diff --git a/bin/codecept.js b/bin/codecept.js
index 77407faeb..77886cf31 100755
--- a/bin/codecept.js
+++ b/bin/codecept.js
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ const errorHandler = (fn) => async (...args) => {
 };
 
 if (process.versions.node && process.versions.node.split('.') && process.versions.node.split('.')[0] < 12) {
-  outputLib.output.error('NodeJS >= 12 is required to run.');
+  outputLib.output.output.error('NodeJS >= 12 is required to run.');
   outputLib.print();
   outputLib.print('Please upgrade your NodeJS engine');
   outputLib.print(`Current NodeJS version: ${process.version}`);
diff --git a/lib/ai.js b/lib/ai.js
index 8d1c24480..900c4eb26 100644
--- a/lib/ai.js
+++ b/lib/ai.js
@@ -1,11 +1,9 @@
 import { Configuration, OpenAIApi } from 'openai';
-import createDebugMessages from 'debug';
+import debug from 'debug';
 import config from './config.js';
 import * as output from './output.js';
 import { removeNonInteractiveElements, minifyHtml, splitByChunks } from './html.js';
 
-const debug = createDebugMessages('codeceptjs');
-
 debug('codeceptjs:ai');
 
 const defaultConfig = {
diff --git a/lib/codecept.js b/lib/codecept.js
index 03479f364..556d57b25 100644
--- a/lib/codecept.js
+++ b/lib/codecept.js
@@ -43,9 +43,6 @@ import listener01234 from './listener/timeout.js';
 
 import listener012345 from './listener/exit.js';
 
-import 'chai/register-assert.js';
-import 'chai/register-expect.js';
-
 const __dirname = dirname(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url));
 const require = createRequire(import.meta.url);
 
@@ -121,7 +118,7 @@ export default class Codecept {
       global.inject = container.support;
       global.share = container.share;
       global.secret = secret;
-      global.codecept_debug = output.output.debug;
+      global.codecept_debug = output.debug;
       global.codeceptjs = index; // load all objects
       global.Given = stepDefinitions.Given;
       global.When = stepDefinitions.When;
diff --git a/lib/container.js b/lib/container.js
index 403d54ac3..eb3231374 100644
--- a/lib/container.js
+++ b/lib/container.js
@@ -175,11 +175,7 @@ function createHelpers(config) {
       // check if the helper is the built-in, use the require() syntax.
       if (moduleName.startsWith('./helper/')) {
         const __dirname = dirname(fileURLToPath(import.meta.url));
-        try {
-          HelperClass = importSync(path.resolve(__dirname, moduleName)).default;
-        } catch (e) {
-          HelperClass = importSync(path.resolve(__dirname, moduleName));
-        }
+        HelperClass = importSync(path.resolve(__dirname, moduleName)).default;
       } else {
         // check if the new syntax export default HelperName is used and loads the Helper, otherwise loads the module that used old syntax export = HelperName.
         HelperClass = importSync(path.resolve(moduleName)).default;
diff --git a/lib/event.js b/lib/event.js
index ef71551da..5e4c5e364 100644
--- a/lib/event.js
+++ b/lib/event.js
@@ -1,10 +1,8 @@
-import createDebugMessages from 'debug';
+import debug from 'debug';
 
 import events from 'events';
 import * as output from './output.js';
 
-const debug = createDebugMessages('codeceptjs');
-
 debug('codeceptjs:event');
 
 const dispatcher = new events.EventEmitter();
diff --git a/lib/helper/Expect.js b/lib/helper/Expect.js
index 3778a666e..a7025f0b5 100644
--- a/lib/helper/Expect.js
+++ b/lib/helper/Expect.js
@@ -1,15 +1,16 @@
+import { expect } from 'chai';
+import * as chai from 'chai';
 import chai_json_schema from 'chai-json-schema';
 import chai_match_pattern from 'chai-match-pattern';
 import chai_exclude from 'chai-exclude';
 import chai_string from 'chai-string';
-import { expect, use } from 'chai';
 import * as output from '../output.js';
 
-use(chai_string);
+chai.use(chai_string);
 // @ts-ignore
-use(chai_exclude);
-use(chai_match_pattern);
-use(chai_json_schema);
+chai.use(chai_exclude);
+chai.use(chai_match_pattern);
+chai.use(chai_json_schema);
 
 /**
  * This helper allows performing assertions based on Chai.
diff --git a/lib/interfaces/gherkin.js b/lib/interfaces/gherkin.js
index 72f995c45..a61c154b0 100644
--- a/lib/interfaces/gherkin.js
+++ b/lib/interfaces/gherkin.js
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ import * as Gherkin from '@cucumber/gherkin';
 import * as Messages from '@cucumber/messages';
 import { Context, Suite, Test } from 'mocha';
 
