diff --git a/.github/workflows/cd_release.yml b/.github/workflows/cd_release.yml
index bac3bec4..743108a8 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/cd_release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/cd_release.yml
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ on:
 jobs:
   publish:
     name: External
-    uses: SINTEF/ci-cd/.github/workflows/cd_release.yml@v2.5.2
+    uses: SINTEF/ci-cd/.github/workflows/cd_release.yml@v2.5.3
     if: github.repository == 'EMMC-ASBL/oteapi-core' && startsWith(github.ref, 'refs/tags/v')
     with:
       # General
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci_automerge_dependabot.yml b/.github/workflows/ci_automerge_dependabot.yml
index f1917fbe..bd1d6aec 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci_automerge_dependabot.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci_automerge_dependabot.yml
@@ -2,12 +2,12 @@ name: CI - Activate auto-merging for Dependabot PRs
 
 on:
   pull_request_target:
-    branches: [ci/dependabot-updates]
+    branches: [ci/dependabot-updates, release/pydantic-v1-support]
 
 jobs:
   update-dependabot-branch:
     name: External
-    uses: SINTEF/ci-cd/.github/workflows/ci_automerge_prs.yml@v2.5.2
-    if: github.repository_owner == 'EMMC-ASBL' && startsWith(github.event.pull_request.head.ref, 'dependabot/') && github.actor == 'dependabot[bot]'
+    uses: SINTEF/ci-cd/.github/workflows/ci_automerge_prs.yml@v2.5.3
+    if: github.repository_owner == 'EMMC-ASBL' && ( ( startsWith(github.event.pull_request.head.ref, 'dependabot/') && github.actor == 'dependabot[bot]' ) || ( startsWith(github.event.pull_request.head.ref, 'ci/update-pyproject') && github.actor == 'TEAM4-0' ) )
     secrets:
       PAT: ${{ secrets.RELEASE_PAT }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci_cd_updated_master.yml b/.github/workflows/ci_cd_updated_master.yml
index e4a6c546..43db4813 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci_cd_updated_master.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci_cd_updated_master.yml
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ on:
 jobs:
   updates-to-master:
     name: External
-    uses: SINTEF/ci-cd/.github/workflows/ci_cd_updated_default_branch.yml@v2.5.2
+    uses: SINTEF/ci-cd/.github/workflows/ci_cd_updated_default_branch.yml@v2.5.3
     if: github.repository_owner == 'EMMC-ASBL'
     with:
       # General
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci_check_dependencies.yml b/.github/workflows/ci_check_dependencies.yml
index 7d606c5c..be27ee00 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci_check_dependencies.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci_check_dependencies.yml
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ on:
 jobs:
   check-dependencies:
     name: External
-    uses: SINTEF/ci-cd/.github/workflows/ci_check_pyproject_dependencies.yml@v2.5.2
+    uses: SINTEF/ci-cd/.github/workflows/ci_check_pyproject_dependencies.yml@v2.5.3
     # Job Execution Criteria:
     # - It must be executed within the "origin" repository (EMMC-ASBL).
     # - Always run for scheduled events.
@@ -63,8 +63,8 @@ jobs:
       PAT: ${{ secrets.RELEASE_PAT }}
 
   check-dependencies-release_pydantic-v1-support:
-    name: External
-    uses: SINTEF/ci-cd/.github/workflows/ci_check_pyproject_dependencies.yml@v2.5.2
+    name: External (pydantic v1 support)
+    uses: SINTEF/ci-cd/.github/workflows/ci_check_pyproject_dependencies.yml@v2.5.3
     # Job Execution Criteria:
     # - It must be executed within the "origin" repository (EMMC-ASBL).
     # - Always run for scheduled events.
@@ -89,5 +89,6 @@ jobs:
         dependency-name=pydantic...versions=>=2
         dependency-name=requests...versions=>=3
         dependency-name=urllib3
+      branch_name_extension: "release/pydantic-v1-support"
     secrets:
       PAT: ${{ secrets.RELEASE_PAT }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci_dependabot.yml b/.github/workflows/ci_dependabot.yml
index 30575901..b7e523cc 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci_dependabot.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci_dependabot.yml
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ on:
 jobs:
   create-collected-pr:
     name: External
-    uses: SINTEF/ci-cd/.github/workflows/ci_update_dependencies.yml@v2.5.2
+    uses: SINTEF/ci-cd/.github/workflows/ci_update_dependencies.yml@v2.5.3
     if: github.repository_owner == 'EMMC-ASBL'
     with:
       # General
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci_tests.yml b/.github/workflows/ci_tests.yml
index 9b314b56..6c4a7153 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci_tests.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci_tests.yml
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ on:
 jobs:
   basic_tests:
     name: External
-    uses: SINTEF/ci-cd/.github/workflows/ci_tests.yml@v2.5.2
+    uses: SINTEF/ci-cd/.github/workflows/ci_tests.yml@v2.5.3
     with:
       # pre-commit
       run_pre-commit: true