diff --git a/.release/.gitignore b/.release/.gitignore
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..cdd9a17d6b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.release/.gitignore
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+# The folder into which we checkout our release scripts into
+*
+!.gitignore
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/ci/release/Jenkinsfile b/ci/release/Jenkinsfile
index 54302f7088..655978ba62 100644
--- a/ci/release/Jenkinsfile
+++ b/ci/release/Jenkinsfile
@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@ pipeline {
 
 					def releaseVersion = Version.parseReleaseVersion(params.RELEASE_VERSION)
 					def developmentVersion = Version.parseDevelopmentVersion(params.DEVELOPMENT_VERSION)
+					env.JRELEASER_DRY_RUN = params.RELEASE_DRY_RUN
 					echo "Performing full release for version ${releaseVersion.toString()}"
 
 					withMaven(mavenSettingsConfig: params.RELEASE_DRY_RUN ? null : 'ci-hibernate.deploy.settings.maven',
@@ -78,14 +79,21 @@ pipeline {
 											configFile(fileId: 'release.config.ssh.knownhosts', targetLocation: env.HOME + '/.ssh/known_hosts')]) {
 							// using MAVEN_GPG_PASSPHRASE (the default env variable name for passphrase in maven gpg plugin)
 							withCredentials([file(credentialsId: 'release.gpg.private-key', variable: 'RELEASE_GPG_PRIVATE_KEY_PATH'),
-											 string(credentialsId: 'release.gpg.passphrase', variable: 'MAVEN_GPG_PASSPHRASE'),
-											 usernamePassword(credentialsId: 'gradle-plugin-portal-api-key', passwordVariable: 'GRADLE_PUBLISH_SECRET', usernameVariable: 'GRADLE_PUBLISH_KEY')]) {
+											 string(credentialsId: 'release.gpg.passphrase', variable: 'JRELEASER_GPG_PASSPHRASE'),
+											 // TODO: Once we switch to maven-central publishing (from nexus2) we need to add a new credentials
+											 //  to use the following env variable names to set the user/password:
+											 //  JRELEASER_MAVENCENTRAL_USERNAME
+											 //  JRELEASER_MAVENCENTRAL_TOKEN
+											 usernamePassword(credentialsId: 'ossrh.sonatype.org', passwordVariable: 'JRELEASER_NEXUS2_PASSWORD', usernameVariable: 'JRELEASER_NEXUS2_USERNAME'),
+											 usernamePassword(credentialsId: 'gradle-plugin-portal-api-key', passwordVariable: 'GRADLE_PUBLISH_SECRET', usernameVariable: 'GRADLE_PUBLISH_KEY'),
+											 string(credentialsId: 'Hibernate-CI.github.com', variable: 'JRELEASER_GITHUB_TOKEN')]) {
 								sshagent(['ed25519.Hibernate-CI.github.com', 'hibernate.filemgmt.jboss.org', 'hibernate-ci.frs.sourceforge.net']) {
 									sh 'cat $HOME/.ssh/config'
-									sh 'git clone https://github.com/hibernate/hibernate-release-scripts.git'
-									env.RELEASE_GPG_HOMEDIR = env.WORKSPACE_TMP + '/.gpg'
+									dir('.release/scripts') {
+										sh 'git clone https://github.com/hibernate/hibernate-release-scripts.git .'
+									}
 									sh """
-										bash -xe hibernate-release-scripts/release.sh ${params.RELEASE_DRY_RUN ? '-d' : ''} \
+										bash -xe .release/scripts/release.sh -j ${params.RELEASE_DRY_RUN ? '-d' : ''} \
 												tools ${releaseVersion.toString()} ${developmentVersion.toString()}
 									"""
 								}
diff --git a/gradle/plugin/build.gradle b/gradle/plugin/build.gradle
index 5b9bee61c0..961fef9fd3 100644
--- a/gradle/plugin/build.gradle
+++ b/gradle/plugin/build.gradle
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ plugins {
 }
 
 group = 'org.hibernate.tool'
+project.description = 'Gradle plugin to provide hibernate-tools reverse engineering and code/schema generation abilities.'
 