-import createDebugMessages from 'debug';
+import debug from 'debug';
 
 import { matchStep } from './bdd.js';
 import * as event from '../event.js';
@@ -13,8 +13,6 @@ import transform from '../transform.js';
 
 import translations0 from '../translation.js';
 
-const debug = createDebugMessages('codeceptjs');
-
 debug('codeceptjs:bdd');
 
 const uuidFn = Messages.IdGenerator.uuid();
diff --git a/lib/listener/steps.js b/lib/listener/steps.js
index 034b52809..88929c0a2 100644
--- a/lib/listener/steps.js
+++ b/lib/listener/steps.js
@@ -1,10 +1,8 @@
-import createDebugMessages from 'debug';
+import debug from 'debug';
 import * as event from '../event.js';
 import { store } from '../store.js';
 import * as output from '../output.js';
 
-const debug = createDebugMessages('codeceptjs');
-
 debug('codeceptjs:steps');
 
 let currentTest;
diff --git a/lib/pause.js b/lib/pause.js
index ec0d7b749..0e6591f44 100644
--- a/lib/pause.js
+++ b/lib/pause.js
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import colors from 'chalk';
 import readline from 'readline';
 import ora from 'ora-classic';
-import createDebugMessages from 'debug';
+import debug from 'debug';
 
 import container from './container.js';
 import history from './history.js';
@@ -12,8 +12,6 @@ import * as event from './event.js';
 import * as output from './output.js';
 import { methodsOfObject } from './utils.js';
 
-const debug = createDebugMessages('codeceptjs');
-
 debug('codeceptjs:pause');
 
 // npm install colors
diff --git a/lib/plugin/autoLogin.js b/lib/plugin/autoLogin.js
index e18204a6f..b449d31c6 100644
--- a/lib/plugin/autoLogin.js
+++ b/lib/plugin/autoLogin.js
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import { fileExists, isAsyncFunction } from '../utils.js';
 import container from '../container.js';
 import { store } from '../store.js';
 import recorder from '../recorder.js';
-import * as output from '../output.js';
+import { debug } from '../output.js';
 
 const defaultUser = {
   fetch: I => I.grabCookie(),
@@ -267,7 +267,7 @@ export default function (config) {
       } catch (err) {
         throw new Error(`Could not load session from ${fileName}\n${err}`);
       }
-      output.output.debug(`Loaded user session for ${name}`);
+      debug(`Loaded user session for ${name}`);
     }
   }
 
@@ -288,11 +288,11 @@ export default function (config) {
 
       const cookies = await userSession.fetch(I);
       if (!cookies) {
-        output.output.debug('Cannot save user session with empty cookies from auto login\'s fetch method');
+        debug('Cannot save user session with empty cookies from auto login\'s fetch method');
         return;
       }
       if (config.saveToFile) {
-        output.output.debug(`Saved user session into file for ${name}`);
+        debug(`Saved user session into file for ${name}`);
         fs.writeFileSync(path.join(global.output_dir, `${name}_session.json`), JSON.stringify(cookies));
       }
       store[`${name}_session`] = cookies;
@@ -309,12 +309,12 @@ export default function (config) {
       userSession.check(I, cookies);
     }
     recorder.session.catch((err) => {
-      output.output.debug(`Failed auto login for ${name} due to ${err}`);
-      output.output.debug('Logging in again');
+      debug(`Failed auto login for ${name} due to ${err}`);
+      debug('Logging in again');
       recorder.session.start('auto login');
       return loginAndSave().then(() => {
         recorder.add(() => recorder.session.restore('auto login'));
-        recorder.catch(() => output.output.debug('continue'));
+        recorder.catch(() => debug('continue'));
       }).catch((err) => {
         recorder.session.restore('auto login');
         recorder.session.restore('check login');
diff --git a/lib/plugin/coverage.js b/lib/plugin/coverage.js
index 9291ee603..6204ac5fb 100644
--- a/lib/plugin/coverage.js
+++ b/lib/plugin/coverage.js
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ export default function (config) {
   const options = Object.assign(defaultConfig, helper.options, config);
 
   event.dispatcher.on(event.all.before, async () => {
-    output.output.debug('*** Collecting coverage for tests ****');
+    output.debug('*** Collecting coverage for tests ****');
   });
 
