diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-common.yml b/.github/workflows/build-common.yml
index 75490653b..002becb24 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build-common.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-common.yml
@@ -18,6 +18,25 @@ permissions:
   contents: read
 
 jobs:
+  spotless:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@08c6903cd8c0fde910a37f88322edcfb5dd907a8 # v5.0.0
+
+      - name: Set up JDK for running Gradle
+        uses: actions/setup-java@c5195efecf7bdfc987ee8bae7a71cb8b11521c00 # v4.7.1
+        with:
+          distribution: temurin
+          java-version: 17
+
+      - name: Set up Gradle
+        uses: gradle/actions/setup-gradle@017a9effdb900e5b5b2fddfb590a105619dca3c3 # v4.4.2
+        with:
+          cache-read-only: ${{ inputs.cache-read-only }}
+
+      - name: Spotless
+        run: ./gradlew spotlessCheck ${{ inputs.no-build-cache && '--no-build-cache' || '' }}
+
   build:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
@@ -29,13 +48,13 @@ jobs:
           distribution: temurin
           java-version: 17
 
-      - name: Set up gradle
+      - name: Set up Gradle
         uses: gradle/actions/setup-gradle@017a9effdb900e5b5b2fddfb590a105619dca3c3 # v4.4.2
         with:
           cache-read-only: ${{ inputs.cache-read-only }}
 
-      - name: Gradle build and test
-        run: ./gradlew build -x test ${{ inputs.no-build-cache && '--no-build-cache' || '' }}
+      - name: Build
+        run: ./gradlew build -x spotlessCheck -x test ${{ inputs.no-build-cache && '--no-build-cache' || '' }}
 
   test:
     name: Test
@@ -44,8 +63,6 @@ jobs:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
         os:
-          - macos-latest
-          - macos-13
           - ubuntu-latest
           - windows-latest
         test-java-version:
@@ -54,18 +71,6 @@ jobs:
           - 17
           - 21
           - 24 # renovate: datasource=java-version
-        # macos-latest drops support for java 8 temurin. Run java 8 on macos-13. Run java 11, 17, 21 on macos-latest.
-        exclude:
-          - os: macos-latest
-            test-java-version: 8
-          - os: macos-13
-            test-java-version: 11
-          - os: macos-13
-            test-java-version: 17
-          - os: macos-13
-            test-java-version: 21
-          - os: macos-13
-            test-java-version: 24 # renovate: datasource=java-version
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@08c6903cd8c0fde910a37f88322edcfb5dd907a8 # v5.0.0
 
@@ -83,12 +88,12 @@ jobs:
           distribution: temurin
           java-version: 17
 
-      - name: Set up gradle
+      - name: Set up Gradle
         uses: gradle/actions/setup-gradle@017a9effdb900e5b5b2fddfb590a105619dca3c3 # v4.4.2
         with:
           cache-read-only: ${{ inputs.cache-read-only }}
 
-      - name: Gradle test
+      - name: Test
         run: >
           ./gradlew test
           "-PtestJavaVersion=${{ matrix.test-java-version }}"
@@ -108,7 +113,7 @@ jobs:
           distribution: temurin
           java-version: 17
 
-      - name: Set up gradle
+      - name: Set up Gradle
         uses: gradle/actions/setup-gradle@017a9effdb900e5b5b2fddfb590a105619dca3c3 # v4.4.2
         with:
           cache-read-only: ${{ inputs.cache-read-only }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/build.yml b/.github/workflows/build.yml
index b93eceaea..558f3804f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build.yml
@@ -21,6 +21,8 @@ jobs:
     needs:
       - common
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    # skipping release branches because the versions in those branches are not snapshots
+    if: github.ref_name == 'main' && github.repository == 'open-telemetry/opentelemetry-java-contrib'
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@08c6903cd8c0fde910a37f88322edcfb5dd907a8 # v5.0.0
 
diff --git a/.github/workflows/codeql.yml b/.github/workflows/codeql.yml
index 0ff8fbe7a..61b90c7f0 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/codeql.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/codeql.yml
@@ -1,10 +1,6 @@
 name: CodeQL
 
 on:
-  push:
-    branches:
-      - main
-      - release/*
   pull_request:
     branches:
       - main
@@ -15,6 +11,10 @@ on:
   # - https://github.com/github/codeql-action/issues/1537
   # - https://github.com/github/codeql-action/issues/2691
   # merge_group:
+  push:
+    branches:
+      - main
+      - release/*
   schedule:
     - cron: "29 13 * * 2"  # weekly at 13:29 UTC on Tuesday
 
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index 7d9f1827f..ba27da1d4 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -11,59 +11,15 @@ permissions:
   contents: read
 
 jobs:
-  build:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    steps:
-      - uses: actions/checkout@08c6903cd8c0fde910a37f88322edcfb5dd907a8 # v5.0.0
-
-      - name: Set up JDK for running Gradle
-        uses: actions/setup-java@dded0888837ed1f317902acf8a20df0ad188d165 # v5.0.0
-        with:
-          distribution: temurin
-          java-version: 17
-
-      - name: Set up gradle
-        uses: gradle/actions/setup-gradle@017a9effdb900e5b5b2fddfb590a105619dca3c3 # v4.4.2
-      - name: Gradle build
-        run: ./gradlew build
-
-      - uses: actions/upload-artifact@ea165f8d65b6e75b540449e92b4886f43607fa02 # v4.6.2
-        name: Save unit test results
-        if: always()
-        with:
-          name: test-results
-          path: jmx-metrics/build/reports/tests/test
-
-  integration-test:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    steps:
-      - uses: actions/checkout@08c6903cd8c0fde910a37f88322edcfb5dd907a8 # v5.0.0
-
-      - name: Set up JDK for running Gradle
-        uses: actions/setup-java@dded0888837ed1f317902acf8a20df0ad188d165 # v5.0.0
-        with:
-          distribution: temurin
-          java-version: 17
-
-      - name: Set up gradle
-        uses: gradle/actions/setup-gradle@017a9effdb900e5b5b2fddfb590a105619dca3c3 # v4.4.2
-      - name: Integration test
-        run: ./gradlew integrationTest
-
-      - uses: actions/upload-artifact@ea165f8d65b6e75b540449e92b4886f43607fa02 # v4.6.2
-        name: Save integration test results
-        if: always()
-        with:
-          name: integration-test-results
-          path: jmx-metrics/build/reports/tests/integrationTest
+  common:
+    uses: ./.github/workflows/build-common.yml
 
   release:
     permissions:
       contents: write # for creating the release
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     needs:
-      - build
-      - integration-test
+      - common
     outputs:
       version: ${{ steps.create-github-release.outputs.version }}
     steps: