diff --git a/settings.gradle.kts b/settings.gradle.kts
index 52d6bafdd8a1..a591fce2891e 100644
--- a/settings.gradle.kts
+++ b/settings.gradle.kts
@@ -28,23 +28,6 @@ dependencyResolutionManagement {
     mavenCentral()
     mavenLocal()
   }
-
-  versionCatalogs {
-    fun addSpringBootCatalog(name: String, minVersion: String, maxVersion: String) {
-      val latestDepTest = gradle.startParameter.projectProperties["testLatestDeps"] == "true"
-      create(name) {
-        val version =
-          gradle.startParameter.projectProperties["${name}Version"]
-            ?: (if (latestDepTest) maxVersion else minVersion)
-        plugin("versions", "org.springframework.boot").version(version)
-      }
-    }
-    // r2dbc is not compatible with earlier versions
-    addSpringBootCatalog("springBoot2", "2.6.15", "2.+")
-    // spring boot 3.0 is not compatible with graalvm native image
-    addSpringBootCatalog("springBoot31", "3.1.0", "3.+")
-    addSpringBootCatalog("springBoot32", "3.2.0", "3.+")
-  }
 }
 
 develocity {
diff --git a/smoke-tests-otel-starter/spring-boot-2/build.gradle.kts b/smoke-tests-otel-starter/spring-boot-2/build.gradle.kts
index 9fe628dd698b..7938b6b023fe 100644
--- a/smoke-tests-otel-starter/spring-boot-2/build.gradle.kts
+++ b/smoke-tests-otel-starter/spring-boot-2/build.gradle.kts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 plugins {
   id("otel.java-conventions")
-  alias(springBoot2.plugins.versions)
+  id("org.springframework.boot") version "3.5.4"
 }
 
 description = "smoke-tests-otel-starter-spring-boot-2"
@@ -13,7 +13,8 @@ dependencies {
   implementation("org.springframework.kafka:spring-kafka")
   implementation("org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-starter-data-mongodb")
   implementation("org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-starter-aop")
-  implementation(platform(org.springframework.boot.gradle.plugin.SpringBootPlugin.BOM_COORDINATES))
+  val testLatestDeps = gradle.startParameter.projectProperties["testLatestDeps"] == "true"
+  implementation(platform("org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-dependencies:" + if (testLatestDeps) "2.+" else "2.6.15"))
 
   implementation(project(":smoke-tests-otel-starter:spring-boot-common"))
 
diff --git a/smoke-tests-otel-starter/spring-boot-3.2/build.gradle.kts b/smoke-tests-otel-starter/spring-boot-3.2/build.gradle.kts
index 0f1ccf155b0a..977892aae219 100644
--- a/smoke-tests-otel-starter/spring-boot-3.2/build.gradle.kts
+++ b/smoke-tests-otel-starter/spring-boot-3.2/build.gradle.kts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 plugins {
   id("otel.java-conventions")
-  alias(springBoot32.plugins.versions)
+  id("org.springframework.boot") version "3.5.4"
   id("org.graalvm.buildtools.native")
 }
 
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@ otelJava {
   minJavaVersionSupported.set(JavaVersion.VERSION_17)
 }
 
+val testLatestDeps = gradle.startParameter.projectProperties["testLatestDeps"] == "true"
+
 dependencies {
   implementation("org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-starter-web")
   implementation("org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-starter-data-jdbc")
@@ -18,12 +20,11 @@ dependencies {
   implementation("org.springframework.kafka:spring-kafka")
   implementation("org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-starter-data-mongodb")
   implementation("org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-starter-aop")
-  implementation(platform(org.springframework.boot.gradle.plugin.SpringBootPlugin.BOM_COORDINATES))
+  implementation(platform("org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-dependencies:" + if (testLatestDeps) "3.+" else "3.2.0"))
 
   implementation(project(":smoke-tests-otel-starter:spring-boot-common"))
   testImplementation("org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-starter-test")
 
