diff --git a/.github/workflows/publish.yml b/.github/workflows/publish.yml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..df46eaaa2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/workflows/publish.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,59 @@
+# Copyright 2026 Google LLC
+#
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+# You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#
+#      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+# limitations under the License.
+
+name: Publish
+
+on:
+  release:
+    types: [published]
+
+jobs:
+  publish:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - name: Checkout
+        uses: actions/checkout@v5
+        with:
+          token: ${{ secrets.SYNCED_GITHUB_TOKEN_REPO }}
+
+      - uses: gradle/actions/wrapper-validation@v4
+
+      - name: Set up JDK 21
+        uses: actions/setup-java@v4.7.1
+        with:
+          java-version: '21'
+          distribution: 'adopt'
+
+      - name: Create .gpg key
+        run: |
+          echo $GPG_KEY_ARMOR | base64 --decode > ./release.asc
+          gpg --quiet --output $GITHUB_WORKSPACE/release.gpg --dearmor ./release.asc
+
+          echo "Build and publish"
+          sed -i -e "s,mavenCentralUsername=,mavenCentralUsername=$SONATYPE_TOKEN_USERNAME,g" gradle.properties
+          SONATYPE_TOKEN_PASSWORD_ESCAPED=$(printf '%s\n' "$SONATYPE_TOKEN_PASSWORD" | sed -e 's/[\/&]/\\&/g')
+          sed -i -e "s,mavenCentralPassword=,mavenCentralPassword=$SONATYPE_TOKEN_PASSWORD_ESCAPED,g" gradle.properties
+          sed -i -e "s,signing.keyId=,signing.keyId=$GPG_KEY_ID,g" gradle.properties
+          sed -i -e "s,signing.password=,signing.password=$GPG_PASSWORD,g" gradle.properties
+          sed -i -e "s,signing.secretKeyRingFile=,signing.secretKeyRingFile=$GITHUB_WORKSPACE/release.gpg,g" gradle.properties
+
+        env:
+          GPG_KEY_ARMOR: ${{ secrets.SYNCED_GPG_KEY_ARMOR }}
+          GPG_KEY_ID: ${{ secrets.SYNCED_GPG_KEY_ID }}
+          GPG_PASSWORD: ${{ secrets.SYNCED_GPG_KEY_PASSWORD }}
+          SONATYPE_TOKEN_PASSWORD: ${{ secrets.SONATYPE_TOKEN_PASSWORD }}
+          SONATYPE_TOKEN_USERNAME: ${{ secrets.SONATYPE_TOKEN }}
+
+      - name: Publish to MavenCentral
+        run: ./gradlew publishToMavenCentral --warn --stacktrace
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release-please.yml b/.github/workflows/release-please.yml
index c29066ee8..76ddb5525 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release-please.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release-please.yml
@@ -12,8 +12,6 @@
 # See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 # limitations under the License.
 
-name: release-please
-
 on:
   push:
     branches:
@@ -23,54 +21,14 @@ permissions:
   contents: write
   pull-requests: write
 
+name: release-please
+
 jobs:
   release-please:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
       - uses: googleapis/release-please-action@v4
-        id: release
         with:
           token: ${{ secrets.SYNCED_GITHUB_TOKEN_REPO }}
-
-      # The steps below only run when a release PR is merged and a GitHub release is created
-      - name: Checkout
-        if: ${{ steps.release.outputs.release_created }}
-        uses: actions/checkout@v6
-
-      - name: Set up JDK 17
-        if: ${{ steps.release.outputs.release_created }}
-        uses: actions/setup-java@v5
-        with:
-          java-version: '17'
-          distribution: 'temurin'
-
-      - uses: gradle/actions/setup-gradle@v4
-        if: ${{ steps.release.outputs.release_created }}
-
-      - name: Set up Gradle Publishing Environment Variables
-        if: ${{ steps.release.outputs.release_created }}
-        run: |
-          echo $GPG_KEY_ARMOR | base64 --decode > ./release.asc
-          gpg --quiet --output $GITHUB_WORKSPACE/release.gpg --dearmor ./release.asc
-
-          echo "Build and publish"
-          sed -i -e "s,mavenCentralUsername=,mavenCentralUsername=$SONATYPE_TOKEN_USERNAME,g" gradle.properties
-          SONATYPE_TOKEN_PASSWORD_ESCAPED=$(printf '%s\n' "$SONATYPE_TOKEN_PASSWORD" | sed -e 's/[\/&]/\\&/g')
-          sed -i -e "s,mavenCentralPassword=,mavenCentralPassword=$SONATYPE_TOKEN_PASSWORD_ESCAPED,g" gradle.properties
-          sed -i -e "s,signing.keyId=,signing.keyId=$GPG_KEY_ID,g" gradle.properties
-          sed -i -e "s,signing.password=,signing.password=$GPG_PASSWORD,g" gradle.properties
-          sed -i -e "s,signing.secretKeyRingFile=,signing.secretKeyRingFile=$GITHUB_WORKSPACE/release.gpg,g" gradle.properties
-        env:
-          GPG_KEY_ARMOR: ${{ secrets.SYNCED_GPG_KEY_ARMOR }}
-          GPG_KEY_ID: ${{ secrets.SYNCED_GPG_KEY_ID }}
-          GPG_PASSWORD: ${{ secrets.SYNCED_GPG_KEY_PASSWORD }}
-          SONATYPE_TOKEN_PASSWORD: ${{ secrets.SONATYPE_TOKEN_PASSWORD }}
-          SONATYPE_TOKEN_USERNAME: ${{ secrets.SONATYPE_TOKEN }}
-
-      - name: Build and Publish
-        if: ${{ steps.release.outputs.release_created }}
-        run: |
-          ./gradlew build --warn --stacktrace
-          ./gradlew publishToMavenCentral --warn --stacktrace --debug --info
-        env:
-          GH_TOKEN: ${{ secrets.SYNCED_GITHUB_TOKEN_REPO }}
+          config-file: release-please-config.json
+          manifest-file: .release-please-manifest.json
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/lint-checks/build.gradle b/lint-checks/build.gradle
index b07d68867..bd1a712c1 100644
--- a/lint-checks/build.gradle
+++ b/lint-checks/build.gradle
@@ -45,4 +45,10 @@ jar {
 java {
     sourceCompatibility = JavaVersion.VERSION_17
     targetCompatibility = JavaVersion.VERSION_17
+}
+
+kotlin {
+    compilerOptions {
+        jvmTarget.set(org.jetbrains.kotlin.gradle.dsl.JvmTarget.JVM_17)
+    }
 }
\ No newline at end of file