diff --git a/build.gradle b/build.gradle
index 37684452586d1..252d1ed553afa 100644
--- a/build.gradle
+++ b/build.gradle
@@ -426,8 +426,8 @@ gradle.projectsEvaluated {
 
         // Add Java Agent for security sandboxing
         if (!(project.path in [':build-tools', ":libs:agent-sm:bootstrap", ":libs:agent-sm:agent"])) {
-          dependsOn(project(':libs:agent-sm:agent').prepareAgent)
-          jvmArgs += ["-javaagent:" + project(':libs:agent-sm:agent').jar.archiveFile.get()]
+          dependsOn(project(':libs:agent-sm:agent').tasks.named('prepareAgent'))
+          jvmArgs += ["-javaagent:" + project(':libs:agent-sm:agent').tasks.named('jar').get().archiveFile.get()]
         }
         if (BuildParams.isInFipsJvm()) {
           def fipsSecurityFile = project.rootProject.file('distribution/src/config/fips_java.security')
diff --git a/buildSrc/build.gradle b/buildSrc/build.gradle
index eb090d37b4005..ab6b24c121381 100644
--- a/buildSrc/build.gradle
+++ b/buildSrc/build.gradle
@@ -291,6 +291,12 @@ if (project != rootProject) {
     suppressPomMetadataWarningsFor("testFixturesApiElements")
     suppressPomMetadataWarningsFor("testFixturesRuntimeElements")
   }
+
+  // Gradle 9.4 changed the default to enforce stricter validation. Disabling
+  // the validation for now and will follow up with a fix.
+  tasks.validatePlugins {
+    enableStricterValidation = false
+  }
 }
 
 // Define this here because we need it early. It uses VersionCatalogsExtension to extract all versions
diff --git a/distribution/archives/build.gradle b/distribution/archives/build.gradle
index c2d51f9d468da..72b0c1b277fe2 100644
--- a/distribution/archives/build.gradle
+++ b/distribution/archives/build.gradle
@@ -256,6 +256,6 @@ tasks.configureEach { t ->
 
 tasks.each {
   if (it.name.startsWith("build")) {
-    it.dependsOn project(':libs:agent-sm:agent').assemble
+    it.dependsOn project(':libs:agent-sm:agent').tasks.named('assemble')
   }
 }
diff --git a/distribution/build.gradle b/distribution/build.gradle
index 65cb518d92cec..8e9f4d4f48fd4 100644
--- a/distribution/build.gradle
+++ b/distribution/build.gradle
@@ -44,6 +44,8 @@ import java.nio.file.Path
 plugins {
   id 'base'
 }
+
+
 /*****************************************************************************
  *                  Third party dependencies report                          *
  *****************************************************************************/
@@ -320,6 +322,13 @@ configure(subprojects.findAll { ['archives', 'packages'].contains(it.name) }) {
         }
       }
     }
+    create('agent') {
+      canBeConsumed = false
+      canBeResolved = true
+      attributes {
+        attribute(Category.CATEGORY_ATTRIBUTE, objects.named(Category, 'agent-dist'))
+      }
+    }
   }
 
   dependencies {
@@ -333,6 +342,8 @@ configure(subprojects.findAll { ['archives', 'packages'].contains(it.name) }) {
     libsFipsInstallerCli project(path: ':distribution:tools:fips-demo-installer-cli')
 
     bcFips libs.bundles.bouncycastle
+
+    agent project(path: ':libs:agent-sm:agent', configuration: 'agentDist')
   }
 
   project.ext {
@@ -362,7 +373,7 @@ configure(subprojects.findAll { ['archives', 'packages'].contains(it.name) }) {
 
     agentFiles = {
       copySpec {
-        from(project(':libs:agent-sm:agent').prepareAgent) {
+        from(configurations.agent) {
           include '**/*.jar'
           exclude '**/*-javadoc.jar'
           exclude '**/*-sources.jar'
diff --git a/gradle/wrapper/gradle-wrapper.jar b/gradle/wrapper/gradle-wrapper.jar
index 1b33c55baabb5..f8e1ee3125fe0 100644
Binary files a/gradle/wrapper/gradle-wrapper.jar and b/gradle/wrapper/gradle-wrapper.jar differ
diff --git a/gradle/wrapper/gradle-wrapper.properties b/gradle/wrapper/gradle-wrapper.properties
index b267fcc69f8b5..6506bf0c3711e 100644
--- a/gradle/wrapper/gradle-wrapper.properties
+++ b/gradle/wrapper/gradle-wrapper.properties
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 distributionBase=GRADLE_USER_HOME
 distributionPath=wrapper/dists
-distributionUrl=https\://services.gradle.org/distributions/gradle-9.2.1-all.zip
+distributionUrl=https\://services.gradle.org/distributions/gradle-9.4.0-all.zip
 networkTimeout=10000
 validateDistributionUrl=true
 zipStoreBase=GRADLE_USER_HOME
 zipStorePath=wrapper/dists
-distributionSha256Sum=f86344275d1b194688dd330abf9f6f2344cd02872ffee035f2d1ea2fd60cf7f3
+distributionSha256Sum=b21468753cb43c167738ee04f10c706c46459cf8f8ae6ea132dc9ce589a261f2
diff --git a/libs/agent-sm/agent/build.gradle b/libs/agent-sm/agent/build.gradle
index c495067d45ebb..b88e30f631e06 100644
--- a/libs/agent-sm/agent/build.gradle
+++ b/libs/agent-sm/agent/build.gradle
@@ -7,6 +7,20 @@ base {
 
 configurations {
   bootstrap.extendsFrom(implementation)
+  agentDist {
+    canBeConsumed = true
+    canBeResolved = false
+    attributes {
+      attribute(Category.CATEGORY_ATTRIBUTE, objects.named(Category, 'agent-dist'))
+    }
+  }
+  agentJar {
+    canBeConsumed = true
+    canBeResolved = false
+    attributes {
+      attribute(Category.CATEGORY_ATTRIBUTE, objects.named(Category, 'agent-jar'))
+    }
+  }
 }
 
 dependencies {
@@ -53,6 +67,13 @@ task prepareAgent(type: Copy) {
   dependsOn jar
 }
 
