diff --git a/src/pom.xml b/src/pom.xml
index 211437678..8e39b5e7f 100644
--- a/src/pom.xml
+++ b/src/pom.xml
@@ -18,16 +18,17 @@
     <module>integration-tests</module>
   </modules>
   <properties>
-    <maven.compiler.source>17</maven.compiler.source>
-    <maven.compiler.target>17</maven.compiler.target>
+    <maven.compiler.source>21</maven.compiler.source>
+    <maven.compiler.target>21</maven.compiler.target>
     <spring-cloud.version>2021.0.9</spring-cloud.version>
     <spring-boot.version>2.7.18</spring-boot.version>
     <spring.version>5.3.37</spring.version>
     <spring.security.version>5.7.12</spring.security.version>
-    <jackson.version>2.17.1</jackson.version>
-    <gs.version>2.25.2.1-CLOUD</gs.version>
-    <gt.version>31-SNAPSHOT</gt.version>
+    <jackson.version>2.17.2</jackson.version>
+    <gs.version>2.25.3.0-SNAPSHOT</gs.version>
+    <gt.version>31.3</gt.version>
     <acl.version>2.2.0</acl.version>
+    <postgresql.version>42.7.3</postgresql.version>
     <!-- Downgrade netty.version used by spring-boot to the one used by geoserver azure client
     (software.amazon.awssdk:netty-nio-client:jar:2.9.24) for COG and GWC Azure plugin -->
     <netty.version>4.1.46.Final</netty.version>
@@ -483,6 +484,11 @@
         <artifactId>gs-gwc</artifactId>
         <version>${gs.version}</version>
         <exclusions>
+          <exclusion>
+            <!-- exclude gt depenedencies, for geoserver 2.25.3, gwc is 1.25-SNAPSHOT and carries over gt:31-SNAPSHOT -->
+            <groupId>org.geotools</groupId>
+            <artifactId>*</artifactId>
+          </exclusion>
           <exclusion>
             <groupId>com.h2database</groupId>
             <artifactId>h2</artifactId>
@@ -1200,7 +1206,7 @@
           <dependency>
             <groupId>org.postgresql</groupId>
             <artifactId>postgresql</artifactId>
-            <version>42.7.3</version>
+            <version>${postgresql.version}</version>
           </dependency>
           <dependency>
             <groupId>com.jayway.jsonpath</groupId>