diff --git a/.github/workflows/auto-merge.yml b/.github/workflows/auto-merge.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..739a9fbc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/auto-merge.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,28 @@
+name: Automatic Branch Merging
+
+on:
+  pull_request:
+    types:
+      - closed
+
+permissions:
+  contents: write
+  pull-requests: write
+  issues: write
+
+jobs:
+  merge:
+    name: Cascading Auto Merge
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+
+    if: |
+      github.event.pull_request.merged == true &&
+      startsWith(github.base_ref, 'release/')
+
+    steps:
+      - name: Automatic Merge
+        uses: ActionsDesk/cascading-downstream-merge@v3
+        with:
+          github_token: ${{ secrets.GITHUB_TOKEN }}
+          prefixes: release/
+          ref_branch: develop
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/.github/workflows/maven.yml b/.github/workflows/maven.yml
index 09182902..b0c58390 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/maven.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/maven.yml
@@ -5,9 +5,9 @@ name: Build
 
 on:
   push:
-    branches: [ develop ]
+    branches: [ release/2.13 ]
   pull_request:
-    branches: [ develop ]
+    branches: [ release/2.13 ]
 
 jobs:
   build:
@@ -15,9 +15,9 @@ jobs:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
 
     steps:
-    - uses: actions/checkout@v3
+    - uses: actions/checkout@v6
     - name: Set up JDK 21
-      uses: actions/setup-java@v3
+      uses: actions/setup-java@v5
       with:
         distribution: 'temurin'
         java-version: '21'
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index 090dde99..3053ab28 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -8,11 +8,11 @@ on:
       releaseVersion:
         description: 'Release version'
         required: true
-        default: '2.12'
+        default: '2.13'
       releaseBuild:
         description: 'Release build (e.g. 8)'
         required: true
-        default: ''
+        default: '0'
 
 jobs:
   release:
@@ -20,10 +20,10 @@ jobs:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
 
     steps:
-      - uses: actions/checkout@v3
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v6
 
       - name: Set up JDK 21
-        uses: actions/setup-java@v3
+        uses: actions/setup-java@v5
         with:
           distribution: 'temurin'
           java-version: '21'