 java {
     toolchain {
@@ -54,7 +55,7 @@ gradlePlugin {
             id = 'org.hibernate.tool.hibernate-tools-gradle'
             implementationClass = 'org.hibernate.tool.gradle.Plugin'
             displayName = 'Hibernate Tools Gradle Plugin'
-            description = 'Gradle plugin to provide hibernate-tools reverse engineering and code/schema generation abilities.'
+            description = project.description
             tags = ['hibernate','tools','reverse engineering','reveng','generation']
         }
     }
@@ -83,3 +84,68 @@ tasks.named('check') {
 tasks.named('test') {
     useJUnitPlatform()
 }
+
+publishing {
+    publications {
+        pluginMaven(MavenPublication) {
+            pom {
+                name = project.name
+                groupId = 'org.hibernate.tool'
+                artifactId = project.name
+                version = project.version
+
+                description = project.description
+                url = 'https://hibernate.org/tools'
+
+                organization {
+                    name = 'Hibernate.org'
+                    url = 'https://hibernate.org'
+                }
+
+                licenses {
+                    license {
+                        name = 'Apache License, version 2.0'
+                        url = 'https://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0'
+                    }
+                }
+
+                scm {
+                    url = 'https://github.com/hibernate/hibernate-tools'
+                    connection = 'scm:git:https://github.com/hibernate/hibernate-tools.git'
+                    developerConnection = 'scm:git:git@github.com:hibernate/hibernate-tools.git'
+                }
+
+                developers {
+                    developer {
+                        id = 'maxandersen'
+                        name = 'Max Andersen'
+                        email = 'max@hibernate.org'
+                        url = 'https://in.relation.to/Bloggers/Max'
+                    }
+                    developer {
+                        id = 'koentsje'
+                        name = 'Koen Aers'
+                        email = 'koen@hibernate.org'
+                        url = 'https://koentsje.blogspot.be'
+                    }
+                }
+
+                issueManagement {
+                    system = 'jira'
+                    url = 'https://hibernate.atlassian.net/browse/HBX'
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    repositories {
+        maven {
+            name = "staging"
+            var mavenPath = findProperty("mavenStagingDirectory")
+            if (mavenPath == null) {
+                url = rootProject.layout.buildDirectory.dir("staging-deploy${File.separator}maven")
+            } else {
+                url = URI.create(mavenPath).toURL()
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/gradle/pom.xml b/gradle/pom.xml
index fabfbfe4bf..9abab9a5ec 100644
--- a/gradle/pom.xml
+++ b/gradle/pom.xml
@@ -53,6 +53,14 @@
 
    <build>
       <plugins>
+          <!-- Maven deploy is skipped on purpose as Gradle build will stage the artifact itself. -->
+          <plugin>
+              <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
+              <artifactId>maven-deploy-plugin</artifactId>
+              <configuration>
+                  <skip>true</skip>
+              </configuration>
+          </plugin>
         <!-- execute Gradle command -->
         <plugin>
             <groupId>org.codehaus.mojo</groupId>
@@ -76,28 +84,6 @@
                     </execution>
                 </executions>
 		 </plugin>
-         <!-- As the artifact is built by Gradle, we attach it with the helper plugin so that it gets published: -->
-         <plugin>
-             <groupId>org.codehaus.mojo</groupId>
-             <artifactId>build-helper-maven-plugin</artifactId>
-             <executions>
-                 <execution>
-                     <id>attach-artifacts</id>
-                     <phase>package</phase>
-                     <goals>
-                         <goal>attach-artifact</goal>
-                     </goals>
-                     <configuration>
-                         <artifacts>
-                             <artifact>
-                                 <file>${project.basedir}/plugin/build/libs/${project.artifactId}-${project.version}.jar</file>
-                                 <type>jar</type>
-                             </artifact>
-                         </artifacts>
-                     </configuration>
-                 </execution>
-             </executions>
-         </plugin>
       </plugins>
    </build>
 
@@ -123,8 +109,10 @@
                                     <executable>${gradle.executable}</executable>
                                     <arguments>
                                         <argument>publishPlugins</argument>
+                                        <argument>publishPluginMavenPublicationToStagingRepository</argument>
                                         <argument>-Pversion=${project.version}</argument>
                                         <argument>-Dmaven.repo.local=${settings.localRepository}</argument>
+                                        <argument>-PmavenStagingDirectory=${local.staging.releases.repo.url}</argument>
                                     </arguments>
                                 </configuration>
                                 <goals>
diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index 8e2fde93f1..eeec3ce5e8 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -105,7 +105,6 @@
 
         <!-- Plugins not managed by the JBoss parent POM: -->
         <maven-wrapper-plugin.version>3.3.2</maven-wrapper-plugin.version>
-        <nexus-staging.plugin.version>1.7.0</nexus-staging.plugin.version>
         <flatten-maven-plugin.version>1.7.0</flatten-maven-plugin.version>
 
         <!--
@@ -113,13 +112,13 @@
             Specific modules will override the setting at their own level.
         -->
         <deploy.skip>true</deploy.skip>
-        <maven-deploy-plugin.skip>true</maven-deploy-plugin.skip>
 
