diff --git a/.github/dependabot.yml b/.github/dependabot.yml
index 789ec351da2..3ea3dd72392 100644
--- a/.github/dependabot.yml
+++ b/.github/dependabot.yml
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ updates:
     directory: "/"
     allow:
       - dependency-name: "com.gradle*"
+      - dependency-name: "com.diffplug.spotless"
     registries:
       - gradle-plugin-portal
     schedule:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 62dd2acc4ef..638e731138f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -96,10 +96,18 @@ jobs:
           # we should not push empty results to the cache
           READ_ONLY_REMOTE_GRADLE_CACHE: true
         run: |
-          set -o pipefail
-          TASKS=$(./gradlew --no-daemon --parallel -q testMatrix | jq 'del(.[] | select(. == ":testcontainers:check" or startswith(":docs:")))' --compact-output)
-          echo $TASKS
-          echo "matrix={\"gradle_args\":$TASKS}" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+          set -euo pipefail
+          MATRIX_FILE="$RUNNER_TEMP/test-matrix.json"
+          ./gradlew --no-daemon --parallel -q testMatrix -PtestMatrixOutput="$MATRIX_FILE"
+          TASKS=$(jq --compact-output --exit-status '
+            if type == "array" and length > 0 and all(.[]; type == "string" and startswith(":"))
+            then map(select(. != ":testcontainers:check" and (startswith(":docs:") | not)))
+            else error("testMatrix output must be a non-empty array of Gradle task paths")
+            end
+            | if length > 0 then . else error("testMatrix produced no core Gradle tasks") end
+          ' "$MATRIX_FILE")
+          echo "$TASKS"
+          printf 'matrix={"gradle_args":%s}\n' "$TASKS" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
   check:
     needs: [find_gradle_jobs]
     strategy:
@@ -131,9 +139,17 @@ jobs:
           # we should not push empty results to the cache
           READ_ONLY_REMOTE_GRADLE_CACHE: true
         run: |
-          TASKS=$(./gradlew --no-daemon --parallel -q testMatrix)
-          echo $TASKS
-          echo "matrix={\"gradle_args\":$TASKS}" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+          set -euo pipefail
+          MATRIX_FILE="$RUNNER_TEMP/examples-test-matrix.json"
+          ./gradlew --no-daemon --parallel -q testMatrix -PtestMatrixOutput="$MATRIX_FILE"
+          TASKS=$(jq --compact-output --exit-status '
+            if type == "array" and length > 0 and all(.[]; type == "string" and startswith(":"))
+            then .
+            else error("testMatrix output must be a non-empty array of Gradle task paths")
+            end
+          ' "$MATRIX_FILE")
+          echo "$TASKS"
+          printf 'matrix={"gradle_args":%s}\n' "$TASKS" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
   check_examples:
     needs: [find_examples_jobs]
     strategy:
@@ -165,10 +181,18 @@ jobs:
           # we should not push empty results to the cache
           READ_ONLY_REMOTE_GRADLE_CACHE: true
         run: |
-          set -o pipefail
-          TASKS=$(./gradlew --no-daemon --parallel -q testMatrix | jq 'map(select(startswith(":docs:")))' --compact-output)
-          echo $TASKS
-          echo "matrix={\"gradle_args\":$TASKS}" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
+          set -euo pipefail
+          MATRIX_FILE="$RUNNER_TEMP/docs-test-matrix.json"
+          ./gradlew --no-daemon --parallel -q testMatrix -PtestMatrixOutput="$MATRIX_FILE"
+          TASKS=$(jq --compact-output --exit-status '
+            if type == "array" and length > 0 and all(.[]; type == "string" and startswith(":"))
+            then map(select(startswith(":docs:")))
+            else error("testMatrix output must be a non-empty array of Gradle task paths")
+            end
+            | if length > 0 then . else error("testMatrix produced no docs Gradle tasks") end
+          ' "$MATRIX_FILE")
+          echo "$TASKS"
+          printf 'matrix={"gradle_args":%s}\n' "$TASKS" >> "$GITHUB_OUTPUT"
   check_docs_examples:
     needs: [find_docs_examples_jobs]
     strategy:
diff --git a/build.gradle b/build.gradle
index f405ea2b92c..0c28ad10543 100644
--- a/build.gradle
+++ b/build.gradle
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ plugins {
     id 'io.franzbecker.gradle-lombok' version '5.0.0'
     id 'com.gradleup.shadow' version '8.3.9'
     id 'me.champeau.gradle.japicmp' version '0.4.3' apply false
-    id 'com.diffplug.spotless' version '6.22.0' apply false
+    id 'com.diffplug.spotless' version '8.10.1' apply false
     id 'org.jreleaser' version '1.20.0' apply false
 }
 
diff --git a/examples/build.gradle b/examples/build.gradle
index e80815cdae6..69684942d54 100644
--- a/examples/build.gradle
+++ b/examples/build.gradle
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 // empty build.gradle for dependabot
 plugins {
-    id 'com.diffplug.spotless' version '6.22.0' apply false
+    id 'com.diffplug.spotless' version '8.10.1' apply false
 }
 
 apply from: "$rootDir/../gradle/ci-support.gradle"
diff --git a/gradle/ci-support.gradle b/gradle/ci-support.gradle
index 5b85837361e..f4490f243dc 100644
--- a/gradle/ci-support.gradle
+++ b/gradle/ci-support.gradle
@@ -7,28 +7,20 @@ task testMatrix {
             it.tasks.findByName("check")
         }.findAll { it != null }
 
-        dependsOn(checkTasks)
         doLast {
             def checkTaskPaths = checkTasks
                 .collect { it.path }
 
-            println(JsonOutput.toJson(checkTaskPaths))
-        }
-    }
-}
+            def json = JsonOutput.toJson(checkTaskPaths)
+            def outputPath = providers.gradleProperty("testMatrixOutput").getOrNull()
 
-// If we're executing the `testMatrix` task, disable tests and other slow tasks
-//  so that we can get a result quickly.
-gradle.taskGraph.whenReady {
-    if (it.hasTask(tasks.testMatrix)) {
-        for (subproject in subprojects) {
-            subproject.tasks.withType(Test).all {
-                testExecuter([execute: { spec, processor -> }, stopNow:{}] as org.gradle.api.internal.tasks.testing.TestExecuter)
+            if (outputPath != null) {
+                def outputFile = file(outputPath)
+                outputFile.parentFile.mkdirs()
+                outputFile.text = json + System.lineSeparator()
+            } else {
+                println(json)
             }
-            subproject.tasks.findByName("shadowJar")?.enabled = false
-            subproject.tasks.findByName("javadoc")?.enabled = false
-            subproject.tasks.findByName("delombok")?.enabled = false
-            subproject.tasks.findByName("japicmp")?.enabled = false
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/smoke-test/build.gradle b/smoke-test/build.gradle
index 781d6e87792..ed1e73ecfb8 100644
--- a/smoke-test/build.gradle
+++ b/smoke-test/build.gradle
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 // empty build.gradle for dependabot
 plugins {
-    id 'com.diffplug.spotless' version '6.22.0' apply false
+    id 'com.diffplug.spotless' version '8.10.1' apply false
 }
 
 apply from: "$rootDir/../gradle/ci-support.gradle"