diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 11f7faba2..48653386d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -23,12 +23,6 @@ jobs:
         scala-version: [ "2.12", "2.13", "3" ]
         target-platform: [ "JVM", "JS", "Native" ]
         java: [ "11", "21" ]
-        exclude:
-          - java: "21"
-        include: # Restricted to build only specific Loom-based modules
-          - scala-version: "3"
-            target-platform: "JVM"
-            java: "21"
     steps:
     - name: Checkout
       uses: actions/checkout@v2
@@ -50,8 +44,11 @@ jobs:
       uses: VirtusLab/scala-cli-setup@77834b5926f3eb70869d8009530c65585f7a039b # main, specifically v1.9.1
       with:
         jvm: '' # needed because scala-cli-setup otherwise forces the installation of their default JVM (17)        
-    - name: Enable Loom-specific modules
+    - name: Enable ZIO-specific modules
       if: matrix.java == '21'
+      run: echo "WITH_ZIO=1" >> $GITHUB_ENV
+    - name: Enable Loom-specific modules
+      if: matrix.target-platform == 'JVM' && matrix.java == '21' && matrix.scala-version == '3'
       run: echo "ONLY_LOOM=1" >> $GITHUB_ENV
     - name: Compile
       run: sbt -v "compileScoped ${{ matrix.scala-version }} ${{ matrix.target-platform }}"
@@ -100,10 +97,13 @@ jobs:
           sudo apt-get update
           sudo apt-get install libidn2-dev libcurl3-dev
       - name: Enable Native-specific modules
-        if: matrix.java == '11'
+        if: matrix.target-platform == 'Native'
         run: echo "STTP_NATIVE=1" >> $GITHUB_ENV
-      - name: Enable Loom-specific modules
+      - name: Enable ZIO-specific modules
         if: matrix.java == '21'
+        run: echo "WITH_ZIO=1" >> $GITHUB_ENV
+      - name: Enable Loom-specific modules
+        if: matrix.target-platform == 'JVM' && matrix.java == '21' && matrix.scala-version == '3'
         run: echo "ONLY_LOOM=1" >> $GITHUB_ENV
       - name: Compile
         run: sbt compile
diff --git a/build.sbt b/build.sbt
index 90bd8dd4d..f1863588f 100644
--- a/build.sbt
+++ b/build.sbt
@@ -176,7 +176,8 @@ val slf4jVersion = "1.7.36"
 
 val compileAndTest = "compile->compile;test->test"
 
-lazy val loomProjects: Seq[String] = Seq(ox, examples).flatMap(_.projectRefs).flatMap(projectId)
+lazy val loomProjects: Seq[String] = Seq(ox, examples, zioJson).flatMap(_.projectRefs).flatMap(projectId)
+lazy val zioProjects: Seq[String] = Seq(zioJson).flatMap(_.projectRefs).flatMap(projectId)
 
 def projectId(projectRef: ProjectReference): Option[String] =
   projectRef match {
@@ -193,15 +194,24 @@ lazy val allAggregates: Seq[ProjectReference] = {
     println("[info] STTP_NATIVE *not* defined, *not* including native in the aggregate projects")
     rawAllAggregates.filterNot(_.toString.contains("Native"))
   }
+
+  val filteredByZio = if (sys.env.isDefinedAt("WITH_ZIO")) {
+    println("[info] WITH_ZIO defined, including zio projects in the aggregate projects")
+    filteredByNative
+  } else {
+    println("[info] WITH_ZIO *not* defined, *not* including zio-json in the aggregate projects")
+    filteredByNative.filterNot(p => projectId(p).forall(zioProjects.contains))
+  }
+
   if (sys.env.isDefinedAt("ONLY_LOOM")) {
     println("[info] ONLY_LOOM defined, including only loom-based projects")
-    filteredByNative.filter(p => projectId(p).forall(loomProjects.contains))
+    filteredByZio.filter(p => projectId(p).forall(loomProjects.contains))
   } else if (sys.env.isDefinedAt("ALSO_LOOM")) {
     println("[info] ALSO_LOOM defined, including also loom-based projects")
-    filteredByNative
+    filteredByZio
   } else {
     println("[info] ONLY_LOOM *not* defined, *not* including loom-based-projects")
-    filteredByNative.filterNot(p => projectId(p).forall(loomProjects.contains))
+    filteredByZio.filterNot(p => projectId(p).forall(loomProjects.contains))
   }
 }
 
@@ -789,7 +799,7 @@ lazy val zioJson = (projectMatrix in file("json/zio-json"))
   .settings(
     name := "zio-json",
     libraryDependencies ++= Seq(
-      "dev.zio" %%% "zio-json" % "0.7.44",
+      "dev.zio" %%% "zio-json" % "0.9.0",
       "com.softwaremill.sttp.shared" %%% "zio" % sttpSharedVersion
     ),
     scalaTest
@@ -799,6 +809,7 @@ lazy val zioJson = (projectMatrix in file("json/zio-json"))
     settings = commonJvmSettings
   )
   .jsPlatform(scalaVersions = scala2And3, settings = commonJsSettings)
+  .nativePlatform(scalaVersions = scala2And3, settings = commonNativeSettings)
   .dependsOn(core, jsonCommon % compileAndTest)
 
 lazy val zio1Json = (projectMatrix in file("json/zio1-json"))