diff --git a/dd-java-agent/instrumentation/spymemcached-2.12/spymemcached-2.12.gradle b/dd-java-agent/instrumentation/spymemcached-2.12/spymemcached-2.12.gradle
index ffe7470780..7c2f33bd44 100644
--- a/dd-java-agent/instrumentation/spymemcached-2.12/spymemcached-2.12.gradle
+++ b/dd-java-agent/instrumentation/spymemcached-2.12/spymemcached-2.12.gradle
@@ -1,13 +1,12 @@
-apply plugin: 'version-scan'
-
-versionScan {
-  group = "net.spy"
-  module = 'spymemcached'
-  versions = "[1.12.0,)"
-  scanMethods = true
-  verifyPresent = [
-    "net.spy.memcached.ConnectionFactoryBuilder": "setListenerExecutorService",
-  ]
+// building and testing against 2.12 because setListenerExecutorService exists to facilitate easier
+// testing. Instrumentation should work since 2.10
+muzzle {
+  pass {
+    group = "net.spy"
+    module = 'spymemcached'
+    versions = "[2.10.0,)"
+    assertInverse = true
+  }
 }
 
 apply from: "${rootDir}/gradle/java.gradle"
diff --git a/dd-java-agent/instrumentation/spymemcached-2.12/src/main/java/datadog/trace/instrumentation/spymemcached/MemcachedClientInstrumentation.java b/dd-java-agent/instrumentation/spymemcached-2.12/src/main/java/datadog/trace/instrumentation/spymemcached/MemcachedClientInstrumentation.java
index 1d0a81d30e..3cb8badc0e 100644
--- a/dd-java-agent/instrumentation/spymemcached-2.12/src/main/java/datadog/trace/instrumentation/spymemcached/MemcachedClientInstrumentation.java
+++ b/dd-java-agent/instrumentation/spymemcached-2.12/src/main/java/datadog/trace/instrumentation/spymemcached/MemcachedClientInstrumentation.java
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 package datadog.trace.instrumentation.spymemcached;
 
-import static datadog.trace.agent.tooling.ClassLoaderMatcher.classLoaderHasClassWithMethod;
 import static net.bytebuddy.matcher.ElementMatchers.isMethod;
 import static net.bytebuddy.matcher.ElementMatchers.isPublic;
 import static net.bytebuddy.matcher.ElementMatchers.named;
@@ -38,15 +37,6 @@ public final class MemcachedClientInstrumentation extends Instrumenter.Default {
     return named(MEMCACHED_PACKAGE + ".MemcachedClient");
   }
 
-  @Override
-  public ElementMatcher<ClassLoader> classLoaderMatcher() {
-    // Target 2.12 that has this method
-    return classLoaderHasClassWithMethod(
-        MEMCACHED_PACKAGE + ".ConnectionFactoryBuilder",
-        "setListenerExecutorService",
-        "java.util.concurrent.ExecutorService");
-  }
-
   @Override
   public String[] helperClassNames() {
     return new String[] {