diff --git a/agent-lambda/build.gradle.kts b/agent-lambda/build.gradle.kts
index 0e6800b6..f7bbb857 100644
--- a/agent-lambda/build.gradle.kts
+++ b/agent-lambda/build.gradle.kts
@@ -90,13 +90,13 @@ tasks {
 
     // exclude known bootstrap dependencies - they can't appear in the inst/ directory
     dependencies {
-      exclude("org.slf4j:slf4j-api")
-      exclude("io.opentelemetry:opentelemetry-api")
-      exclude("io.opentelemetry:opentelemetry-api-logs")
-      exclude("io.opentelemetry:opentelemetry-context")
-      exclude("io.opentelemetry:opentelemetry-semconv")
-      exclude("io.opentelemetry.semconv:opentelemetry-semconv-incubating")
-      exclude("io.opentelemetry:opentelemetry-api-incubator")
+      exclude(dependency("org.slf4j:slf4j-api"))
+      exclude(dependency("io.opentelemetry:opentelemetry-api"))
+      exclude(dependency("io.opentelemetry:opentelemetry-api-logs"))
+      exclude(dependency("io.opentelemetry:opentelemetry-context"))
+      exclude(dependency("io.opentelemetry:opentelemetry-semconv"))
+      exclude(dependency("io.opentelemetry.semconv:opentelemetry-semconv-incubating"))
+      exclude(dependency("io.opentelemetry:opentelemetry-api-incubator"))
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/agent/build.gradle.kts b/agent/build.gradle.kts
index 1e88df74..f8ca6516 100644
--- a/agent/build.gradle.kts
+++ b/agent/build.gradle.kts
@@ -94,14 +94,14 @@ tasks {
 
     // exclude known bootstrap dependencies - they can't appear in the inst/ directory
     dependencies {
-      exclude("org.slf4j:slf4j-api")
-      exclude("io.opentelemetry:opentelemetry-api")
-      exclude("io.opentelemetry:opentelemetry-api-logs")
-      exclude("io.opentelemetry:opentelemetry-context")
-      exclude("io.opentelemetry:opentelemetry-semconv")
-      exclude("io.opentelemetry:opentelemetry-common")
-      exclude("io.opentelemetry.semconv:opentelemetry-semconv-incubating")
-      exclude("io.opentelemetry:opentelemetry-api-incubator")
+      exclude(dependency("org.slf4j:slf4j-api"))
+      exclude(dependency("io.opentelemetry:opentelemetry-api"))
+      exclude(dependency("io.opentelemetry:opentelemetry-api-logs"))
+      exclude(dependency("io.opentelemetry:opentelemetry-context"))
+      exclude(dependency("io.opentelemetry:opentelemetry-semconv"))
+      exclude(dependency("io.opentelemetry:opentelemetry-common"))
+      exclude(dependency("io.opentelemetry.semconv:opentelemetry-semconv-incubating"))
+      exclude(dependency("io.opentelemetry:opentelemetry-api-incubator"))
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/buildSrc/build.gradle.kts b/buildSrc/build.gradle.kts
index a52c47e1..58787971 100644
--- a/buildSrc/build.gradle.kts
+++ b/buildSrc/build.gradle.kts
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ dependencies {
   implementation("io.freefair.gradle:lombok-plugin:9.5.0")
 
   implementation("io.opentelemetry.instrumentation:gradle-plugins:2.27.0-alpha")
-  implementation("com.gradleup.shadow:shadow-gradle-plugin:9.4.1")
+  implementation("com.gradleup.shadow:shadow-gradle-plugin:9.6.1")
   implementation("com.github.gmazzo.buildconfig:com.github.gmazzo.buildconfig.gradle.plugin:6.0.10")
   implementation("com.github.spotbugs:com.github.spotbugs.gradle.plugin:6.4.8")
 }
diff --git a/testing/agent-for-testing/build.gradle.kts b/testing/agent-for-testing/build.gradle.kts
index 3ebf0cbc..5f8b867c 100644
--- a/testing/agent-for-testing/build.gradle.kts
+++ b/testing/agent-for-testing/build.gradle.kts
@@ -88,13 +88,13 @@ tasks {
 
     // exclude known bootstrap dependencies - they can't appear in the inst/ directory
     dependencies {
-      exclude("org.slf4j:slf4j-api")
-      exclude("io.opentelemetry:opentelemetry-api")
-      exclude("io.opentelemetry:opentelemetry-api-logs")
-      exclude("io.opentelemetry:opentelemetry-context")
-      exclude("io.opentelemetry:opentelemetry-semconv")
-      exclude("io.opentelemetry.semconv:opentelemetry-semconv-incubating")
-      exclude("io.opentelemetry:opentelemetry-api-incubator")
+      exclude(dependency("org.slf4j:slf4j-api"))
+      exclude(dependency("io.opentelemetry:opentelemetry-api"))
+      exclude(dependency("io.opentelemetry:opentelemetry-api-logs"))
+      exclude(dependency("io.opentelemetry:opentelemetry-context"))
+      exclude(dependency("io.opentelemetry:opentelemetry-semconv"))
+      exclude(dependency("io.opentelemetry.semconv:opentelemetry-semconv-incubating"))
+      exclude(dependency("io.opentelemetry:opentelemetry-api-incubator"))
     }
   }