diff --git a/admin/tool/installaddon/classes/validator.php b/admin/tool/installaddon/classes/validator.php
index cafd9b99474..0bb3a413e18 100644
--- a/admin/tool/installaddon/classes/validator.php
+++ b/admin/tool/installaddon/classes/validator.php
@@ -300,29 +300,21 @@ class tool_installaddon_validator {
         $this->versionphp = array();
         $info = $this->parse_version_php($fullpath);
 
-        if ($this->assertions['plugintype'] === 'mod') {
-            $type = 'module';
-        } else {
-            $type = 'plugin';
+        if (isset($info['module->version'])) {
+            $this->add_message(self::ERROR, 'versionphpsyntax', '$module');
+            return false;
         }
 
-        if (!isset($info[$type.'->version'])) {
-            if ($type === 'module' and isset($info['plugin->version'])) {
-                // Expect the activity module using $plugin in version.php instead of $module.
-                $type = 'plugin';
-                $this->versionphp['version'] = $info[$type.'->version'];
-                $this->add_message(self::INFO, 'pluginversion', $this->versionphp['version']);
-            } else {
-                $this->add_message(self::ERROR, 'missingversion');
-                return false;
-            }
-        } else {
-            $this->versionphp['version'] = $info[$type.'->version'];
+        if (isset($info['plugin->version'])) {
+            $this->versionphp['version'] = $info['plugin->version'];
             $this->add_message(self::INFO, 'pluginversion', $this->versionphp['version']);
+        } else {
+            $this->add_message(self::ERROR, 'missingversion');
+            return false;
         }
 
-        if (isset($info[$type.'->requires'])) {
-            $this->versionphp['requires'] = $info[$type.'->requires'];
+        if (isset($info['plugin->requires'])) {
+            $this->versionphp['requires'] = $info['plugin->requires'];
             if ($this->versionphp['requires'] > $this->assertions['moodleversion']) {
                 $this->add_message(self::ERROR, 'requiresmoodle', $this->versionphp['requires']);
                 return false;
@@ -330,8 +322,8 @@ class tool_installaddon_validator {
             $this->add_message(self::INFO, 'requiresmoodle', $this->versionphp['requires']);
         }
 
-        if (isset($info[$type.'->component'])) {
-            $this->versionphp['component'] = $info[$type.'->component'];
+        if (isset($info['plugin->component'])) {
+            $this->versionphp['component'] = $info['plugin->component'];
             list($reqtype, $reqname) = core_component::normalize_component($this->versionphp['component']);
             if ($reqtype !== $this->assertions['plugintype']) {
                 $this->add_message(self::ERROR, 'componentmismatchtype', array(
@@ -346,8 +338,8 @@ class tool_installaddon_validator {
             $this->add_message(self::INFO, 'componentmatch', $this->versionphp['component']);
         }
 
-        if (isset($info[$type.'->maturity'])) {
-            $this->versionphp['maturity'] = $info[$type.'->maturity'];
+        if (isset($info['plugin->maturity'])) {
+            $this->versionphp['maturity'] = $info['plugin->maturity'];
             if ($this->versionphp['maturity'] === 'MATURITY_STABLE') {
                 $this->add_message(self::INFO, 'maturity', $this->versionphp['maturity']);
             } else {
@@ -355,8 +347,8 @@ class tool_installaddon_validator {
             }
         }
 
-        if (isset($info[$type.'->release'])) {
-            $this->versionphp['release'] = $info[$type.'->release'];
+        if (isset($info['plugin->release'])) {
+            $this->versionphp['release'] = $info['plugin->release'];
             $this->add_message(self::INFO, 'release', $this->versionphp['release']);
         }
 
diff --git a/admin/tool/installaddon/lang/en/tool_installaddon.php b/admin/tool/installaddon/lang/en/tool_installaddon.php
index 6f1ad096544..ade477ae00c 100644
--- a/admin/tool/installaddon/lang/en/tool_installaddon.php
+++ b/admin/tool/installaddon/lang/en/tool_installaddon.php
@@ -91,6 +91,7 @@ $string['validationmsg_rootdirinvalid_help'] = 'The name of the root directory i
 $string['validationmsg_targetexists'] = 'Target location already exists';
 $string['validationmsg_targetexists_help'] = 'The directory that the plugin is to be installed to must not yet exist.';
 $string['validationmsg_unknowntype'] = 'Unknown plugin type';
+$string['validationmsg_versionphpsyntax'] = 'Unsupported syntax detected in version.php file';
 $string['validationmsglevel_debug'] = 'Debug';
 $string['validationmsglevel_error'] = 'Error';
 $string['validationmsglevel_info'] = 'OK';
diff --git a/admin/tool/installaddon/tests/fixtures/nolang/bah/version.php b/admin/tool/installaddon/tests/fixtures/nolang/bah/version.php
index 6c648f96bcf..3b473d4a118 100644
--- a/admin/tool/installaddon/tests/fixtures/nolang/bah/version.php
+++ b/admin/tool/installaddon/tests/fixtures/nolang/bah/version.php
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
 <?php
 
-$module->version = 2014122455;
 $plugin->version = 2014122455;
diff --git a/admin/tool/installaddon/tests/fixtures/plugindir/foobar/version.php b/admin/tool/installaddon/tests/fixtures/plugindir/foobar/version.php
index ebad339d53e..5b76ce2d291 100644
--- a/admin/tool/installaddon/tests/fixtures/plugindir/foobar/version.php
+++ b/admin/tool/installaddon/tests/fixtures/plugindir/foobar/version.php
@@ -1,9 +1,7 @@
 <?php
 
