diff --git a/.github/dependabot.yaml b/.github/dependabot.yaml
index 4882c93..8c4cc17 100644
--- a/.github/dependabot.yaml
+++ b/.github/dependabot.yaml
@@ -1,9 +1,43 @@
 version: 2
+
+multi-ecosystem-groups:
+  build:
+    schedule:
+      interval: "monthly"
+
 updates:
+  - package-ecosystem: "gradle"
+    directory: "./" # Hack to allow multiple definitions of Gradle
+    patterns:
+      - "gradle-wrapper"
+      - "com.bakdata.release"
+      - "com.bakdata.sonar"
+      - "com.bakdata.jib"
+      - "com.bakdata.avro"
+      - "com.bakdata.mockito"
+      # freefair plugins follow Gradle's versioning
+      - "io.freefair*"
+    cooldown:
+      default-days: 7
+      exclude:
+        - "com.bakdata*"
+    multi-ecosystem-group: "build"
   - package-ecosystem: "gradle"
     directory: "/"
     schedule:
       interval: "monthly"
+    cooldown:
+      default-days: 7
+      exclude:
+        - "com.bakdata*"
+    ignore: # Should match the patterns that are selected for "build" multi-ecosystem Gradle updates
+      - dependency-name: "gradle-wrapper"
+      - dependency-name: "com.bakdata.release"
+      - dependency-name: "com.bakdata.sonar"
+      - dependency-name: "com.bakdata.jib"
+      - dependency-name: "com.bakdata.avro"
+      - dependency-name: "com.bakdata.mockito"
+      - dependency-name: "io.freefair*"
     groups:
       log-dependencies:
         patterns:
@@ -26,10 +60,25 @@ updates:
         patterns:
           - "io.freefair*"
 
+  - package-ecosystem: "github-actions"
+    directory: "./" # Hack to allow multiple definitions of GitHub Actions
+    patterns:
+      - "bakdata/ci-templates*"
+    cooldown:
+      default-days: 7
+      exclude:
+        - "bakdata/ci-templates*"
+    multi-ecosystem-group: "build"
   - package-ecosystem: "github-actions"
     directory: "/"
     schedule:
       interval: "monthly"
+    cooldown:
+      default-days: 7
+      exclude:
+        - "bakdata/ci-templates*"
+    ignore: # Should match the patterns that are selected for "build" multi-ecosystem GitHub Actions updates
+      - dependency-name: "bakdata/ci-templates*"
     groups:
       ci-templates:
         patterns:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-and-publish.yaml b/.github/workflows/build-and-publish.yaml
index 6bf209c..722d0f2 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build-and-publish.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-and-publish.yaml
@@ -6,13 +6,12 @@ on:
     branches:
       - master
   pull_request:
+  merge_group:
 
 jobs:
   build-and-publish:
     name: Java Gradle
-    uses: bakdata/ci-templates/.github/workflows/java-gradle-library.yaml@1.75.0
-    with:
-      java-version: 17
+    uses: bakdata/ci-templates/.github/workflows/java-gradle-library.yaml@1.81.2
     secrets:
       sonar-token: ${{ secrets.SONARCLOUD_TOKEN }}
       sonar-organization: ${{ secrets.SONARCLOUD_ORGANIZATION }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yaml b/.github/workflows/release.yaml
index c4adac7..145e563 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yaml
@@ -16,9 +16,8 @@ on:
 jobs:
   java-gradle-release:
     name: Java Gradle
-    uses: bakdata/ci-templates/.github/workflows/java-gradle-release.yaml@1.75.0
+    uses: bakdata/ci-templates/.github/workflows/java-gradle-release.yaml@1.81.2
     with:
-      java-version: 17
       release-type: "${{ inputs.release-type }}"
     secrets:
       github-email: "${{ secrets.GH_EMAIL }}"