         <!-- Repository Deployment URLs -->
-        <ossrh.releases.repo.id>ossrh</ossrh.releases.repo.id>
-        <ossrh.releases.repo.name>Sonatype OSSRH Releases</ossrh.releases.repo.name>
-        <ossrh.releases.repo.url>https://oss.sonatype.org/service/local/staging/deploy/maven2</ossrh.releases.repo.url>
-        <ossrh.releases.repo.baseUrl>https://oss.sonatype.org</ossrh.releases.repo.baseUrl>
+
+        <!-- We always publish to a local directory, JReleaser is supposed to take care of publishing to Nexus: -->
+        <local.staging.releases.repo.id>staging-deploy</local.staging.releases.repo.id>
+        <local.staging.releases.repo.name>Local Staging Directory Releases Repository</local.staging.releases.repo.name>
+        <local.staging.releases.repo.url>file:${maven.multiModuleProjectDirectory}/target/staging-deploy/maven</local.staging.releases.repo.url>
         <ossrh.snapshots.repo.id>ossrh</ossrh.snapshots.repo.id>
         <ossrh.snapshots.repo.name>Sonatype OSSRH Snapshots</ossrh.snapshots.repo.name>
         <ossrh.snapshots.repo.url>https://oss.sonatype.org/content/repositories/snapshots</ossrh.snapshots.repo.url>
@@ -253,9 +252,9 @@
 
