diff --git a/.github/workflows/deploy_snapshot.yml b/.github/workflows/deploy_snapshot.yml
index 32de396cc..b49d19396 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/deploy_snapshot.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/deploy_snapshot.yml
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ on:
     types: [ trigger_after_upstream_deploy ]
 
 env:
-  GRADLE_VERSION: 8.5 # Gradle version used
+  GRADLE_VERSION: 8.14.4 # Gradle version used
   JAVA_VERSION: 21    # Java version used
   GRADLE_CLI_OPTS: "-Pci --build-cache -PgenTR=false -PgenTagging=true --refresh-dependencies " # CLI options passed to Gradle
   GRADLE_BUILD_ACTION_CACHE_KEY_JOB: "test-cache-${{ github.head_ref }}.${{ github.sha }}"
diff --git a/.github/workflows/gh_release_plugins.yml b/.github/workflows/gh_release_plugins.yml
index 726a4782f..736577f35 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/gh_release_plugins.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/gh_release_plugins.yml
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Setup Gradle
         uses: gradle/actions/setup-gradle@v4
         with:
-          gradle-version: 8.5
+          gradle-version: 8.14.4
 
       - name: Build with Gradle
         run: gradle :language-server:cd4a-intellij-plugin:buildPlugin :language-server:packageCD4AnalysisVscodePlugin -PbuildVscodePlugin=true -PbuildIntelliJPlugin=true
diff --git a/.github/workflows/test_branch.yml b/.github/workflows/test_branch.yml
index 451191296..923a61133 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test_branch.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test_branch.yml
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ on:
     types: [opened, synchronize]
 
 env:
-  GRADLE_VERSION: 8.5 # Gradle version used
+  GRADLE_VERSION: 8.14.4 # Gradle version used
   JAVA_VERSION: 21    # Java version used
   GRADLE_CLI_OPTS: "-Pci --build-cache  -PgenTR=false -PgenTagging=true --refresh-dependencies " # CLI options passed to Gradle
   GRADLE_BUILD_ACTION_CACHE_KEY_JOB: "test-cache-${{ github.head_ref }}.${{ github.sha }}"
diff --git a/build.gradle b/build.gradle
index d2c33388a..9fc7c18fd 100644
--- a/build.gradle
+++ b/build.gradle
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ plugins {
 }
 
 description = "CD4Analysis"
-buildDir = file("$projectDir/target")
+layout.buildDirectory = layout.projectDirectory.dir("target")
 
 ext {
   findbugs_version = "3.0.2"
@@ -43,27 +43,25 @@ subprojects {
   apply plugin: 'maven-publish'
   apply plugin: 'de.se_rwth.codestyle'
 
-    ecj {
-        compilerVersion = "3.43.0"
-    }
-
-  sourceCompatibility = JavaVersion.VERSION_21
+  ecj {
+      compilerVersion = "3.43.0"
+  }
 
   allprojects {
     group = "de.monticore.lang.cd4analysis"
   }
 
   ext.grammarDir = 'src/main/grammars'
-  buildDir = file("$projectDir/target")
+  layout.buildDirectory = layout.projectDirectory.dir("target")
 
   repositories {
     if (("true").equals(getProperty('useLocalRepo'))) {
       mavenLocal()
     }
     maven {
-      credentials.username mavenUser
-      credentials.password mavenPassword
-      url repo
+      credentials.username = mavenUser
+      credentials.password = mavenPassword
+      url = repo
     }
     mavenCentral()
   }
@@ -73,19 +71,19 @@ subprojects {
     archiveClassifier = project.name
   }
 
