diff --git a/.gitlab/exploration-tests.yml b/.gitlab/exploration-tests.yml
index 55bc248c29e..a25106e94d5 100644
--- a/.gitlab/exploration-tests.yml
+++ b/.gitlab/exploration-tests.yml
@@ -12,49 +12,63 @@ build-exploration-tests-image:
     - docker push $EXPLORATION_TESTS_IMAGE
 
 .common-exploration-tests: &common-exploration-tests
+  rules:
+    - if: '$POPULATE_CACHE'
+      when: never
+    - if: $CI_PIPELINE_SOURCE != "schedule"
+      changes:
+        paths:
+          - dd-java-agent/agent-debugger/**/*
+        compare_to: "master"
+      when: on_success
+    - when: manual
+      allow_failure: true
   before_script:
-    - source $HOME/.sdkman/bin/sdkman-init.sh
-    - export JAVA_HOME=$JAVA_8_HOME
-    - ./gradlew :dd-java-agent:shadowJar --no-scan
     - cp workspace/dd-java-agent/build/libs/*.jar /exploration-tests/dd-java-agent.jar
     - cp dd-java-agent/agent-debugger/exploration-tests/run-exploration-tests.sh /exploration-tests
     - cp dd-java-agent/agent-debugger/exploration-tests/exclude_*.txt /exploration-tests
     - cp dd-java-agent/agent-debugger/exploration-tests/include_*.txt /exploration-tests
+    - source $HOME/.sdkman/bin/sdkman-init.sh && cd / && sdk env
     - cd /exploration-tests
+    - java -version
   after_script:
-    - echo "$PROJECT"
-    - cd $CI_PROJECT_DIR
-    - cp /exploration-tests/$PROJECT/agent.log ${PROJECT}_agent.log
+    - cp /exploration-tests/${PROJECT}/agent.log ${PROJECT}_agent.log
     - gzip ${PROJECT}_agent.log
     - tar czf ${PROJECT}_surefire-reports.tar.gz /exploration-tests/${PROJECT}/target/surefire-reports
     - tar czf ${PROJECT}_debugger-dumps.tar.gz /tmp/debugger
   stage: exploration-tests
-  when: manual
   tags: [ "runner:main"]
-  needs: []
   image: $EXPLORATION_TESTS_IMAGE
   artifacts:
     paths:
-      - ${PROJECT}_agent.log.gz
-      - ${PROJECT}_surefire-reports.tar.gz
-      - ${PROJECT}_debugger-dumps.tar.gz
+      - "*_agent.log.gz"
+      - "*_surefire-reports.tar.gz"
+      - "*_debugger-dumps.tar.gz"
 
 exploration-tests-jsoup:
+  needs: [ build ]
+  dependencies:
+    - build
+  <<: *common-exploration-tests
   variables:
     PROJECT: jsoup
-  <<: *common-exploration-tests
   script:
-    - ./run-exploration-tests.sh "$PROJECT" "mvn verify" "include_jsoup.txt" "exclude_jsoup.txt"
-
+    - ./run-exploration-tests.sh "$PROJECT" "mvn verify" "include_${PROJECT}.txt" "exclude_${PROJECT}.txt"
 
 exploration-tests-jackson-core:
+  needs: [ build ]
+  dependencies:
+    - build
   <<: *common-exploration-tests
   variables:
     PROJECT: jackson-core
   script:
-    - ./run-exploration-tests.sh "$PROJECT" "./mvnw verify"
+    - ./run-exploration-tests.sh "$PROJECT" "mvn verify" "include_${PROJECT}.txt" "exclude_${PROJECT}.txt"
 
 exploration-tests-jackson-databind:
+  needs: [ build ]
+  dependencies:
+    - build
   <<: *common-exploration-tests
   variables:
     PROJECT: jackson-databind
diff --git a/dd-java-agent/agent-debugger/exploration-tests/.sdkmanrc b/dd-java-agent/agent-debugger/exploration-tests/.sdkmanrc
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..45cef169047
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dd-java-agent/agent-debugger/exploration-tests/.sdkmanrc
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+java=8.0.372-tem
+maven=3.8.4
diff --git a/dd-java-agent/agent-debugger/exploration-tests/Dockerfile.exploration-tests b/dd-java-agent/agent-debugger/exploration-tests/Dockerfile.exploration-tests
index 9491f7a96e9..ae87f1f3280 100644
--- a/dd-java-agent/agent-debugger/exploration-tests/Dockerfile.exploration-tests
+++ b/dd-java-agent/agent-debugger/exploration-tests/Dockerfile.exploration-tests
@@ -1,30 +1,16 @@
 FROM debian:bookworm-slim
 
-ARG JAVA_8_VERSION="8.0.372-tem"
-ARG JAVA_11_VERSION="11.0.19-tem"
-ARG JAVA_17_VERSION="17.0.7-tem"
-ARG JAVA_21_VERSION="21.0.4-tem"
-ARG MAVEN_VERSION=3.8.4
-
 RUN apt-get update && \
     DEBIAN_FRONTEND=noninteractive apt-get install -y procps tini build-essential git curl unzip zip && \
     apt-get -y clean && \
     rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*
 
