diff --git a/gradle.properties b/gradle.properties
index 48687e86bb..9716bfead6 100644
--- a/gradle.properties
+++ b/gradle.properties
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 publishedPluginVersion=1.67.2
-pluginVersion=1.68.0-pre8
+pluginVersion=1.68.0-pre9
 pluginName=readonlyrest
 
 org.gradle.jvmargs=-Xmx6144m
diff --git a/ror-tools-core/src/main/scala/tech/beshu/ror/tools/core/patches/internal/filePatchers/JarManifestModifier.scala b/ror-tools-core/src/main/scala/tech/beshu/ror/tools/core/patches/internal/filePatchers/JarManifestModifier.scala
index 678123e557..8f1c6a2273 100644
--- a/ror-tools-core/src/main/scala/tech/beshu/ror/tools/core/patches/internal/filePatchers/JarManifestModifier.scala
+++ b/ror-tools-core/src/main/scala/tech/beshu/ror/tools/core/patches/internal/filePatchers/JarManifestModifier.scala
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ import tech.beshu.ror.tools.core.utils.EsDirectory
 import tech.beshu.ror.tools.core.utils.FileUtils.{getFilePermissionsAndOwner, setFilePermissionsAndOwner}
 
 import java.util.UUID
-import java.util.jar.{JarFile, JarOutputStream}
+import java.util.jar.{JarEntry, JarFile, JarOutputStream}
 import scala.jdk.CollectionConverters.IteratorHasAsScala
 import scala.util.Using
 
@@ -67,7 +67,9 @@ object JarManifestModifier {
     originalJarFile.entries().asIterator().asScala.foreach { entry =>
       val name = entry.getName
       if (!name.equalsIgnoreCase("META-INF/MANIFEST.MF")) {
-        jarOutput.putNextEntry(entry)
+        val newEntry = new JarEntry(name)
+        newEntry.setTime(entry.getTime)
+        jarOutput.putNextEntry(newEntry)
         Using(originalJarFile.getInputStream(entry))(_.transferTo(jarOutput)).fold(
           ex => throw IllegalStateException(s"Could not copy content of ${entry.getName} because of [${ex.getMessage}]", ex),
           (_: Long) => ()
diff --git a/tests-utils/src/main/scala/tech/beshu/ror/utils/containers/windows/WindowsEsDirectoryManager.scala b/tests-utils/src/main/scala/tech/beshu/ror/utils/containers/windows/WindowsEsDirectoryManager.scala
index 6d0b10bfab..437755d1d0 100644
--- a/tests-utils/src/main/scala/tech/beshu/ror/utils/containers/windows/WindowsEsDirectoryManager.scala
+++ b/tests-utils/src/main/scala/tech/beshu/ror/utils/containers/windows/WindowsEsDirectoryManager.scala
@@ -17,14 +17,11 @@
 package tech.beshu.ror.utils.containers.windows
 
 import com.typesafe.scalalogging.LazyLogging
-import os.*
-import tech.beshu.ror.utils.containers.images.Elasticsearch
 import tech.beshu.ror.utils.containers.images.Elasticsearch.Config
 
 import java.io.{BufferedInputStream, FileOutputStream}
 import java.nio.file.{Files, StandardCopyOption}
 import java.util.zip.ZipInputStream
-import scala.jdk.CollectionConverters.*
 import scala.language.postfixOps
 import scala.util.Using
 
@@ -36,9 +33,6 @@ object WindowsEsDirectoryManager extends LazyLogging {
   def basePath: os.Path =
     os.pwd / "windows-es"
 
-  def tempPath: os.Path =
-    os.pwd / "temp"
-
   def downloadsPath: os.Path =
     basePath / "downloads"
 
@@ -69,6 +63,11 @@ object WindowsEsDirectoryManager extends LazyLogging {
     }
   }
 