+artifacts {
+  agentJar(jar)
+  agentDist(file("$buildDir/distributions")) {
+    builtBy prepareAgent
+  }
+}
+
 thirdPartyAudit {
   ignoreMissingClasses(
     'com.sun.jna.FunctionMapper',
diff --git a/plugins/repository-hdfs/build.gradle b/plugins/repository-hdfs/build.gradle
index 0b966b40d759b..943b1652c9c3c 100644
--- a/plugins/repository-hdfs/build.gradle
+++ b/plugins/repository-hdfs/build.gradle
@@ -51,6 +51,13 @@ testFixtures.useFixture ":test:fixtures:krb5kdc-fixture", "hdfs"
 
 configurations {
   hdfsFixture
+  agent {
+    canBeConsumed = false
+    canBeResolved = true
+    attributes {
+      attribute(Category.CATEGORY_ATTRIBUTE, objects.named(Category, 'agent-jar'))
+    }
+  }
 }
 
 dependencies {
@@ -88,6 +95,8 @@ dependencies {
   if (isEclipse == false) {
     testRuntimeOnly files(project(':test:fixtures:krb5kdc-fixture').ext.krb5Keytabs("hdfs", "hdfs_hdfs.build.opensearch.org.keytab").parent)
   }
+
+  agent project(path: ':libs:agent-sm:agent', configuration: 'agentJar')
 }
 
 restResources {
@@ -130,7 +139,7 @@ project(':test:fixtures:krb5kdc-fixture').tasks.preProcessFixture {
 // Create HDFS File System Testing Fixtures for HA/Secure combinations
 for (String fixtureName : ['hdfsFixture', 'haHdfsFixture', 'secureHdfsFixture', 'secureHaHdfsFixture']) {
   def tsk = tasks.register(fixtureName, org.opensearch.gradle.test.AntFixture) {
-    dependsOn configurations.hdfsFixture, project(':test:fixtures:krb5kdc-fixture').tasks.postProcessFixture, project(':libs:agent-sm:agent').prepareAgent
+    dependsOn configurations.hdfsFixture, project(':test:fixtures:krb5kdc-fixture').tasks.postProcessFixture, configurations.agent
     executable = "${BuildParams.runtimeJavaHome}/bin/java"
     env 'CLASSPATH', "${-> configurations.hdfsFixture.asPath}"
     maxWaitInSeconds = 60
@@ -140,10 +149,10 @@ for (String fixtureName : ['hdfsFixture', 'haHdfsFixture', 'secureHdfsFixture',
       // it's ready, so we can just wait for the file to exist
       return fixture.portsFile.exists()
     }
-    final List<String> miniHDFSArgs = []
+    final List miniHDFSArgs = []
 
     // See please https://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/HADOOP-19486
-    miniHDFSArgs.add("-javaagent:" + project(':libs:agent-sm:agent').jar.archiveFile.get())
+    miniHDFSArgs.add("-javaagent:${-> configurations.agent.incoming.artifactView({}).files.singleFile}")
 
     // If it's a secure fixture, then depend on Kerberos Fixture and principals + add the krb5conf to the JVM options
     if (fixtureName.equals('secureHdfsFixture') || fixtureName.equals('secureHaHdfsFixture')) {
diff --git a/test/framework/build.gradle b/test/framework/build.gradle
index 52fd8e7d670bd..5d46a169f6580 100644
--- a/test/framework/build.gradle
+++ b/test/framework/build.gradle
@@ -33,6 +33,16 @@ apply plugin: 'opensearch.build'
 apply plugin: 'opensearch.publish'
 apply from: "$rootDir/gradle/fips.gradle"
 
+configurations {
+  agent {
+    canBeConsumed = false
+    canBeResolved = true
+    attributes {
+      attribute(Category.CATEGORY_ATTRIBUTE, objects.named(Category, 'agent-jar'))
+    }
+  }
+}
+
 dependencies {
   api project(":client:rest")
   api project(":client:sniffer")
@@ -60,6 +70,8 @@ dependencies {
   compileOnly "com.github.spotbugs:spotbugs-annotations:4.9.8"
 
   annotationProcessor "org.apache.logging.log4j:log4j-core:${versions.log4j}"
+
+  agent project(path: ':libs:agent-sm:agent', configuration: 'agentJar')
 }
 
 compileJava.options.compilerArgs -= '-Xlint:cast'
@@ -105,8 +117,7 @@ test {
   systemProperty 'tests.gradle_wire_compat_versions', BuildParams.bwcVersions.wireCompatible.join(',')
   systemProperty 'tests.gradle_unreleased_versions', BuildParams.bwcVersions.unreleased.join(',')
 
-  dependsOn(project(':libs:agent-sm:agent').prepareAgent)
-  jvmArgs += ["-javaagent:" + project(':libs:agent-sm:agent').jar.archiveFile.get()]
+  jvmArgs += ["-javaagent:${-> configurations.agent.incoming.artifactView({}).files.singleFile}"]
 }
 
 tasks.register("integTest", Test) {