diff --git a/vowpalwabbit/core/include/vw/core/vw_string_view_fmt.h b/vowpalwabbit/core/include/vw/core/vw_string_view_fmt.h
index 6f3cdff63..422bb04a7 100644
--- a/vowpalwabbit/core/include/vw/core/vw_string_view_fmt.h
+++ b/vowpalwabbit/core/include/vw/core/vw_string_view_fmt.h
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@
 #pragma once
 #include "vw/common/string_view.h"
 
-#include <fmt/core.h>
 #include <fmt/format.h>
 #include <fmt/ranges.h>
 
diff --git a/vowpalwabbit/core/src/learner.cc b/vowpalwabbit/core/src/learner.cc
index 86e7c46a8..6b97c6a83 100644
--- a/vowpalwabbit/core/src/learner.cc
+++ b/vowpalwabbit/core/src/learner.cc
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 //     'fmt.v7.format_system_error(fmt.v7.detail.buffer<System.SByte!System.Runtime.CompilerServices.IsSignUnspecifiedByte>*!System.Runtime.CompilerServices.IsImplicitlyDereferenced,System.Int32,fmt.v7.basic_string_view<System.SByte!System.Runtime.CompilerServices.IsSignUnspecifiedByte>)':
 //     badly-formed XML: Invalid at the top level of the document.
 #endif
-#include "fmt/core.h"
+#include "fmt/format.h"
 #ifdef _WIN32
 #  pragma warning(pop)
 #endif
diff --git a/vowpalwabbit/core/src/reductions/boosting.cc b/vowpalwabbit/core/src/reductions/boosting.cc
index b514a88d3..2c2aa4ef7 100644
--- a/vowpalwabbit/core/src/reductions/boosting.cc
+++ b/vowpalwabbit/core/src/reductions/boosting.cc
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
 #include "vw/core/vw_math.h"
 #include "vw/io/logger.h"
 
-#include <fmt/core.h>
+#include <fmt/format.h>
 
 #include <cfloat>
 #include <climits>
diff --git a/vowpalwabbit/core/src/reductions/ect.cc b/vowpalwabbit/core/src/reductions/ect.cc
index e4eab18f7..ea2c46992 100644
--- a/vowpalwabbit/core/src/reductions/ect.cc
+++ b/vowpalwabbit/core/src/reductions/ect.cc
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
 #include "vw/core/setup_base.h"
 #include "vw/io/logger.h"
 
-#include <fmt/core.h>
+#include <fmt/format.h>
 
 #include <cfloat>
 #include <ctime>
diff --git a/vowpalwabbit/core/src/reductions/topk.cc b/vowpalwabbit/core/src/reductions/topk.cc
index f77458767..45688507a 100644
--- a/vowpalwabbit/core/src/reductions/topk.cc
+++ b/vowpalwabbit/core/src/reductions/topk.cc
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
 #include "vw/io/errno_handling.h"
 #include "vw/io/logger.h"
 
-#include <fmt/core.h>
+#include <fmt/format.h>
 
 #include <cfloat>
 #include <numeric>
diff --git a/vowpalwabbit/io/include/vw/io/logger.h b/vowpalwabbit/io/include/vw/io/logger.h
index f3b816361..6f45766bf 100644
--- a/vowpalwabbit/io/include/vw/io/logger.h
+++ b/vowpalwabbit/io/include/vw/io/logger.h
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 
 #include "vw/common/string_view.h"
 
-#include <fmt/core.h>
+#include <fmt/format.h>
 
 #include <functional>
 #include <memory>