diff --git a/.github/renovate.json5 b/.github/renovate.json5
index 0b0d492f828..ca806761689 100644
--- a/.github/renovate.json5
+++ b/.github/renovate.json5
@@ -146,15 +146,15 @@
     },
     {
       customType: 'regex',
-      datasourceTemplate: 'java-version',
+      datasourceTemplate: 'docker',
       managerFilePatterns: [
         '.github/workflows/**',
       ],
       matchStrings: [
         '(?<currentValue>\\d+) # renovate\\(java-version\\)',
       ],
-      depNameTemplate: 'java',
-      extractVersionTemplate: '^(?<version>\\d+)',
+      // using zulu because new releases get published quickly
+      depNameTemplate: 'azul/zulu-openjdk',
     },
     {
       customType: 'regex',
diff --git a/.github/workflows/build.yml b/.github/workflows/build.yml
index 11b8adf93e1..b4098f7e9d1 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build.yml
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ jobs:
           - 11
           - 17
           - 21
-          - 25 # renovate(java-version)
+          - 26 # renovate(java-version)
         # Collect coverage on latest LTS
         include:
           - os: ubuntu-latest
@@ -45,8 +45,8 @@ jobs:
         name: Set up Java ${{ matrix.test-java-version }} for tests
         uses: actions/setup-java@be666c2fcd27ec809703dec50e508c2fdc7f6654 # v5.2.0
         with:
-          # use corretto for testing, since it supports java 8 on more OS versions, including macos-latest
-          distribution: corretto
+          # using zulu for 26 because new releases get published quickly
+          distribution: zulu
           java-version: ${{ matrix.test-java-version }}
 
       - id: setup-java
diff --git a/custom-checks/src/test/java/io/opentelemetry/gradle/customchecks/OtelDeprecatedApiUsageTest.java b/custom-checks/src/test/java/io/opentelemetry/gradle/customchecks/OtelDeprecatedApiUsageTest.java
index 4a98e0a0f8f..b5b9a66f4be 100644
--- a/custom-checks/src/test/java/io/opentelemetry/gradle/customchecks/OtelDeprecatedApiUsageTest.java
+++ b/custom-checks/src/test/java/io/opentelemetry/gradle/customchecks/OtelDeprecatedApiUsageTest.java
@@ -181,9 +181,9 @@ void positiveCases_externalDeprecatedApi() {
             "ExternalDeprecated.java",
             "package test;",
             "public class ExternalDeprecated {",
-            "  void method(Thread t) {",
+            "  void method() {",
             "    // BUG: Diagnostic contains: Use of deprecated API",
-            "    t.stop();",
+            "    new Boolean(false);",
             "  }",
             "}")
         .doTest();