diff --git a/.github/dependabot.yml b/.github/dependabot.yml
index c11f1d976..0de94a267 100644
--- a/.github/dependabot.yml
+++ b/.github/dependabot.yml
@@ -20,6 +20,20 @@ updates:
       update-types:
         - "patch"
         - "minor"
+     confluent-minor-patch-dependencies:
+      patterns:
+        - "io.confluent:*"
+        - "org.apache.kafka:*"
+      # We will handle major upgrades manually
+      update-types:
+        - "patch"
+        - "minor" 
+     confluent-major-dependencies:
+      patterns:
+        - "io.confluent:*"
+        - "org.apache.kafka:*"
+      update-types:
+        - "major" 
     other-dependencies:
       patterns:
         - "*"
diff --git a/gradle/libs.versions.toml b/gradle/libs.versions.toml
index 3d89934dc..f28a270c1 100644
--- a/gradle/libs.versions.toml
+++ b/gradle/libs.versions.toml
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ apache-commons-compress = '1.26.0'
 assertj = '3.25.3'
 avro = '1.11.4'
 byte-buddy = '1.14.19'
-confluent = '7.9.0'
+confluent = '8.0.0'
 confluent-ccs = '7.9.0-ccs'
 
 mapstruct = '1.6.2'