diff --git a/.github/renovate.json5 b/.github/renovate.json5
index b34c1ce25729..5402fa6b74ba 100644
--- a/.github/renovate.json5
+++ b/.github/renovate.json5
@@ -7,11 +7,6 @@
   ignorePaths: [
     'instrumentation/**',
   ],
-  // needed in order to get patch-only updates in package rules below
-  // unfortunately you can't combine updateTypes and separateMinorPatch in the same package rule
-  // so we have to apply it globally here, see
-  // https://github.com/renovatebot/renovate/discussions/8399#discussioncomment-305798
-  separateMinorPatch: true,
   packageRules: [
     {
       // this is to reduce the number of renovate PRs
@@ -23,7 +18,6 @@
         'schedule:weekly',
       ],
       groupName: 'weekly update',
-      separateMinorPatch: false,  // overrides separateMinorPatch specified above
     },
     {
       matchPackageNames: [
@@ -151,11 +145,7 @@
       matchPackageNames: [
         'uk.org.webcompere:system-stubs-jupiter',
       ],
-      matchUpdateTypes: [
-        'major',
-        'minor',
-      ],
-      enabled: false,
+      allowedVersions: '/^2\.0\./',
     },
     {
       // wiremock 3+ requires Java 11+
@@ -226,11 +216,7 @@
       matchPackageNames: [
         'ch.qos.logback:**',
       ],
-      matchUpdateTypes: [
-        'major',
-        'minor',
-      ],
-      enabled: false,
+      allowedVersions: '/^1\.2\./',
     },
     {
       // intentionally using slf4j 1 in this smoke tests
@@ -261,18 +247,26 @@
       ],
     },
     {
-      // intentionally aligning both netty 4.0 and 4.1 version in this convention
+      // intentionally aligning netty 4.0 versions in this convention
       matchFileNames: [
         'conventions/src/main/kotlin/otel.java-conventions.gradle.kts',
       ],
       matchPackageNames: [
         'io.netty:netty-bom',
       ],
-      matchUpdateTypes: [
-        'major',
-        'minor',
+      matchCurrentVersion: '/^4\\.0\\./',
+      allowedVersions: '/^4\\.0\\./',
+    },
+    {
+      // intentionally aligning netty 4.1 versions in this convention
+      matchFileNames: [
+        'conventions/src/main/kotlin/otel.java-conventions.gradle.kts',
       ],
-      enabled: false,
+      matchPackageNames: [
+        'io.netty:netty-bom',
+      ],
+      matchCurrentVersion: '/^4\\.1\\./',
+      allowedVersions: '/^4\\.1\\./',
     },
     {
       // intentionally using scala 2.11 in otel.scala-conventions.gradle.kts
@@ -282,11 +276,7 @@
       matchPackageNames: [
         'org.scala-lang:scala-library',
       ],
-      matchUpdateTypes: [
-        'major',
-        'minor',
-      ],
-      enabled: false,
+      allowedVersions: '/^2\.11\./',
     },
     {
       // intentionally testing against specific major Java versions
@@ -327,14 +317,10 @@
       matchFileNames: [
         'dependencyManagement/build.gradle.kts',
       ],
-      matchUpdateTypes: [
-        'major',
-        'minor',
-      ],
-      enabled: false,
       matchPackageNames: [
         'ch.qos.logback:**',
       ],
+      allowedVersions: '/^1\.3\./',
     },
     {
       // intentionally using Spring Boot 2 in dependency management (for Java 8 support)