diff --git a/.github/workflows/_publish-code.yml b/.github/workflows/_publish-code.yml
index 930639544..33a083534 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/_publish-code.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/_publish-code.yml
@@ -19,23 +19,15 @@ jobs:
           cat <(echo -e "${{ secrets.OSSRH_GPG_SECRET_KEY }}") | gpg --batch --import
           gpg --list-secret-keys --keyid-format LONG
 
-      - name: Set up Maven Central Repository
+      - name: Set up JDK
         uses: actions/setup-java@v4
         with:
           java-version: "8"
           distribution: "adopt"
-          server-id: ossrh
-          server-username: MAVEN_USERNAME
-          server-password: MAVEN_PASSWORD
 
       - id: publish-to-central
         name: Publish to Central Repository
-        env:
-          MAVEN_USERNAME: ${{ secrets.OSSRH_USERNAME }}
-          MAVEN_PASSWORD: ${{ secrets.OSSRH_PASSWORD }}
         run: |
-          mvn \
-            --no-transfer-progress \
-            --batch-mode \
+          mvn --update-snapshots \
             -Dgpg.passphrase=${{ secrets.OSSRH_GPG_SECRET_KEY_PASSWORD }} \
-            clean deploy -P release
+            clean deploy -P release verify
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index c03849485..389f8e478 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -46,3 +46,6 @@ hs_err_pid*
 
 # Mindee Test files
 local_test/
+
+# local config
+settings.xml
diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index eb1db4283..3de17570d 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -30,19 +30,8 @@
     </developer>
   </developers>
 
-  <distributionManagement>
-    <snapshotRepository>
-      <id>ossrh</id>
-      <url>https://s01.oss.sonatype.org/content/repositories/snapshots</url>
-    </snapshotRepository>
-    <repository>
-      <id>ossrh</id>
-      <url>https://s01.oss.sonatype.org/service/local/staging/deploy/maven2/</url>
-    </repository>
-  </distributionManagement>
-
   <build>
-    <pluginManagement><!-- lock down plugins versions to avoid using Maven defaults (may be moved to parent pom) -->
+    <pluginManagement>
       <plugins>
         <!-- clean lifecycle, see https://maven.apache.org/ref/current/maven-core/lifecycles.html#clean_Lifecycle -->
         <plugin>
@@ -70,10 +59,6 @@
           <artifactId>maven-install-plugin</artifactId>
           <version>${org.apache.maven.install.version}</version>
         </plugin>
-        <plugin>
-          <artifactId>maven-deploy-plugin</artifactId>
-          <version>${org.apache.maven.deploy.version}</version>
-        </plugin>
         <!-- site lifecycle, see https://maven.apache.org/ref/current/maven-core/lifecycles.html#site_Lifecycle -->
         <plugin>
           <artifactId>maven-site-plugin</artifactId>
@@ -136,17 +121,6 @@
             </execution>
           </executions>
         </plugin>
-        <plugin>
-          <groupId>org.sonatype.plugins</groupId>
-          <artifactId>nexus-staging-maven-plugin</artifactId>
-          <version>${org.sonatype.nexus.staging.maven.version}</version>
-          <extensions>true</extensions>
-          <configuration>
-            <serverId>ossrh</serverId>
-            <nexusUrl>https://s01.oss.sonatype.org/</nexusUrl>
-            <autoReleaseAfterClose>true</autoReleaseAfterClose>
-          </configuration>
-        </plugin>
       </plugins>
     </pluginManagement>
     <plugins>
@@ -158,6 +132,16 @@
           <target>8</target>
         </configuration>
       </plugin>
+      <plugin>
+        <groupId>org.sonatype.central</groupId>
+        <artifactId>central-publishing-maven-plugin</artifactId>
+        <version>0.7.0</version>
+        <extensions>true</extensions>
+        <configuration>
+          <publishingServerId>central</publishingServerId>
+          <autoPublish>false</autoPublish>
+        </configuration>
+      </plugin>
     </plugins>
   </build>
 
@@ -219,6 +203,9 @@
                 <goals>
                   <goal>sign</goal>
                 </goals>
+                <configuration>
+                  <keyname>opensource@mindee.co</keyname>
+                </configuration>
               </execution>
             </executions>
           </plugin>
@@ -405,7 +392,6 @@
     <org.apache.httpcomponents.httpmime.version>4.5.14</org.apache.httpcomponents.httpmime.version>
     <org.apache.maven.clean.version>3.1.0</org.apache.maven.clean.version>
     <org.apache.maven.compiler.version>3.12.1</org.apache.maven.compiler.version>
-    <org.apache.maven.deploy.version>3.1.1</org.apache.maven.deploy.version>
     <org.apache.maven.failsafe.version>3.3.0</org.apache.maven.failsafe.version>
     <org.apache.maven.gpg.version>1.5</org.apache.maven.gpg.version>
     <org.apache.maven.install.version>2.5.2</org.apache.maven.install.version>
@@ -426,7 +412,6 @@
     <org.projectlombok.lombok-mapstruct-binding.version>0.2.0</org.projectlombok.lombok-mapstruct-binding.version>
     <org.projectlombok.version>1.18.32</org.projectlombok.version>
     <org.slf4j.version>2.0.17</org.slf4j.version>
-    <org.sonatype.nexus.staging.maven.version>1.6.12</org.sonatype.nexus.staging.maven.version>
     <project.build.sourceEncoding>UTF-8</project.build.sourceEncoding>
     <wiremock.version>2.27.2</wiremock.version>
   </properties>