diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci-circt-nightly.yml b/.github/workflows/ci-circt-nightly.yml
index 099895f55fa..670b5ceaedc 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci-circt-nightly.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci-circt-nightly.yml
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ jobs:
     strategy:
       matrix:
         system: ["ubuntu-22.04"]
-        jvm: [8]
+        jvm: [21]
         scala: ["2.13.15"]
         espresso: ["2.4"]
         slang: ["7.0"]
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 884915c1727..6f0300dc270 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ jobs:
     strategy:
       matrix:
         system: ["ubuntu-22.04"]
-        jvm: [17]
+        jvm: [21]
         scala: ["2.13.15"]
         espresso: ["2.4"]
         slang: ["7.0"]
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Setup Scala
         uses: VirtusLab/scala-cli-setup@v1
         with:
-          jvm: adopt:8
+          jvm: adopt:21
           apps: sbt
       - name: Publish
         run: ./mill -i io.kipp.mill.ci.release.ReleaseModule/publishAll
diff --git a/.github/workflows/test.yml b/.github/workflows/test.yml
index 1cebe43f7e4..2164a4f1fbc 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test.yml
@@ -108,7 +108,7 @@ jobs:
         uses: actions/setup-java@v4
         with:
           distribution: 'adopt'
-          java-version: '21'
+          java-version: ${{ inputs.jvm }}
       - name: Install CIRCT
         id: install-circt
         if: ${{ inputs.circt }}
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ jobs:
         uses: actions/setup-java@v4
         with:
           distribution: 'adopt'
-          java-version: '21'
+          java-version: ${{ inputs.jvm }}
       - name: Check Build Script Formatting
         run: ./mill --meta-level 1 mill.scalalib.scalafmt.ScalafmtModule/checkFormatAll sources
       - name: Check Source File Format
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@ jobs:
         uses: actions/setup-java@v4
         with:
           distribution: 'adopt'
-          java-version: '11'
+          java-version: ${{ inputs.jvm }}
       - name: Install CIRCT
         id: install-circt
         if: ${{ inputs.circt }}
@@ -198,7 +198,7 @@ jobs:
         uses: actions/setup-java@v4
         with:
           distribution: 'adopt'
-          java-version: '21'
+          java-version: ${{ inputs.jvm }}
       - name: JMH
         run: ./mill benchmark.runJmh
 
@@ -219,7 +219,7 @@ jobs:
         uses: actions/setup-java@v4
         with:
           distribution: 'adopt'
-          java-version: '11'
+          java-version: ${{ inputs.jvm }}
       - name: Compile
         run: ./mill stdlib.cross[_].compile
 
diff --git a/flake.nix b/flake.nix
index d787ff344ae..aabe6eb8133 100644
--- a/flake.nix
+++ b/flake.nix
@@ -15,12 +15,14 @@
         let
           pkgs = import nixpkgs { inherit system; overlays = [ overlay ]; };
           deps = with pkgs; [
+            jdk21
             mill
             circt
             jextract-21
             lit
             scala-cli
             llvm
+            verilator
           ];
         in
         {
diff --git a/release.mill b/release.mill
index 76d781c4803..ed9491b3558 100644
--- a/release.mill
+++ b/release.mill
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ import mill.scalalib.publish._
 import mill.api.Result
 import mill.scalalib.api.ZincWorkerUtil.matchingVersions
 import mill.util.Jvm.createJar
-import $ivy.`io.chris-kipp::mill-ci-release::0.1.10`
+import $ivy.`io.chris-kipp::mill-ci-release_mill0.12:0.2.1` // https://github.com/ckipp01/mill-ci-release/pull/143
 import io.kipp.mill.ci.release.{CiReleaseModule, SonatypeHost}
 import de.tobiasroeser.mill.vcs.version.VcsVersion // pulled in by mill-ci-release
 
@@ -49,18 +49,6 @@ trait Unipublish extends ScalaModule with ChiselPublishModule {
   // This is published as chisel
   override def artifactName = "chisel"
 
-  // Older versions of Scala do not work with newer versions of the JVM
-  // This is a hack to ensure we always use Java 8 to publish Chisel with Scala 2.13
-  // We could use Java 11 with -release 8
-  // Note that this target is used by real publishing but not by publishLocal
-  override def publishArtifacts = Task {
-    // TODO when we publish for Scala 3, only do this check for Scala 2.13
-    if (v.javaVersion != 8) {
-      throw new Exception(s"Publishing requires Java 8, current JDK is ${v.javaVersion}")
-    }
-    super.publishArtifacts
-  }
-
   /** Publish both this project and the plugin (for the default Scala version) */
   override def publishLocal(localIvyRepo: String = null) = Task.Command {
     // TODO consider making this parallel and publishing all cross-versions for plugin