+  def cleanDownloadsDirectory(): Unit = {
+    logger.info(s"Removing all files from Windows ES downloads directory")
+    os.remove.all(downloadsPath)
+  }
+
   private def doDownloadEsZipFileWithProgress(esVersion: String): Unit = {
     val url = downloadUrl(esVersion)
     val dest = zipFilePath(esVersion)
diff --git a/tests-utils/src/main/scala/tech/beshu/ror/utils/containers/windows/WindowsEsSetup.scala b/tests-utils/src/main/scala/tech/beshu/ror/utils/containers/windows/WindowsEsSetup.scala
index 801ad8ff64..2705ac8c85 100644
--- a/tests-utils/src/main/scala/tech/beshu/ror/utils/containers/windows/WindowsEsSetup.scala
+++ b/tests-utils/src/main/scala/tech/beshu/ror/utils/containers/windows/WindowsEsSetup.scala
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ import tech.beshu.ror.utils.containers.images.Elasticsearch.Plugin.PluginInstall
 import tech.beshu.ror.utils.containers.windows.WindowsEsDirectoryManager.*
 import tech.beshu.ror.utils.containers.windows.WindowsEsPortProvider.*
 import tech.beshu.ror.utils.containers.windows.WindowsEsRunner.{WindowsEsProcess, startEs}
+import tech.beshu.ror.utils.misc.ScalaUtils.retry
 
 import java.util.function.Consumer
 import scala.language.postfixOps
@@ -38,8 +39,11 @@ object WindowsEsSetup extends LazyLogging {
   }
 
   def prepareEs(elasticsearch: Elasticsearch): Unit = {
-    downloadEsZipFileWithProgress(elasticsearch.esVersion)
-    unzipEs(elasticsearch.esVersion, elasticsearch.config)
+    // The ES zip file sometimes cannot be unzipped when running CI job. In that case we delete the downloaded file and try again.
+    retry(times = 3, cleanBeforeRetrying = cleanDownloadsDirectory()) {
+      downloadEsZipFileWithProgress(elasticsearch.esVersion)
+      unzipEs(elasticsearch.esVersion, elasticsearch.config)
+    }
     replaceConfigFile(elasticsearch)
     installPlugins(elasticsearch)
   }
diff --git a/tests-utils/src/main/scala/tech/beshu/ror/utils/gradle/RorPluginGradleProject.scala b/tests-utils/src/main/scala/tech/beshu/ror/utils/gradle/RorPluginGradleProject.scala
index af03e98137..0fa787581f 100644
--- a/tests-utils/src/main/scala/tech/beshu/ror/utils/gradle/RorPluginGradleProject.scala
+++ b/tests-utils/src/main/scala/tech/beshu/ror/utils/gradle/RorPluginGradleProject.scala
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 package tech.beshu.ror.utils.gradle
 
 import better.files.*
+import com.typesafe.scalalogging.LazyLogging
 import org.gradle.tooling.GradleConnector
 
 import java.io.File as JFile
@@ -48,7 +49,7 @@ object RorPluginGradleProject {
       .toList
 }
 
-class RorPluginGradleProject(val moduleName: String) {
+class RorPluginGradleProject(val moduleName: String) extends LazyLogging {
   private val project = esProject(moduleName)
   private val esProjectProperties =
     GradleProperties
@@ -60,8 +61,10 @@ class RorPluginGradleProject(val moduleName: String) {
       .getOrElse(throw new IllegalStateException("cannot load root project gradle.properties file"))
 
   def assemble: Option[JFile] = {
+    logger.info(s"Assembling ROR in module $moduleName")
     runTask(moduleName + ":packageRorPlugin")
     val plugin = new JFile(project, "build/distributions/" + pluginName)
+    logger.info(s"Finished assembling ROR in module $moduleName")
     if (!plugin.exists) None
     else Some(plugin)
   }
diff --git a/tests-utils/src/main/scala/tech/beshu/ror/utils/misc/EsStartupChecker.scala b/tests-utils/src/main/scala/tech/beshu/ror/utils/misc/EsStartupChecker.scala
index 9bb5137fd7..5fe884a0ef 100644
--- a/tests-utils/src/main/scala/tech/beshu/ror/utils/misc/EsStartupChecker.scala
+++ b/tests-utils/src/main/scala/tech/beshu/ror/utils/misc/EsStartupChecker.scala
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ import org.apache.http.client.methods.HttpGet
 import tech.beshu.ror.utils.httpclient.HttpResponseHelper.deserializeJsonBody
 import tech.beshu.ror.utils.httpclient.RestClient
 import tech.beshu.ror.utils.misc.EsStartupChecker.{ClusterNotReady, Mode}
+import tech.beshu.ror.utils.misc.ScalaUtils.retryBackoff
 