-  val testLatestDeps = gradle.startParameter.projectProperties["testLatestDeps"] == "true"
   if (testLatestDeps) {
     // with spring boot 3.5.0 versions of org.mongodb:mongodb-driver-sync and org.mongodb:mongodb-driver-core
     // are not in sync
diff --git a/smoke-tests-otel-starter/spring-boot-3/build.gradle.kts b/smoke-tests-otel-starter/spring-boot-3/build.gradle.kts
index 1b7b865e7b7d..cc0aad3e957e 100644
--- a/smoke-tests-otel-starter/spring-boot-3/build.gradle.kts
+++ b/smoke-tests-otel-starter/spring-boot-3/build.gradle.kts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 plugins {
   id("otel.java-conventions")
-  alias(springBoot31.plugins.versions)
+  id("org.springframework.boot") version "3.5.4"
   id("org.graalvm.buildtools.native")
 }
 
@@ -10,6 +10,8 @@ otelJava {
   minJavaVersionSupported.set(JavaVersion.VERSION_17)
 }
 
+val testLatestDeps = gradle.startParameter.projectProperties["testLatestDeps"] == "true"
+
 dependencies {
   implementation("org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-starter-web")
   implementation("org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-starter-data-jdbc")
@@ -18,7 +20,7 @@ dependencies {
   implementation("org.springframework.kafka:spring-kafka")
   implementation("org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-starter-data-mongodb")
   implementation("org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-starter-aop")
-  implementation(platform(org.springframework.boot.gradle.plugin.SpringBootPlugin.BOM_COORDINATES))
+  implementation(platform("org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-dependencies:" + if (testLatestDeps) "3.1.+" else "3.1.0"))
 
   implementation(project(":smoke-tests-otel-starter:spring-boot-common"))
   testImplementation("org.testcontainers:junit-jupiter")
@@ -26,7 +28,6 @@ dependencies {
   testImplementation("org.testcontainers:mongodb")
   testImplementation("org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-starter-test")
 
-  val testLatestDeps = gradle.startParameter.projectProperties["testLatestDeps"] == "true"
   if (testLatestDeps) {
     // with spring boot 3.5.0 versions of org.mongodb:mongodb-driver-sync and org.mongodb:mongodb-driver-core
     // are not in sync
diff --git a/smoke-tests-otel-starter/spring-boot-reactive-2/build.gradle.kts b/smoke-tests-otel-starter/spring-boot-reactive-2/build.gradle.kts
index 83a9d245567c..c8632879c58f 100644
--- a/smoke-tests-otel-starter/spring-boot-reactive-2/build.gradle.kts
+++ b/smoke-tests-otel-starter/spring-boot-reactive-2/build.gradle.kts
@@ -1,13 +1,14 @@
 plugins {
   id("otel.java-conventions")
-  alias(springBoot2.plugins.versions)
+  id("org.springframework.boot") version "3.5.4"
 }
 
 description = "smoke-tests-otel-starter-spring-boot-reactive-2"
 
 dependencies {
   implementation(project(":instrumentation:spring:starters:spring-boot-starter"))
-  implementation(platform(org.springframework.boot.gradle.plugin.SpringBootPlugin.BOM_COORDINATES))
+  val testLatestDeps = gradle.startParameter.projectProperties["testLatestDeps"] == "true"
+  implementation(platform("org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-dependencies:" + if (testLatestDeps) "2.+" else "2.6.15"))
 
   implementation(project(":smoke-tests-otel-starter:spring-boot-reactive-common"))
   implementation("org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-starter-webflux")
diff --git a/smoke-tests-otel-starter/spring-boot-reactive-3/build.gradle.kts b/smoke-tests-otel-starter/spring-boot-reactive-3/build.gradle.kts
index 64049fbe61fb..500b9d393423 100644
--- a/smoke-tests-otel-starter/spring-boot-reactive-3/build.gradle.kts
+++ b/smoke-tests-otel-starter/spring-boot-reactive-3/build.gradle.kts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 plugins {
   id("otel.java-conventions")
-  alias(springBoot31.plugins.versions)
+  id("org.springframework.boot") version "3.5.4"
   id("org.graalvm.buildtools.native")
 }
 
@@ -12,7 +12,8 @@ otelJava {
 
 dependencies {
   implementation(project(":instrumentation:spring:starters:spring-boot-starter"))
-  implementation(platform(org.springframework.boot.gradle.plugin.SpringBootPlugin.BOM_COORDINATES))
+  val testLatestDeps = gradle.startParameter.projectProperties["testLatestDeps"] == "true"
+  implementation(platform("org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-dependencies:" + if (testLatestDeps) "3.+" else "3.1.0"))
 
   implementation(project(":smoke-tests-otel-starter:spring-boot-reactive-common"))
   implementation("org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-starter-webflux")