-  tasks.withType(Test) {
+  tasks.withType(Test).configureEach {
     useJUnitPlatform()
     testLogging {
       // controls whether test output is shown
-      showExceptions true
-      showCauses true
-      showStackTraces true
-      exceptionFormat TestExceptionFormat.FULL
+      showExceptions = true
+      showCauses = true
+      showStackTraces = true
+      exceptionFormat = TestExceptionFormat.FULL
       info {
         events TestLogEvent.FAILED,
-          TestLogEvent.PASSED,
-          TestLogEvent.SKIPPED,
-          TestLogEvent.STANDARD_OUT
+            TestLogEvent.PASSED,
+            TestLogEvent.SKIPPED,
+            TestLogEvent.STANDARD_OUT
       }
     }
     afterTest { desc, result ->
@@ -100,9 +98,9 @@ subprojects {
     }
   }
 
-  tasks.withType(JavaCompile) {
+  tasks.withType(JavaCompile).configureEach {
     options.encoding = "UTF-8"
-    options.deprecation false
+    options.deprecation = false
     options.warnings = false
     options.forkOptions.jvmArgs += ["-Xmx4G"]
     // TODO: reevaluate with new ecj plugin
@@ -141,13 +139,13 @@ publishing {
         .findAll { it != ':cdlang' }
         .each { subprojectName ->
           publ.artifact(project(subprojectName).tasks.jar) {
-            group "de.monticore.lang"
+            group = "de.monticore.lang"
           }
         }
 
       publ.artifact(project(":cdtool").tasks.jar) {
-        group "de.monticore.lang"
-        classifier "tool"
+        group = "de.monticore.lang"
+        classifier = "tool"
       }
 
       publ.artifact(project(":cdtool").tasks.shadowJar)
@@ -157,13 +155,13 @@ publishing {
 
     if (("false").equals(getProperty('publishMain'))) {
       publ.artifact(project(":cdlang").tasks.testSourcesJar) {
-        group "de.monticore.lang"
+        group = "de.monticore.lang"
       }
     }
   }
   repositories.maven {
-    credentials.username mavenUser
-    credentials.password mavenPassword
+    credentials.username = mavenUser
+    credentials.password = mavenPassword
     def releasesRepoUrl = "https://nexus.se.rwth-aachen.de/content/repositories/monticore-releases/"
     def snapshotsRepoUrl = "https://nexus.se.rwth-aachen.de/content/repositories/monticore-snapshots/"
     url = version.endsWith('SNAPSHOT') ? snapshotsRepoUrl : releasesRepoUrl
diff --git a/cd-runtime/build.gradle b/cd-runtime/build.gradle
index 4d4b8641e..8e5c523ad 100644
--- a/cd-runtime/build.gradle
+++ b/cd-runtime/build.gradle
@@ -30,8 +30,8 @@ publishing {
     }
   }
   repositories.maven {
-    credentials.username mavenUser
-    credentials.password mavenPassword
+    credentials.username = mavenUser
+    credentials.password = mavenPassword
     def releasesRepoUrl = "https://nexus.se.rwth-aachen.de/content/repositories/monticore-releases/"
     def snapshotsRepoUrl = "https://nexus.se.rwth-aachen.de/content/repositories/monticore-snapshots/"
     url = version.endsWith('SNAPSHOT') ? snapshotsRepoUrl : releasesRepoUrl
diff --git a/cdlang/build.gradle b/cdlang/build.gradle
index 420a1bc7a..9a7a791e3 100644
--- a/cdlang/build.gradle
+++ b/cdlang/build.gradle
@@ -5,11 +5,14 @@ import org.gradle.api.tasks.testing.logging.TestExceptionFormat
 import org.gradle.api.tasks.testing.logging.TestLogEvent
 
 plugins {
+  id "base"
   id "maven-publish" // Only used to publish the trafos - everything else is published in the root project
   id "de.monticore.generator-withtr" version "$mc_version" // MontiCore Plugin with TR support
 }
 
-archivesBaseName = "cd4analysis"
+base {
+  archivesName = "cd4analysis"
+}
 
 def var_path = "de.monticore"
 group = "de.monticore.lang"
@@ -19,10 +22,10 @@ def withDSTLGen = ("true").equals(getProperty('genTR'))
 ext {
   grammar_classifier = "grammars"
   grammarDir = "src/main/grammars"
-  grammarOutDir = "$buildDir/generated-sources/monticore/sourcecode"
-  trGrammarOutDir = "$buildDir/generated-sources/monticore-tr/sourcecode"
+  grammarOutDir = layout.buildDirectory.dir("generated-sources/monticore/sourcecode")
+  trGrammarOutDir = layout.buildDirectory.dir("generated-sources/monticore-tr/sourcecode")
   testGrammarDir = "src/test/grammars"
-  testGrammarOutDir = "$buildDir/generated-test-sources/monticore/trafo-sourcecode"
+  testGrammarOutDir = layout.buildDirectory.dir("generated-test-sources/monticore/trafo-sourcecode")
 }
 
 
@@ -116,31 +119,31 @@ compileTestJava {
   dependsOn generateTestTrafos
 }
 
-tasks.withType(JavaCompile) {
+tasks.withType(JavaCompile).configureEach {
   options.encoding = "UTF-8"
-  options.deprecation false
+  options.deprecation = false
   options.warnings = false
   options.headerOutputDirectory.convention(null)
 }
 
-tasks.withType(Test) {
+tasks.withType(Test).configureEach {
   // this won't work with setting the mills, as they can interleave and break thigs
   // maxParallelForks = Runtime.runtime.availableProcessors() ?: 1
 }
 
-tasks.withType(Test) {
+tasks.withType(Test).configureEach {
   useJUnitPlatform()
   testLogging {
     // controls whether test output is shown
-    showExceptions true
-    showCauses true
-    showStackTraces true
-    exceptionFormat TestExceptionFormat.FULL
+    showExceptions = true
+    showCauses = true
+    showStackTraces = true
+    exceptionFormat = TestExceptionFormat.FULL
     info {
       events TestLogEvent.FAILED,
-        TestLogEvent.PASSED,
-        TestLogEvent.SKIPPED,
-        TestLogEvent.STANDARD_OUT
+          TestLogEvent.PASSED,
+          TestLogEvent.SKIPPED,
+          TestLogEvent.STANDARD_OUT
     }
   }
   afterTest { desc, result ->
@@ -170,25 +173,25 @@ tasks.check.dependsOn(tasks.compileCd4cIntegTestJava)
 
 
 // build javadoc jar in addition
-task javadocJar(type: Jar) {
+tasks.register('javadocJar', Jar) {
   from javadoc
   archiveClassifier = "javadoc"
 }
 // generated java doc contains errors, disable for now
-javadoc.failOnError(false)
+javadoc.failOnError = false
 
 // build test sources jar in addition
-task testSourcesJar(type: Jar) {
+tasks.register('testSourcesJar', Jar) {
   from sourceSets.test.output + sourceSets.test.allSource
   archiveClassifier = "testSources"
 }
 
-tasks.withType(Jar) {
+tasks.withType(Jar).configureEach {
   duplicatesStrategy = DuplicatesStrategy.EXCLUDE
 }
 
-task testReport(type: TestReport) {
-  destinationDirectory = file("$buildDir/reports/allTests")
+tasks.register('testReport', TestReport) {
+  destinationDirectory = layout.buildDirectory.dir("reports/allTests")
   // Include the results from the 'test' task
   testResults.from(tasks.withType(Test))
 }
diff --git a/cdtool/build.gradle b/cdtool/build.gradle
index 491bed071..e09f916fa 100644
--- a/cdtool/build.gradle
+++ b/cdtool/build.gradle
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ dependencies {
   }
 }
 
-task toolJar(type: Jar) {
+tasks.register('toolJar', Jar) {
   from sourceSets.main.output + sourceSets.main.allSource
   archiveClassifier = "tool"
 }
@@ -78,8 +78,10 @@ sourceSets {
 }
 
 dependencies {
-  tooltestImplementation platform('org.junit:junit-bom:5.9.1')
-  tooltestImplementation 'org.junit.jupiter:junit-jupiter'
+  tooltestImplementation "org.junit.jupiter:junit-jupiter-api:$junit_version"
+  tooltestImplementation "org.junit.jupiter:junit-jupiter-params:$junit_version"
+  tooltestRuntimeOnly "org.junit.jupiter:junit-jupiter-engine:$junit_version"
+  tooltestRuntimeOnly "org.junit.platform:junit-platform-launcher:$junit_version"
 }
 
 tasks.register('toolTest', Test) {
diff --git a/cdtool/cdgradle/build.gradle b/cdtool/cdgradle/build.gradle
index a4d08b5a8..6a96ae53c 100644
--- a/cdtool/cdgradle/build.gradle
+++ b/cdtool/cdgradle/build.gradle
@@ -16,8 +16,10 @@ dependencies {
   cdTool "de.monticore.lang:cd4analysis:$mc_version"
   compileOnly(project(":cdlang")) // As the main/cdtool dependency does not have an api dependency to cdlang
 
-  testImplementation "org.junit.jupiter:junit-jupiter:$junit_version"
-  testRuntimeOnly 'org.junit.platform:junit-platform-launcher'
+  testImplementation "org.junit.jupiter:junit-jupiter-api:$junit_version"
+  testImplementation "org.junit.jupiter:junit-jupiter-params:$junit_version"
+  testRuntimeOnly "org.junit.jupiter:junit-jupiter-engine:$junit_version"
+  testRuntimeOnly "org.junit.platform:junit-platform-launcher:$junit_version"
   testImplementation gradleTestKit()
   testImplementation(project(":cdlang")) // For symbol table tests, etc.
 }
@@ -40,8 +42,8 @@ gradlePlugin {
 
 publishing {
   repositories.maven {
-    credentials.username mavenUser
-    credentials.password mavenPassword
+    credentials.username = mavenUser
+    credentials.password = mavenPassword
     def releasesRepoUrl = "https://nexus.se.rwth-aachen.de/content/repositories/monticore-releases/"
     def snapshotsRepoUrl = "https://nexus.se.rwth-aachen.de/content/repositories/monticore-snapshots/"
     url = version.endsWith('SNAPSHOT') ? snapshotsRepoUrl : releasesRepoUrl
@@ -68,7 +70,7 @@ processResources {
   dependsOn generateResources
 }
 
-tasks.withType(Test) {
+tasks.withType(Test).configureEach {
   useJUnitPlatform()
   dependsOn project.tasks.getByPath(":cdlang:jar")
   dependsOn project.tasks.getByPath(":cd-runtime:jar")
diff --git a/language-server/build.gradle b/language-server/build.gradle
index 2521fdda1..b18395df6 100644
--- a/language-server/build.gradle
+++ b/language-server/build.gradle
@@ -6,17 +6,15 @@ plugins {
   id 'maven-publish'
 }
 
-group 'de.monticore.lang'
-version mc_version
-
-sourceCompatibility = JavaVersion.VERSION_21
+group = 'de.monticore.lang'
+version = mc_version
 
 repositories {
   mavenCentral()
   maven {
-    credentials.username mavenUser
-    credentials.password mavenPassword
-    url repo
+    credentials.username = mavenUser
+    credentials.password = mavenPassword
+    url = repo
   }
 }
 
