12 backwards-compatibility if
-     *             called with reflection from Spring configurations.
-     */
-    @Deprecated
-    DefaultConfiguration(
-        ConnectionProvider connectionProvider,
-        MetaProvider metaProvider,
-        ExecutorProvider executorProvider,
-        TransactionProvider transactionProvider,
-        RecordMapperProvider recordMapperProvider,
-        RecordUnmapperProvider recordUnmapperProvider,
-        RecordListenerProvider[] recordListenerProviders,
-        ExecuteListenerProvider[] executeListenerProviders,
-        VisitListenerProvider[] visitListenerProviders,
-        TransactionListenerProvider[] transactionListenerProviders,
-        DiagnosticsListenerProvider[] diagnosticsListenerProviders,
-        UnwrapperProvider unwrapperProvider,
-        ConverterProvider converterProvider,
-
-        Clock clock,
-
-        SQLDialect dialect,
-        Settings settings,
-        Map<Object, Object> data)
-    {
-        this(
-            connectionProvider,
-            null,
-            null,
-            metaProvider,
-            executorProvider,
-            transactionProvider,
-            recordMapperProvider,
-            recordUnmapperProvider,
-            recordListenerProviders,
-            executeListenerProviders,
-            visitListenerProviders,
-            transactionListenerProviders,
-            diagnosticsListenerProviders,
-            unwrapperProvider,
-            converterProvider,
-
-            clock,
-
-            dialect,
-            settings,
-            data
-        );
-    }
-
     /**
      * Create the actual configuration object.
      * <p>
diff --git a/jOOQ/src/main/java/org/jooq/impl/DefaultDSLContext.java b/jOOQ/src/main/java/org/jooq/impl/DefaultDSLContext.java
index fa82b561be..f3705fc830 100644
--- a/jOOQ/src/main/java/org/jooq/impl/DefaultDSLContext.java
+++ b/jOOQ/src/main/java/org/jooq/impl/DefaultDSLContext.java
@@ -317,7 +317,7 @@ public class DefaultDSLContext extends AbstractScope implements DSLContext, Seri
     }
 
     public DefaultDSLContext(SQLDialect dialect, Settings settings) {
-        this(new DefaultConfiguration(new NoConnectionProvider(), null, null, null, null, null, null, null, null, null, null, null,  null,  dialect, settings, null));
+        this(new DefaultConfiguration(new NoConnectionProvider(), dialect, settings));
     }
 
     public DefaultDSLContext(Connection connection, SQLDialect dialect) {
@@ -325,7 +325,7 @@ public class DefaultDSLContext extends AbstractScope implements DSLContext, Seri
     }
 
     public DefaultDSLContext(Connection connection, SQLDialect dialect, Settings settings) {
-        this(new DefaultConfiguration(new DefaultConnectionProvider(connection), null, null, null, null, null, null, null, null, null, null, null,  null,  dialect, settings, null));
+        this(new DefaultConfiguration(new DefaultConnectionProvider(connection), dialect, settings));
     }
 
     public DefaultDSLContext(DataSource datasource, SQLDialect dialect) {
@@ -333,7 +333,7 @@ public class DefaultDSLContext extends AbstractScope implements DSLContext, Seri
     }
 
     public DefaultDSLContext(DataSource datasource, SQLDialect dialect, Settings settings) {
-        this(new DefaultConfiguration(new DataSourceConnectionProvider(datasource), null, null, null, null, null, null, null, null, null, null, null,  null,  dialect, settings, null));
+        this(new DefaultConfiguration(new DataSourceConnectionProvider(datasource), dialect, settings));
     }
 
     public DefaultDSLContext(ConnectionProvider connectionProvider, SQLDialect dialect) {
@@ -341,7 +341,7 @@ public class DefaultDSLContext extends AbstractScope implements DSLContext, Seri
     }
 
     public DefaultDSLContext(ConnectionProvider connectionProvider, SQLDialect dialect, Settings settings) {
-        this(new DefaultConfiguration(connectionProvider, null, null, null, null, null, null, null, null, null, null, null,  null,  dialect, settings, null));
+        this(new DefaultConfiguration(connectionProvider, dialect, settings));
     }
 
     public DefaultDSLContext(Configuration configuration) {