   //  Hack!  we're going to try to "start" coverage before each step because this is
diff --git a/lib/plugin/heal.js b/lib/plugin/heal.js
index e979c1012..bc18262cf 100644
--- a/lib/plugin/heal.js
+++ b/lib/plugin/heal.js
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import createDebugMessages from 'debug';
+import debug from 'debug';
 import colors from 'chalk';
 import Container from '../container.js';
 import AiAssistant from '../ai';
@@ -7,8 +7,6 @@ import * as event from '../event.js';
 import * as output from '../output.js';
 import supportedHelpers from './standardActingHelpers.js';
 
-const debug = createDebugMessages('codeceptjs');
-
 debug('codeceptjs:heal');
 
 const defaultConfig = {
@@ -176,11 +174,11 @@ export default function (config = {}) {
   });
 
   async function tryToHeal(failedStep, err) {
-    output.output.debug(`Running OpenAI to heal ${failedStep.toCode()} step`);
+    output.debug(`Running OpenAI to heal ${failedStep.toCode()} step`);
 
     const codeSnippets = await aiAssistant.healFailedStep(failedStep, err, currentTest);
 
-    output.output.debug(`Received ${codeSnippets.length} suggestions from OpenAI`);
+    output.debug(`Received ${codeSnippets.length} suggestions from OpenAI`);
     const I = Container.support('I'); // eslint-disable-line
 
     for (const codeSnippet of codeSnippets) {
@@ -207,7 +205,7 @@ export default function (config = {}) {
       }
     }
 
-    output.output.debug(`Couldn't heal the code for ${failedStep.toCode()}`);
+    output.debug(`Couldn't heal the code for ${failedStep.toCode()}`);
   }
   return recorder.promise();
 }
diff --git a/lib/plugin/selenoid.js b/lib/plugin/selenoid.js
index a2690004f..4c46cc4c5 100644
--- a/lib/plugin/selenoid.js
+++ b/lib/plugin/selenoid.js
@@ -212,20 +212,20 @@ const selenoid = (config) => {
   if (autoStart) {
     event.dispatcher.on(event.all.before, () => {
       recorder.add('Starting selenoid', () => {
-        output.output.debug('Staring Selenoid... ');
+        output.debug('Staring Selenoid... ');
         return createAndStart(autoCreate)
-          .then(() => output.output.debug('Selenoid started'))
+          .then(() => output.debug('Selenoid started'))
           .catch((err) => { throw new Error(err.stack); });
       });
     });
 
     event.dispatcher.on(event.all.after, () => {
       recorder.add('Stopping selenoid', () => {
-        output.output.debug('Stopping Selenoid...');
+        output.debug('Stopping Selenoid...');
         return wait(SELENOID_STOP_TIMEOUT)
           .then(() => deletePassedTests(passedTests))
           .then(stopSelenoid)
-          .then(() => output.output.debug('Selenoid stopped'))
+          .then(() => output.debug('Selenoid stopped'))
           .catch((err) => { throw new Error(err.stack); });
       });
     });
@@ -263,7 +263,7 @@ export default selenoid;
 function videoSaved(test) {
   const fileName = `${clearString(test.title)}.mp4`;
   const videoFile = path.join(global.output_dir, 'video', fileName);
-  output.output.debug(`Video has been saved to file://${videoFile}`);
+  output.debug(`Video has been saved to file://${videoFile}`);
   const allureReporter = container.plugins('allure');
   if (allureReporter) {
     allureReporter.addAttachment('Video', fs.readFileSync(videoFile), 'video/mp4');
@@ -305,21 +305,21 @@ const pullImage = async () => {
 
   console.time('Pulled containers');
   if (!stdout.includes('selenoid/video-recorder')) {
-    output.output.debug('Pulling selenoid/video-recorder...');
+    output.debug('Pulling selenoid/video-recorder...');
     resultPromise = exec('docker pull selenoid/video-recorder:latest-release')
-      .then(() => output.output.debug('Pulled in selenoid/video-recorder'));
+      .then(() => output.debug('Pulled in selenoid/video-recorder'));
     pulls.push(resultPromise);
   }
   if (!stdout.includes('selenoid/chrome')) {
-    output.output.debug('Pulling selenoid/chrome...');
+    output.debug('Pulling selenoid/chrome...');
     resultPromise = exec('docker pull selenoid/chrome:latest')
-      .then(() => output.output.debug('Pulled in selenoid/video-recorder'));
+      .then(() => output.debug('Pulled in selenoid/video-recorder'));
     pulls.push(resultPromise);
   }
   if (!stdout.includes('selenoid/firefox')) {
-    output.output.debug('Pulling selenoid/firefox...');
+    output.debug('Pulling selenoid/firefox...');
     resultPromise = exec('docker pull selenoid/firefox:latest')
-      .then(() => output.output.debug('Pulled in selenoid/chrome'));
+      .then(() => output.debug('Pulled in selenoid/chrome'));
     pulls.push(resultPromise);
   }
 