 # install sdkman
+COPY .sdkmanrc .
 RUN curl -s "https://get.sdkman.io" | bash
 RUN bash -c "source $HOME/.sdkman/bin/sdkman-init.sh && \
-    yes | sdk install java $JAVA_8_VERSION && \
-    yes | sdk install java $JAVA_11_VERSION && \
-    yes | sdk install java $JAVA_17_VERSION && \
-    yes | sdk install java $JAVA_21_VERSION && \
-    yes | sdk install maven $MAVEN_VERSION && \
-    rm -rf $HOME/.sdkman/archives/* && \
-    rm -rf $HOME/.sdkman/tmp/*"
-ENV JAVA_8_HOME=/root/.sdkman/candidates/java/$JAVA_8_VERSION
-ENV JAVA_11_HOME=/root/.sdkman/candidates/java/$JAVA_11_VERSION
-ENV JAVA_17_HOME=/root/.sdkman/candidates/java/$JAVA_17_VERSION
-ENV JAVA_21_HOME=/root/.sdkman/candidates/java/$JAVA_21_VERSION
+    sdk env install && \
+    sdk flush"
 
 RUN mkdir exploration-tests
 WORKDIR /exploration-tests
@@ -37,10 +23,13 @@ RUN bash -c "source $HOME/.sdkman/bin/sdkman-init.sh && cd jsoup && mvn verify -
 
 
 # Jackson
-#RUN git clone https://github.com/FasterXML/jackson-core.git
-#RUN bash -c "source $HOME/.sdkman/bin/sdkman-init.sh && cd jackson-core && ./mvnw dependency:resolve dependency:resolve-plugins"
-#RUN git clone https://github.com/FasterXML/jackson-databind.git
-#RUN bash -c "source $HOME/.sdkman/bin/sdkman-init.sh && cd jackson-databind && ./mvnw dependency:resolve dependency:resolve-plugins"
+RUN git clone -b 2.16 https://github.com/FasterXML/jackson-core.git
+COPY jackson-core_exploration-tests.patch .
+# fix tests that are failing because timeout
+RUN cd jackson-core && git apply /exploration-tests/jackson-core_exploration-tests.patch
+RUN bash -c "source $HOME/.sdkman/bin/sdkman-init.sh && cd jackson-core && mvn verify -DskipTests=true"
+RUN git clone -b 2.16 https://github.com/FasterXML/jackson-databind.git
+RUN bash -c "source $HOME/.sdkman/bin/sdkman-init.sh && cd jackson-databind && mvn verify -DskipTests=true"
 
 # Netty
 #RUN git clone https://github.com/netty/netty.git
diff --git a/dd-java-agent/agent-debugger/exploration-tests/exclude_jackson-databind.txt b/dd-java-agent/agent-debugger/exploration-tests/exclude_jackson-databind.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..87245fbc81e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dd-java-agent/agent-debugger/exploration-tests/exclude_jackson-databind.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+com/fasterxml/jackson/databind/BaseTest
+com/fasterxml/jackson/databind/type/TypeFactory
+
diff --git a/dd-java-agent/agent-debugger/exploration-tests/include_jackson-core.txt b/dd-java-agent/agent-debugger/exploration-tests/include_jackson-core.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..3387ac03287
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dd-java-agent/agent-debugger/exploration-tests/include_jackson-core.txt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+com/fasterxml/*
diff --git a/dd-java-agent/agent-debugger/exploration-tests/include_jackson-databind.txt b/dd-java-agent/agent-debugger/exploration-tests/include_jackson-databind.txt
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..3387ac03287
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dd-java-agent/agent-debugger/exploration-tests/include_jackson-databind.txt
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+com/fasterxml/*
diff --git a/dd-java-agent/agent-debugger/exploration-tests/jackson-core_exploration-tests.patch b/dd-java-agent/agent-debugger/exploration-tests/jackson-core_exploration-tests.patch
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..f438f2fb701
--- /dev/null
+++ b/dd-java-agent/agent-debugger/exploration-tests/jackson-core_exploration-tests.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+diff --git a/src/test/java/com/fasterxml/jackson/core/json/async/AsyncConcurrencyTest.java b/src/test/java/com/fasterxml/jackson/core/json/async/AsyncConcurrencyTest.java
+index 2f7957d1..7a8ea388 100644
+--- a/src/test/java/com/fasterxml/jackson/core/json/async/AsyncConcurrencyTest.java
++++ b/src/test/java/com/fasterxml/jackson/core/json/async/AsyncConcurrencyTest.java
+@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ public class AsyncConcurrencyTest extends AsyncTestBase
+             futures.add(executor.submit(c));
+         }
+         executor.shutdown();
+-        executor.awaitTermination(5, TimeUnit.SECONDS);
++        executor.awaitTermination(10, TimeUnit.SECONDS);
+         int count = errorCount.get();
+ 
+         if (count > 0) {