diff --git a/.ci/configure_signing.sh b/.ci/configure_signing.sh
index aaeb3c93a..e67e99af5 100755
--- a/.ci/configure_signing.sh
+++ b/.ci/configure_signing.sh
@@ -46,7 +46,6 @@ signing.keyId=${signing_key: -8}
 signing.password=${signing_password}
 signing.secretKeyRingFile=${keyring_file}
 
-ossrhUsername=${maven_username}
-ossrhPassword=${maven_password}
+sonatypeUsername=${maven_username}
+sonatypePassword=${maven_password}
 EOF
-
diff --git a/.ci/make.sh b/.ci/make.sh
index 43e5b69cd..8f1cebfe2 100755
--- a/.ci/make.sh
+++ b/.ci/make.sh
@@ -193,10 +193,10 @@ if [[ "$CMD" == "release" ]]; then
 
   if [[ "$DRY_RUN" = "true" ]]; then
     echo "Dry run: building and publishing to the local repository"
-    gradle_task="java-client:publishAllPublicationsToBuildRepository"
+    gradle_task="publishAllPublicationsToDryRunRepository"
   else
     echo "Releasing to Maven snapshot repo"
-    gradle_task="java-client:publishAllPublicationsToMavenCentralRepository"
+    gradle_task="publishToSonatype closeAndReleaseStagingRepositories"
   fi
   docker run --rm --env VERSION=$VERSION -u "$(id -u)" \
     $git_mount $src_mount $output_mount \
diff --git a/build.gradle.kts b/build.gradle.kts
index 3f9418659..306b8eaed 100644
--- a/build.gradle.kts
+++ b/build.gradle.kts
@@ -16,6 +16,27 @@
  * specific language governing permissions and limitations
  * under the License.
  */
+plugins {
+    id("io.github.gradle-nexus.publish-plugin") version "2.0.0"
+}
+
+nexusPublishing {
+    repositories {
+        sonatype()
+    }
+}
+
+repositories {
+    mavenCentral()
+}
+
+group = "co.elastic.clients"
+description = "Maven central release of the official elasticsearch java client"
+
+subprojects {
+    group = rootProject.group
+    version = rootProject.version
+}
 
 allprojects {
     group = "co.elastic.clients"
diff --git a/java-client/build.gradle.kts b/java-client/build.gradle.kts
index 5ddf32d38..e8163fd5d 100644
--- a/java-client/build.gradle.kts
+++ b/java-client/build.gradle.kts
@@ -25,8 +25,9 @@ import java.io.FileWriter
 plugins {
     java
     `java-library`
-    checkstyle
     `maven-publish`
+    publishing
+    checkstyle
     signing
     id("com.github.jk1.dependency-license-report") version "2.2"
     id("de.thetaphi.forbiddenapis") version "3.4"
@@ -129,21 +130,6 @@ publishing {
             name = "Build"
             url = uri("${rootProject.buildDir}/repository")
         }
-
-        maven {
-            name = "MavenCentral"
-            url = uri("https://oss.sonatype.org/service/local/staging/deploy/maven2/")
-            credentials {
-                run {
-                    if (gradle.startParameter.taskNames.find { it.contains("ToMavenCentralRepository") } != null) {
-                        if (!providers.gradleProperty("ossrhUsername").isPresent) logger.error("ossrhUsername not set")
-                        if (!providers.gradleProperty("ossrhPassword").isPresent) logger.error("ossrhPassword not set")
-                    }
-                }
-                username = providers.gradleProperty("ossrhUsername").orNull
-                password = providers.gradleProperty("ossrhPassword").orNull
-            }
-        }
     }
 
     publications {
diff --git a/settings.gradle.kts b/settings.gradle.kts
index 1f0d5a7e7..8e5d8b347 100644
--- a/settings.gradle.kts
+++ b/settings.gradle.kts
@@ -21,18 +21,4 @@ import java.nio.file.Paths
 
 rootProject.name = "elasticsearch-java"
 
-// Include as subprojects all subdirectories that have a "build.gradle.kts" and no ".gradle-standalone"
-fun listFiles(dir: File){
-    (dir.listFiles() ?: arrayOf<File>()).
-    filter { File(it, "build.gradle.kts").exists() }.
-    filter { !File(it, ".gradle-standalone").exists() }.
-    filter { it.name != "buildSrc" }.
-    toTypedArray().
-    forEach { dir ->
-        include(dir.name)
-        project(":" + dir.name).projectDir = dir
-    }
-}
-
-listFiles(rootProject.projectDir)
-listFiles(Paths.get(rootProject.projectDir.path,"examples").toFile())
+include("java-client")