-$module->version = 10; // Ignored, this should use $plugin
 $plugin->version = 2013031900;
 $plugin->component = 'local_foobar';
 $plugin->requires = 2013031200;
-$module->release = 'We are not an activity module!';
 $plugin->maturity = MATURITY_ALPHA;
 //$plugin->release = 'And this is commented';
diff --git a/admin/tool/installaddon/tests/fixtures/plugindir/legacymod/lang/en/legacymod.php b/admin/tool/installaddon/tests/fixtures/plugindir/legacymod/lang/en/legacymod.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..01e066e67ad
--- /dev/null
+++ b/admin/tool/installaddon/tests/fixtures/plugindir/legacymod/lang/en/legacymod.php
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+<?php
+
+$string['modulename'] = 'Legacy activity module with $module in version.php';
diff --git a/admin/tool/installaddon/tests/fixtures/plugindir/legacymod/version.php b/admin/tool/installaddon/tests/fixtures/plugindir/legacymod/version.php
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..3434317c3bc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/admin/tool/installaddon/tests/fixtures/plugindir/legacymod/version.php
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+<?php
+
+// Support for the $module has been dropped in Moodle 3.0.
+$module->version = 2013031900;
diff --git a/admin/tool/installaddon/tests/validator_test.php b/admin/tool/installaddon/tests/validator_test.php
index d0342f528ee..709f2cca536 100644
--- a/admin/tool/installaddon/tests/validator_test.php
+++ b/admin/tool/installaddon/tests/validator_test.php
@@ -134,6 +134,17 @@ class tool_installaddon_validator_testcase extends basic_testcase {
         $this->assertFalse($validator->execute());
         $this->assertTrue($this->has_message($validator->get_messages(), $validator::ERROR, 'missingversionphp'));
 
+        $validator = testable_tool_installaddon_validator::instance($fixtures.'/plugindir', array(
+            'legacymod/' => true,
+            'legacymod/version.php' => true,
+            'legacymod/lang/' => true,
+            'legacymod/lang/en/' => true,
+            'legacymod/lang/en/legacymod.php' => true));
+        $validator->assert_plugin_type('mod');
+        $validator->assert_moodle_version(0);
+        $this->assertFalse($validator->execute());
+        $this->assertTrue($this->has_message($validator->get_messages(), $validator::ERROR, 'versionphpsyntax', '$module'));
+
         $validator = testable_tool_installaddon_validator::instance($fixtures.'/plugindir', array(
             'foobar/' => true,
             'foobar/version.php' => true,
diff --git a/lib/classes/plugin_manager.php b/lib/classes/plugin_manager.php
index 99d17f4dd6e..15d170ec2f0 100644
--- a/lib/classes/plugin_manager.php
+++ b/lib/classes/plugin_manager.php
@@ -288,15 +288,24 @@ class core_plugin_manager {
         foreach ($plugintypes as $type => $typedir) {
             $plugs = core_component::get_plugin_list($type);
             foreach ($plugs as $plug => $fullplug) {
+                $module = new stdClass();
                 $plugin = new stdClass();
                 $plugin->version = null;
-                $module = $plugin;
                 include($fullplug.'/version.php');
+
+                // Check if the legacy $module syntax is still used.
+                if (!is_object($module) or (!empty((array)$module))) {
+                    debugging('Unsupported $module syntax detected in version.php of the '.$type.'_'.$plug.' plugin.');
+                    $skipcache = true;
+                }
+
                 $this->presentplugins[$type][$plug] = $plugin;
             }
         }
 
-        $cache->set('present', $this->presentplugins);
+        if (empty($skipcache)) {
+            $cache->set('present', $this->presentplugins);
+        }
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/lib/upgradelib.php b/lib/upgradelib.php
index d2d07727456..dc0865f7d41 100644
--- a/lib/upgradelib.php
+++ b/lib/upgradelib.php
@@ -600,12 +600,18 @@ function upgrade_plugins_modules($startcallback, $endcallback, $verbose) {
             throw new plugin_defective_exception($component, 'Missing version.php');
         }
 
-        // TODO: Support for $module will end with Moodle 2.10 by MDL-43896. Was deprecated for Moodle 2.7 by MDL-43040.
+        $module = new stdClass();
         $plugin = new stdClass();
         $plugin->version = null;
-        $module = $plugin;
         require($fullmod .'/version.php');  // Defines $plugin with version etc.
-        $plugin = clone($module);
+
+        // Check if the legacy $module syntax is still used.
+        if (!is_object($module) or (!empty((array)$module))) {
+            throw new plugin_defective_exception($component, 'Unsupported $module syntax detected in version.php');
+        }
+
+        // Prepare the record for the {modules} table.
+        $module = clone($plugin);
         unset($module->version);
         unset($module->component);
         unset($module->dependencies);
diff --git a/mod/upgrade.txt b/mod/upgrade.txt
index 2eaa8aeb1d2..9a93e9139f2 100644
--- a/mod/upgrade.txt
+++ b/mod/upgrade.txt
@@ -3,7 +3,11 @@ information provided here is intended especially for developers.
 
 === 3.0 ===
 
-* Function scorm_view_display was renamed to scorm_print_launch to avoid confussion with new function scorm_view.
+* Dropped support for the $module in mod/xxx/version.php files (deprecated
+  since 2.7). All activity modules must use the $plugin syntax now. See
+  https://docs.moodle.org/dev/version.php for details (MDL-43896).
+* Function scorm_view_display was renamed to scorm_print_launch to avoid
+  confussion with new function scorm_view.
 
 === 2.9 ===