@@ -68,7 +66,7 @@ task autoconfigure(type: de.mclsg.task.AutoconfigureTask) {
     languageName = "de.monticore.CD4Analysis"
     fileExtension = "cd"
   }
-  if(("true").equals(getProperty('buildVscodePlugin'))){
+  if (("true").equals(getProperty('buildVscodePlugin'))) {
     including(TaskTypes.VSCODE_PLUGIN)
   }
 }
@@ -78,7 +76,7 @@ task autoconfigureCD4Code(type: de.mclsg.task.AutoconfigureTask) {
     languageName = "de.monticore.CD4Code"
     fileExtension = "cd"
   }
-  if(("true").equals(getProperty('buildVscodePlugin'))){
+  if (("true").equals(getProperty('buildVscodePlugin'))) {
     including(TaskTypes.VSCODE_PLUGIN)
   }
 }
diff --git a/settings.gradle b/settings.gradle
index 715b80cfc..954bfbce8 100644
--- a/settings.gradle
+++ b/settings.gradle
@@ -5,9 +5,9 @@ pluginManagement {
       mavenLocal()
     }
     maven {
-      credentials.username mavenUser
-      credentials.password mavenPassword
-      url repo
+      credentials.username = mavenUser
+      credentials.password = mavenPassword
+      url = repo
     }
     mavenCentral()
     gradlePluginPortal()
diff --git a/symtabdefinitiontool/build.gradle b/symtabdefinitiontool/build.gradle
index 3e8bcbf18..d4b5808b7 100644
--- a/symtabdefinitiontool/build.gradle
+++ b/symtabdefinitiontool/build.gradle
@@ -18,12 +18,11 @@ dependencies {
   implementation "org.antlr:antlr4-runtime:$antlr_version"
   testImplementation "org.junit.jupiter:junit-jupiter-api:$junit_version"
   testImplementation "org.junit.jupiter:junit-jupiter-params:$junit_version"
-  testImplementation "org.junit.vintage:junit-vintage-engine:$junit_version"
   testRuntimeOnly "org.junit.jupiter:junit-jupiter-engine:$junit_version"
   testRuntimeOnly "org.junit.platform:junit-platform-launcher:$junit_version"
 }
 
-task toolJar(type: Jar) {
+tasks.register('toolJar', Jar) {
   from sourceSets.main.output + sourceSets.main.allSource
 }
 
@@ -45,8 +44,10 @@ sourceSets {
 }
 
 dependencies {
-  tooltestImplementation platform('org.junit:junit-bom:5.9.1')
-  tooltestImplementation 'org.junit.jupiter:junit-jupiter'
+  tooltestImplementation "org.junit.jupiter:junit-jupiter-api:$junit_version"
+  tooltestImplementation "org.junit.jupiter:junit-jupiter-params:$junit_version"
+  tooltestRuntimeOnly "org.junit.jupiter:junit-jupiter-engine:$junit_version"
+  tooltestRuntimeOnly "org.junit.platform:junit-platform-launcher:$junit_version"
 }
 
 tasks.register('toolTest', Test) {
diff --git a/symtabdefinitiontool/stdefgradle/build.gradle b/symtabdefinitiontool/stdefgradle/build.gradle
index 0d93cf3ed..12a92f86c 100644
--- a/symtabdefinitiontool/stdefgradle/build.gradle
+++ b/symtabdefinitiontool/stdefgradle/build.gradle
@@ -16,7 +16,8 @@ dependencies {
   compileOnly(project(":cdlang"))
 
   testImplementation "org.junit.jupiter:junit-jupiter-api:$junit_version"
-  testImplementation "org.junit.vintage:junit-vintage-engine:$junit_version"
+  testImplementation "org.junit.jupiter:junit-jupiter-params:$junit_version"
+  testRuntimeOnly "org.junit.jupiter:junit-jupiter-engine:$junit_version"
   testRuntimeOnly "org.junit.platform:junit-platform-launcher:$junit_version"
   testImplementation gradleTestKit()
 }
@@ -37,8 +38,8 @@ gradlePlugin {
 
 publishing {
   repositories.maven {
-    credentials.username mavenUser
-    credentials.password mavenPassword
+    credentials.username = mavenUser
+    credentials.password = mavenPassword
     def releasesRepoUrl = "https://nexus.se.rwth-aachen.de/content/repositories/monticore-releases/"
     def snapshotsRepoUrl = "https://nexus.se.rwth-aachen.de/content/repositories/monticore-snapshots/"
     url = version.endsWith("SNAPSHOT") ? snapshotsRepoUrl : releasesRepoUrl
@@ -60,7 +61,7 @@ processResources {
   from files(generateResources)
 }
 