     <distributionManagement>
       <repository>
-        <id>${ossrh.releases.repo.id}</id>
-        <name>${ossrh.releases.repo.name}</name>
-        <url>${ossrh.releases.repo.url}</url>
+        <id>${local.staging.releases.repo.id}</id>
+        <name>${local.staging.releases.repo.name}</name>
+        <url>${local.staging.releases.repo.url}</url>
       </repository>
       <snapshotRepository>
         <id>${ossrh.snapshots.repo.id}</id>
@@ -276,39 +275,6 @@
                         <distributionType>bin</distributionType>
                     </configuration>
                 </plugin>
-                <!-- Published artifacts have to be signed: -->
-                <plugin>
-                    <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
-                    <artifactId>maven-gpg-plugin</artifactId>
-                    <executions>
-                        <execution>
-                            <id>sign-artifacts</id>
-                            <phase>verify</phase>
-                            <goals>
-                                <goal>sign</goal>
-                            </goals>
-                            <configuration>
-                                <skip>${deploy.skip}</skip>
-                                <homedir>${env.RELEASE_GPG_HOMEDIR}</homedir>
-                            </configuration>
-                        </execution>
-                    </executions>
-                </plugin>
-                <plugin>
-                    <groupId>org.sonatype.plugins</groupId>
-                    <artifactId>nexus-staging-maven-plugin</artifactId>
-                    <version>${nexus-staging.plugin.version}</version>
-                    <extensions>false</extensions><!-- This is essential: do not put true here -->
-                    <configuration>
-                        <skipNexusStagingDeployMojo>${deploy.skip}</skipNexusStagingDeployMojo>
-                        <serverId>${ossrh.releases.repo.id}</serverId>
-                        <!-- The following, by default, is only used for actual releases, not for snapshot deployments -->
-                        <nexusUrl>${ossrh.releases.repo.baseUrl}</nexusUrl>
-                        <!-- oss.sonatype.org has been very slow when closing repositories lately;
-                             let's raise the timeout until we switch to s01.sonatype.org -->
-                        <stagingProgressTimeoutMinutes>60</stagingProgressTimeoutMinutes>
-                    </configuration>
-                </plugin>
                 <plugin>
                     <groupId>org.codehaus.mojo</groupId>
                     <artifactId>flatten-maven-plugin</artifactId>
@@ -339,30 +305,9 @@
                 <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
                 <artifactId>maven-deploy-plugin</artifactId>
                 <configuration>
-                    <skip>${maven-deploy-plugin.skip}</skip>
+                    <skip>${deploy.skip}</skip>
                 </configuration>
             </plugin>
-            <!--
-                 Configure the nexus-staging-maven-plugin explicitly (without <extension>true</extension>)
-                 in order to work around a problem in the "reports" module (see that module's POM for more info).
-             -->
-            <plugin>
-                <groupId>org.sonatype.plugins</groupId>
-                <artifactId>nexus-staging-maven-plugin</artifactId>
-                <executions>
-                    <execution>
-                        <id>default-deploy</id>
-                        <phase>deploy</phase>
-                        <goals>
-                            <!--
-                                This will only put artifacts in a staging directory.
-                                See the "reports" module for actual deployment, at the end of the build.
-                             -->
-                            <goal>deploy</goal>
-                        </goals>
-                    </execution>
-                </executions>
-            </plugin>
             <plugin>
                 <groupId>org.codehaus.mojo</groupId>
                 <artifactId>flatten-maven-plugin</artifactId>
@@ -392,44 +337,4 @@
             </plugin>
         </plugins>
     </build>
-
-    <profiles>
-        <profile>
-            <id>release</id>
-            <activation>
-                <property>
-                    <name>performRelease</name>
-                    <value>true</value>
-                </property>
-            </activation>
-            <build>
-                <plugins>
-                    <plugin>
-                        <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
-                        <artifactId>maven-gpg-plugin</artifactId>
-                    </plugin>
-                </plugins>
-            </build>
-        </profile>
-
-        <!--
-             WARNING: this MUST be the very last profile,
-             so that the "report" module is the very last module,
-             in particular when deploying artifacts to a Nexus repository.
-             See the "build/reports" module POM for more information.
-         -->
-        <profile>
-            <id>build-reports-as-last-module</id>
-            <activation>
-                <property>
-                    <name>!some.property.that.will.never.exist</name>
-                </property>
-            </activation>
-            <modules>
-                <module>reports</module>
-            </modules>
-        </profile>
-
-        <!-- DO NOT ADD ANY PROFILE AFTER THIS: see above -->
-    </profiles>
 </project>
diff --git a/reports/pom.xml b/reports/pom.xml
deleted file mode 100644
index bb4929c224..0000000000
--- a/reports/pom.xml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,100 +0,0 @@
-<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
-<!--
-  ~ Copyright 2024 - 2025 Red Hat, Inc.
-  ~
-  ~ 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.
-  -->
-<project xmlns="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
-         xsi:schemaLocation="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0 http://maven.apache.org/xsd/maven-4.0.0.xsd">
-    <modelVersion>4.0.0</modelVersion>
-    <parent>
-        <groupId>org.hibernate.tool</groupId>
-        <artifactId>hibernate-tools-parent</artifactId>
-        <version>7.0.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
-    </parent>
-    <artifactId>hibernate-tools-reports</artifactId>
-
-    <name>Hibernate Tools Reports</name>
-    <description>Hibernate Tools build reports</description>
-    <packaging>pom</packaging>
-
-    <dependencies>
-        <dependency>
-            <groupId>org.hibernate.tool</groupId>
-            <artifactId>hibernate-tools-utils</artifactId>
-            <version>${project.version}</version>
-        </dependency>
-        <dependency>
-            <groupId>org.hibernate.tool</groupId>
-            <artifactId>hibernate-tools-orm</artifactId>
-            <version>${project.version}</version>
-        </dependency>
-        <dependency>
-            <groupId>org.hibernate.tool</groupId>
-            <artifactId>hibernate-tools-orm-jbt</artifactId>
-            <version>${project.version}</version>
-        </dependency>
-        <dependency>
-            <groupId>org.hibernate.tool</groupId>
-            <artifactId>hibernate-tools-maven</artifactId>
-            <version>${project.version}</version>
-        </dependency>
-        <dependency>
-            <groupId>org.hibernate.tool</groupId>
-            <artifactId>hibernate-tools-gradle</artifactId>
-            <version>${project.version}</version>
-        </dependency>
-        <dependency>
-            <groupId>org.hibernate.tool</groupId>
-            <artifactId>hibernate-tools-ant</artifactId>
-            <version>${project.version}</version>
-        </dependency>
-    </dependencies>
-
-    <build>
-        <plugins>
-            <!--
-                Hack to deploy in the "reports" module without deploying the "reports" module itself.
-                The default lifecycle bindings of the plugin is to "stage locally" every artifact throughout
-                the maven execution, and only actually deploy the "locally staged" artifacts
-                in the very last executed module, which happens to be this "reports" module.
-                However, this "reports" module does not generate any artifact we want to deploy.
-                Thus, we'd like to prevent even its POM from being deployed: just deploy the "locally staged" artifacts,
-                without adding the POM from the "reports" module to these artifacts.
-                The default lifecycle bindings of the plugin does not offer a configuration option to do that,
-                so we have to explicitly bind it
-             -->
-            <plugin>
-                <groupId>org.sonatype.plugins</groupId>
-                <artifactId>nexus-staging-maven-plugin</artifactId>
-                <extensions>false</extensions>
-                <!-- The <configuration> element is inherited from the parent module. -->
-                <executions>
-                    <!-- Skip the default deployment, as explained above we don't want it. -->
-                    <execution>
-                        <id>default-deploy</id>
-                        <phase>none</phase>
-                    </execution>
-                    <!-- ... but execute the deferred deployment for the other modules -->
-                    <execution>
-                        <id>deferred-deploy</id>
-                        <phase>deploy</phase>
-                        <goals>
-                            <goal>deploy-staged</goal>
-                        </goals>
-                    </execution>
-                </executions>
-            </plugin>
-        </plugins>
-    </build>
-</project>