 import scala.concurrent.duration.*
 import scala.language.postfixOps
@@ -35,24 +36,12 @@ class EsStartupChecker private(name: String,
   extends LazyLogging {
 
   def waitForStart(): Boolean = {
-    retryBackoff(clusterIsReady(client), maxRetries = 150, interval = 2 seconds)
+    retryBackoff(clusterIsReady(client), maxRetries = 150, firstDelay = 2 seconds, backOffScaler = 1)
       .map((_: Unit) => true)
       .onErrorRecover(_ => false)
       .runSyncUnsafe(5 minutes)
   }
 
-  private def retryBackoff[A](source: Task[A],
-                              maxRetries: Int,
-                              interval: FiniteDuration): Task[A] = {
-    source.onErrorHandleWith {
-      case ex: Exception =>
-        if (maxRetries > 0)
-          retryBackoff(source, maxRetries - 1, interval).delayExecution(interval)
-        else
-          Task.raiseError(ex)
-    }
-  }
-
   private def clusterIsReady(client: RestClient): Task[Unit] = {
     Resource
       .make(
diff --git a/tests-utils/src/main/scala/tech/beshu/ror/utils/misc/ScalaUtils.scala b/tests-utils/src/main/scala/tech/beshu/ror/utils/misc/ScalaUtils.scala
index dbc5278f6c..f680af7729 100644
--- a/tests-utils/src/main/scala/tech/beshu/ror/utils/misc/ScalaUtils.scala
+++ b/tests-utils/src/main/scala/tech/beshu/ror/utils/misc/ScalaUtils.scala
@@ -19,14 +19,17 @@ package tech.beshu.ror.utils.misc
 import java.time.Duration
 import cats.Functor
 import cats.implicits.*
+import com.typesafe.scalalogging.LazyLogging
 import monix.eval.Task
 
 import java.time.format.DateTimeFormatter
+import scala.annotation.tailrec
 import scala.concurrent.duration.*
 import scala.language.{implicitConversions, postfixOps}
-import scala.util.{Success, Try}
+import scala.util.Try
+import scala.util.control.NonFatal
 
-object ScalaUtils {
+object ScalaUtils extends LazyLogging {
 
   implicit class StringOps(val value: String) extends AnyVal {
     def stripMarginAndReplaceWindowsLineBreak: String = {
@@ -73,14 +76,28 @@ object ScalaUtils {
 
   implicit def finiteDurationToJavaDuration(interval: FiniteDuration): Duration = Duration.ofMillis(interval.toMillis)
 
-  def retry(times: Int)(action: Unit): Unit = {
-    LazyList
-      .fill(times)(())
-      .foldLeft(Success(()): Try[Unit]) {
-        case (Success(_), _) => Try(action)
-        case (failure, _) => failure
+  def retry(times: Int, cleanBeforeRetrying: => Unit = ())(action: => Unit): Unit = {
+    @tailrec
+    def loop(attempt: Int): Unit = {
+      try {
+        action
+      } catch {
+        case NonFatal(e) =>
+          val nextAttempt = attempt + 1
+          if (nextAttempt > times) {
+            logger.error(s"Attempt $attempt failed: ${e.getMessage}. Retries exhausted, failing with exception.")
+            throw e
+          } else {
+            logger.error(s"Attempt $attempt failed: ${e.getMessage}", e)
+            logger.warn(s"Starting cleaning after failed attempt")
+            cleanBeforeRetrying
+            logger.warn(s"Retrying...")
+            loop(nextAttempt)
+          }
       }
-      .get
+    }
+
+    loop(1)
   }
 
   def retryBackoff[A](source: Task[A],