diff --git a/buildSrc/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/build/classpath/CheckClasspathForUnconstrainedDirectDependencies.java b/buildSrc/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/build/classpath/CheckClasspathForUnconstrainedDirectDependencies.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..a48b140d0b1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/buildSrc/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/build/classpath/CheckClasspathForUnconstrainedDirectDependencies.java
@@ -0,0 +1,78 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright 2023 the original author or authors.
+ *
+ * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *      https://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+ * distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+ * WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+ * See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+ * limitations under the License.
+ */
+
+package org.springframework.boot.build.classpath;
+
+import java.util.Set;
+import java.util.stream.Collectors;
+
+import org.gradle.api.DefaultTask;
+import org.gradle.api.GradleException;
+import org.gradle.api.artifacts.Configuration;
+import org.gradle.api.artifacts.component.ModuleComponentSelector;
+import org.gradle.api.artifacts.result.DependencyResult;
+import org.gradle.api.artifacts.result.ResolutionResult;
+import org.gradle.api.file.FileCollection;
+import org.gradle.api.tasks.Classpath;
+import org.gradle.api.tasks.TaskAction;
+
+/**
+ * Tasks to check that none of classpath's direct dependencies are unconstrained.
+ *
+ * @author Andy Wilkinson
+ */
+public class CheckClasspathForUnconstrainedDirectDependencies extends DefaultTask {
+
+	private Configuration classpath;
+
+	public CheckClasspathForUnconstrainedDirectDependencies() {
+		getOutputs().upToDateWhen((task) -> true);
+	}
+
+	@Classpath
+	public FileCollection getClasspath() {
+		return this.classpath;
+	}
+
+	public void setClasspath(Configuration classpath) {
+		this.classpath = classpath;
+	}
+
+	@TaskAction
+	void checkForUnconstrainedDirectDependencies() {
+		ResolutionResult resolutionResult = this.classpath.getIncoming().getResolutionResult();
+		Set<? extends DependencyResult> dependencies = resolutionResult.getRoot().getDependencies();
+		Set<String> unconstrainedDependencies = dependencies.stream()
+			.map(DependencyResult::getRequested)
+			.filter(ModuleComponentSelector.class::isInstance)
+			.map(ModuleComponentSelector.class::cast)
+			.map((selector) -> selector.getGroup() + ":" + selector.getModule())
+			.collect(Collectors.toSet());
+		Set<String> constraints = resolutionResult.getAllDependencies()
+			.stream()
+			.filter(DependencyResult::isConstraint)
+			.map(DependencyResult::getRequested)
+			.filter(ModuleComponentSelector.class::isInstance)
+			.map(ModuleComponentSelector.class::cast)
+			.map((selector) -> selector.getGroup() + ":" + selector.getModule())
+			.collect(Collectors.toSet());
+		unconstrainedDependencies.removeAll(constraints);
+		if (!unconstrainedDependencies.isEmpty()) {
+			throw new GradleException("Found unconstrained direct dependencies: " + unconstrainedDependencies);
+		}
+	}
+
+}
diff --git a/buildSrc/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/build/starters/StarterPlugin.java b/buildSrc/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/build/starters/StarterPlugin.java
index 846efd43be7..fa28c3dfa5d 100644
--- a/buildSrc/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/build/starters/StarterPlugin.java
+++ b/buildSrc/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/build/starters/StarterPlugin.java
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ import org.gradle.api.tasks.bundling.Jar;
 import org.springframework.boot.build.ConventionsPlugin;
 import org.springframework.boot.build.DeployedPlugin;
 import org.springframework.boot.build.classpath.CheckClasspathForConflicts;
+import org.springframework.boot.build.classpath.CheckClasspathForUnconstrainedDirectDependencies;
 import org.springframework.boot.build.classpath.CheckClasspathForUnnecessaryExclusions;
 import org.springframework.util.StringUtils;
 
@@ -63,6 +64,7 @@ public class StarterPlugin implements Plugin<Project> {
 					(artifact) -> artifact.builtBy(starterMetadata));
 		createClasspathConflictsCheck(runtimeClasspath, project);
 		createUnnecessaryExclusionsCheck(runtimeClasspath, project);
+		createUnconstrainedDirectDependenciesCheck(runtimeClasspath, project);
 		configureJarManifest(project);
 	}
 
@@ -82,6 +84,17 @@ public class StarterPlugin implements Plugin<Project> {
 		project.getTasks().getByName(JavaBasePlugin.CHECK_TASK_NAME).dependsOn(checkClasspathForUnnecessaryExclusions);
 	}
 
+	private void createUnconstrainedDirectDependenciesCheck(Configuration classpath, Project project) {
+		CheckClasspathForUnconstrainedDirectDependencies checkClasspathForUnconstrainedDirectDependencies = project
+			.getTasks()
+			.create("check" + StringUtils.capitalize(classpath.getName() + "ForUnconstrainedDirectDependencies"),
+					CheckClasspathForUnconstrainedDirectDependencies.class);
+		checkClasspathForUnconstrainedDirectDependencies.setClasspath(classpath);
+		project.getTasks()
+			.getByName(JavaBasePlugin.CHECK_TASK_NAME)
+			.dependsOn(checkClasspathForUnconstrainedDirectDependencies);
+	}
+
 	private void configureJarManifest(Project project) {
 		project.getTasks().withType(Jar.class, (jar) -> project.afterEvaluate((evaluated) -> {
 			jar.manifest((manifest) -> {