diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index c038ba5..6ba70e5 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -7,6 +7,9 @@ env:
   THIRD_PARTY_GIT_AUTHOR_EMAIL: opensource+bot@newrelic.com
   THIRD_PARTY_GIT_AUTHOR_NAME: nr-opensource-bot
 
+permissions:
+  contents: write
+
 jobs:
   build-and-release:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
@@ -18,10 +21,10 @@ jobs:
           fetch-depth: 0
           
 
-      - name: Set up JDK 8
+      - name: Set up JDK 21
         uses: actions/setup-java@v3
         with:
-          java-version: 8
+          java-version: 21
           distribution: 'temurin'
 
 
@@ -35,7 +38,7 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Build with Gradle and verifyInstrumentation
         run: |
-          ./gradlew clean build install verifyInstrumentation
+          ./gradlew clean install verifyInstrumentation
 
       - name: Identify Release Type
         id: define_release_type
@@ -110,7 +113,7 @@ jobs:
 
       - name: Create Release
         id: create_release
-        uses: actions/github-script@v6
+        uses: actions/github-script@v7
         with:
           github-token: ${{ secrets.OPENSOURCE_BOT_TOKEN }}
           script: |
@@ -180,7 +183,7 @@ jobs:
            git commit -m "Update Changelog for Release [skip ci]"
 
           # Push the changes to the remote repository
-           git push --quiet --set-upstream origin HEAD
+           # git push --quiet --set-upstream origin HEAD
       
       - name: Get Compare URL
         run: |
@@ -190,7 +193,7 @@ jobs:
             
       - name: Update Release
         id: update_release
-        uses: actions/github-script@v6
+        uses: actions/github-script@v7
         with:
           github-token: ${{ secrets.OPENSOURCE_BOT_TOKEN }}
           script: |
diff --git a/build.gradle b/build.gradle
index 893ce5a..0609d58 100644
--- a/build.gradle
+++ b/build.gradle
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ buildscript {
 
     dependencies {
         classpath 'gradle-templates:gradle-templates:1.5'
-        classpath 'com.newrelic.agent.java:gradle-verify-instrumentation-plugin:3.2'
+        classpath 'com.newrelic.agent.java:gradle-verify-instrumentation-plugin:4.0'
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/gradle.properties b/gradle.properties
index 9eeb288..8ca8716 100644
--- a/gradle.properties
+++ b/gradle.properties
@@ -1 +1 @@
-java.agent.version=8.4.0
\ No newline at end of file
+java.agent.version=8.6.0
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/gradle/wrapper/gradle-wrapper.properties b/gradle/wrapper/gradle-wrapper.properties
index e750102..a595206 100644
--- a/gradle/wrapper/gradle-wrapper.properties
+++ b/gradle/wrapper/gradle-wrapper.properties
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 distributionBase=GRADLE_USER_HOME
 distributionPath=wrapper/dists
-distributionUrl=https\://services.gradle.org/distributions/gradle-7.3-bin.zip
+distributionUrl=https\://services.gradle.org/distributions/gradle-8.5-bin.zip
 zipStoreBase=GRADLE_USER_HOME
 zipStorePath=wrapper/dists
diff --git a/newrelic-dependencies.sh b/newrelic-dependencies.sh
deleted file mode 100755
index a425604..0000000
--- a/newrelic-dependencies.sh
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,53 +0,0 @@
-#!/bin/bash -e
-
-if [ ! -d "libs" ];
-then
-    mkdir libs
-fi
-
-
-AGENT_DOWNLOADED="libs/newrelic-agent-*.jar"
-
-AGENT_BRIDGE_LIBS="libs/agent-bridge.jar"
-AGENT_BRIDGE_DS_LIBS="libs/agent-bridge-datastore.jar"
-
-function checkForFiles {
-    if [ ! -f $AGENT_BRIDGE_LIBS ];
-    then
-      getAgentBridge
-    fi
-    if [ ! -f $AGENT_BRIDGE_DS_LIBS ];
-    then
-      getAgentBridgeDatastore
-    fi
-}
-
-function downloadAgent {
-  ./gradlew getAgent
-  ./gradlew extractJars
-  ./gradlew cleanUp
-}
-
-function getAgentBridge {
-  if [ ! -f $AGENT_DOWNLOADED ];
-  then
-    downloadAgent
-  fi
-  if [ ! -f $AGENT_BRIDGE_LIBS ];
-  then
-    echo "Download of Agent and extraction of Agent Bridge failed"
-  fi
-}
-
-function getAgentBridgeDatastore {
-  if [ ! -f $AGENT_DOWNLOADED ];
-  then
-    downloadAgent
-  fi
-  if [ ! -f $AGENT_BRIDGE_DS_LIBS ];
-  then
-    echo "Download of Agent and extraction of Agent Bridge Datastore failed"
-  fi
-}
-
-checkForFiles