-tasks.withType(Test) {
+tasks.withType(Test).configureEach {
   useJUnitPlatform()
   dependsOn project.tasks.getByPath(':cdlang:jar')
 }
diff --git a/symtabdefinitiontool/stdefgradle/src/test/java/de/monticore/symtabdefinitiontool/gradleplugin/SymTabDefinitionGradlePluginTest.java b/symtabdefinitiontool/stdefgradle/src/test/java/de/monticore/symtabdefinitiontool/gradleplugin/SymTabDefinitionGradlePluginTest.java
index d2beb1bfd..55f6a08f3 100644
--- a/symtabdefinitiontool/stdefgradle/src/test/java/de/monticore/symtabdefinitiontool/gradleplugin/SymTabDefinitionGradlePluginTest.java
+++ b/symtabdefinitiontool/stdefgradle/src/test/java/de/monticore/symtabdefinitiontool/gradleplugin/SymTabDefinitionGradlePluginTest.java
@@ -1,9 +1,6 @@
 /* (c) https://github.com/MontiCore/monticore */
 package de.monticore.symtabdefinitiontool.gradleplugin;
 
-import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertEquals;
-import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertTrue;
-
 import java.io.File;
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.nio.file.Files;
@@ -14,8 +11,11 @@
 import org.gradle.testkit.runner.GradleRunner;
 import org.gradle.testkit.runner.TaskOutcome;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.BeforeEach;
-import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.io.TempDir;
+import org.junit.jupiter.params.ParameterizedTest;
+import org.junit.jupiter.params.provider.ValueSource;
+
+import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.*;
 
 public class SymTabDefinitionGradlePluginTest {
   
@@ -35,21 +35,8 @@ public void setup() throws IOException {
     modelDir.mkdirs();
   }
   
-  @Test
-  public void testSTDef_v7_4_2() throws IOException {
-    testSTDef("7.4.2");
-  }
-  
-  @Test
-  public void testSTDef_v8_0_1() throws IOException {
-    this.testSTDef("8.0.1");
-  }
-  
-  @Test
-  public void testSTDef_v8_7() throws IOException {
-    this.testSTDef("8.7");
-  }
-  
+  @ParameterizedTest
+  @ValueSource(strings = { "8.5", "8.7", "8.14" })
   void testSTDef(String version) throws IOException {
     writeFile(settingsFile, "rootProject.name = 'hello-world'");
     String projVersion = loadProperties().getProperty("version");
@@ -65,7 +52,7 @@ void testSTDef(String version) throws IOException {
     
     String buildFileContent = "plugins {\n" + "  id 'de.rwth.se.symtabdefinition'\n" + "}\n "
         + "repositories {\n"
-        + " maven{ url 'https://nexus.se.rwth-aachen.de/content/groups/public' }\n"
+        + " maven{ url = 'https://nexus.se.rwth-aachen.de/content/groups/public' }\n"
         + " mavenCentral()\n" + "}\n" +
         // We have to inject the cdlang jar for this project (as it is not yet published)
         "dependencies {\n" + "  stdefTool files('" + cd4aJarFile.getAbsolutePath().replace("\\",
@@ -79,6 +66,8 @@ void testSTDef(String version) throws IOException {
         // .withDebug(true) // add to debug
         .withPluginClasspath().withGradleVersion(version).withProjectDir(testProjectDir)
         .withArguments("build", "--info", "--stacktrace").build();
+    assertNotNull(result.task(":generateSymbolTables"),
+        "'generateSymbolTables' task not found! The gradle plugin has most likely not been applied.");
     assertEquals(TaskOutcome.SUCCESS, result.task(":generateSymbolTables").getOutcome());
   }