diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index eb11e5d..54e9c6a 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ Template repository for Java.
 
 To use this template, click the "Use this template" button on the repository page to create a new repository based on this template.
 
-## Update from this template (if you used it to create your repository and want to get updates)
+## Update from this template (if you want to get updates)
 
 ```sh
 # new branch
@@ -22,5 +22,3 @@ git push
 # to see changes before cherry-pick, use:
 # git fetch https://github.com/tgrothe/java-template.git main && git diff FETCH_HEAD
 ```
-
-_By the way: A `pull ... --allow-unrelated-histories` would also be possible, but this affects the history, and causing chaos._ :cold_sweat:
diff --git a/build.gradle b/build.gradle
index f6a265d..5d4d8ee 100644
--- a/build.gradle
+++ b/build.gradle
@@ -3,10 +3,10 @@ buildscript {
 
 plugins {
     id 'application'
-    id 'com.diffplug.spotless' version '8.8.0'
-    id 'com.github.ben-manes.versions' version '0.54.0'
-    id 'com.github.spotbugs' version '6.5.8'
-    id 'com.gradleup.shadow' version '9.4.3'
+    id 'com.diffplug.spotless' version '8.9.0'
+    id 'com.github.ben-manes.versions' version '0.58.0'
+    id 'com.github.spotbugs' version '6.5.9'
+    id 'com.gradleup.shadow' version '9.6.1'
 }
 
 application {
@@ -17,17 +17,22 @@ repositories {
     mavenCentral()
 }
 
+ext {
+    log4jVers = '3.0.0-beta2'
+}
+
 dependencies {
 //    testImplementation(platform('org.junit:junit-bom:6.1.0-M1'))
 //    testImplementation('org.junit.jupiter:junit-jupiter')
 //    testRuntimeOnly('org.junit.platform:junit-platform-launcher')
 
-    implementation 'org.apache.logging.log4j:log4j-core:3.0.0-beta3'
-    implementation 'org.apache.logging.log4j:log4j-plugins:3.0.0-beta3'
-    implementation 'org.apache.logging.log4j:log4j-config-properties:3.0.0-beta3'
+    implementation "org.apache.logging.log4j:log4j-core:$log4jVers"
+    implementation "org.apache.logging.log4j:log4j-plugins:$log4jVers"
+    implementation "org.apache.logging.log4j:log4j-config-properties:$log4jVers"
+    implementation "org.apache.logging.log4j:log4j-slf4j2-impl:$log4jVers"
 
     implementation 'org.apache.commons:commons-lang3:3.20.0'
-    implementation 'org.json:json:20260522'
+    implementation 'org.json:json:20260719'
 }
 
 //test {
@@ -52,6 +57,8 @@ tasks.named('distTar').configure { enabled = false }
 tasks.named('startScripts').configure { enabled = false }
 
 tasks.shadowJar {
+    // setProperty("zip64", true)
+
     duplicatesStrategy = DuplicatesStrategy.INCLUDE
     mergeServiceFiles()
 
@@ -63,3 +70,7 @@ tasks.shadowJar {
 run {
     standardInput = System.in
 }
+
+//spotbugs {
+//    excludeFilter = file("spotbugs-exclude.xml")
+//}