@@ -338,7 +338,7 @@ function deletePassedTests(passedTests) {
   const deleteLogPromiseList = passedTests.map(clearString).map(test => axios.delete(`${seleniumUrl}/logs/${test}.log`));
 
   return Promise.all(deleteVideoPromiseList.concat(deleteLogPromiseList))
-    .then(() => output.output.debug('Deleted videos and logs for all passed tests'))
+    .then(() => output.debug('Deleted videos and logs for all passed tests'))
     .catch(err => output.output.error(`Error while deleting video and log files ${err.stack}`));
 }
 
diff --git a/lib/plugin/wdio.js b/lib/plugin/wdio.js
index 77699cfe8..8ce278fc3 100644
--- a/lib/plugin/wdio.js
+++ b/lib/plugin/wdio.js
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import createDebugMessages from 'debug';
+import debug from 'debug';
 
 import container from '../container.js';
 import mainConfig from '../config.js';
@@ -6,8 +6,6 @@ import recorder from '../recorder.js';
 import * as event from '../event.js';
 import * as output from '../output.js';
 
-const debug = createDebugMessages('codeceptjs');
-
 debug('codeceptjs:plugin:wdio');
 
 const defaultConfig = {
@@ -220,7 +218,7 @@ export default (config) => {
           } else {
             await launcher.onPrepare(config, config.capabilities);
           }
-          output.output.debug(`Started ${name}`);
+          output.debug(`Started ${name}`);
         });
       });
     }
@@ -229,7 +227,7 @@ export default (config) => {
       event.dispatcher.on(event.all.after, () => {
         recorder.add(`launcher ${name} start`, async () => {
           await launcher.onComplete(process.exitCode, config, config.capabilities);
-          output.output.debug(`Stopped ${name}`);
+          output.debug(`Stopped ${name}`);
         });
       });
     }
diff --git a/lib/recorder.js b/lib/recorder.js
index 91ef5570a..b225207b2 100644
--- a/lib/recorder.js
+++ b/lib/recorder.js
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
+import debug from 'debug';
 import promiseRetry from 'promise-retry';
-import createDebugMessages from 'debug';
 import { printObjectProperties } from './utils.js';
 import * as output from './output.js';
 
-const debug = createDebugMessages('codeceptjs:recorder');
+debug('codeceptjs:recorder');
 
 const MAX_TASKS = 100;
 
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 229fc152a..1d1a3bb96 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -69,8 +69,9 @@
   },
   "dependencies": {
     "@babel/core": "7.23.9",
-    "@codeceptjs/configure": "1.0.1",
+    "@codeceptjs/configure": "0.10.0",
     "@codeceptjs/helper": "2.0.3",
+    "@codeceptjs/configure": "1.0.1",
     "@cucumber/cucumber-expressions": "17",
     "@cucumber/gherkin": "26",
     "@cucumber/messages": "24.0.1",
@@ -79,7 +80,7 @@
     "arrify": "2.0.1",
     "axios": "1.6.7",
     "babel-register-esm": "^1.2.5",
-    "chai": "4.4.1",
+    "chai": "5.1.0",
     "chai-deep-match": "1.2.1",
     "chai-exclude": "2.1.0",
     "chai-json-schema": "1.5.1",
@@ -91,7 +92,6 @@
     "cross-spawn": "7.0.3",
     "css-to-xpath": "0.1.0",
     "csstoxpath": "1.6.0",
-    "debug": "^4.3.4",
     "devtools": "8.29.1",
     "envinfo": "7.11.0",
     "escape-string-regexp": "4.0.0",
diff --git a/test/acceptance/gherkin/steps.js b/test/acceptance/gherkin/steps.js
index 323e58ac6..2b59abeab 100644
--- a/test/acceptance/gherkin/steps.js
+++ b/test/acceptance/gherkin/steps.js
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-const { I } = inject();
+const I = actor();
 
 Given('I opened website', () => {
   // From "gherkin/basic.feature" {"line":8,"column":5}
diff --git a/test/acceptance/session_test.js b/test/acceptance/session_test.js
index 16a6cc0a4..2b5d5f598 100644
--- a/test/acceptance/session_test.js
+++ b/test/acceptance/session_test.js
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-const assert = require('assert');
+import assert from 'assert';
 
 const { event } = codeceptjs;