diff --git a/log4j-api-test/pom.xml b/log4j-api-test/pom.xml
index aef8a1b5d64..a30086d2b5a 100644
--- a/log4j-api-test/pom.xml
+++ b/log4j-api-test/pom.xml
@@ -69,102 +69,124 @@
     ~     It is used in StackLocatorUtilTest through a Class.forName
     -->
   <dependencies>
+
     <dependency>
       <groupId>org.apache.logging.log4j</groupId>
       <artifactId>log4j-api</artifactId>
     </dependency>
+
     <dependency>
       <groupId>org.apache.commons</groupId>
       <artifactId>commons-lang3</artifactId>
     </dependency>
+
     <dependency>
       <groupId>org.hamcrest</groupId>
       <artifactId>hamcrest</artifactId>
     </dependency>
+
     <dependency>
       <groupId>junit</groupId>
       <artifactId>junit</artifactId>
     </dependency>
+
     <dependency>
       <groupId>org.junit.jupiter</groupId>
       <artifactId>junit-jupiter-api</artifactId>
     </dependency>
+
     <dependency>
       <groupId>org.junit-pioneer</groupId>
       <artifactId>junit-pioneer</artifactId>
     </dependency>
+
     <dependency>
       <groupId>org.junit.platform</groupId>
       <artifactId>junit-platform-commons</artifactId>
     </dependency>
+
     <dependency>
       <groupId>org.apache.maven</groupId>
       <artifactId>maven-core</artifactId>
     </dependency>
+
     <dependency>
       <groupId>org.apache.maven</groupId>
       <artifactId>maven-model</artifactId>
     </dependency>
+
     <dependency>
       <groupId>org.codehaus.plexus</groupId>
       <artifactId>plexus-utils</artifactId>
     </dependency>
+
     <dependency>
       <groupId>org.assertj</groupId>
       <artifactId>assertj-core</artifactId>
     </dependency>
+
     <!-- Required for JSON support -->
     <dependency>
       <groupId>com.fasterxml.jackson.core</groupId>
       <artifactId>jackson-core</artifactId>
       <scope>test</scope>
     </dependency>
+
     <!-- Required for JSON support -->
     <dependency>
       <groupId>com.fasterxml.jackson.core</groupId>
       <artifactId>jackson-databind</artifactId>
       <scope>test</scope>
     </dependency>
+
     <dependency>
       <groupId>org.junit.jupiter</groupId>
       <artifactId>junit-jupiter-engine</artifactId>
       <scope>test</scope>
     </dependency>
+
     <dependency>
       <groupId>org.junit.jupiter</groupId>
       <artifactId>junit-jupiter-params</artifactId>
       <scope>test</scope>
     </dependency>
+
     <dependency>
       <groupId>org.mockito</groupId>
       <artifactId>mockito-core</artifactId>
     </dependency>
+
     <dependency>
       <groupId>org.mockito</groupId>
       <artifactId>mockito-inline</artifactId>
       <scope>test</scope>
     </dependency>
+
     <dependency>
       <groupId>org.jspecify</groupId>
       <artifactId>jspecify</artifactId>
       <scope>test</scope>
     </dependency>
+
     <!-- Used by ServiceLoaderUtilTest -->
     <dependency>
       <groupId>org.osgi</groupId>
       <artifactId>org.osgi.core</artifactId>
       <scope>test</scope>
     </dependency>
+
     <dependency>
       <groupId>uk.org.webcompere</groupId>
       <artifactId>system-stubs-core</artifactId>
       <scope>test</scope>
     </dependency>
+
     <dependency>
       <groupId>uk.org.webcompere</groupId>
       <artifactId>system-stubs-jupiter</artifactId>
       <scope>test</scope>
     </dependency>
+
   </dependencies>
   <build>
     <plugins>
diff --git a/log4j-api/pom.xml b/log4j-api/pom.xml
index 4b0525466df..58dbd02a61d 100644
--- a/log4j-api/pom.xml
+++ b/log4j-api/pom.xml
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@
     <bnd-extra-package-options>
       <!-- Not exported by most OSGi system bundles, hence we use the system classloader to load `sun.reflect.Reflection` -->
       !sun.reflect,
-      <!-- Annotations only -->
+      <!-- Annotations only: users are allowed to exclude this dependency -->
       org.jspecify.*;resolution:=optional
     </bnd-extra-package-options>
     <bnd-extra-module-options>
@@ -63,16 +63,17 @@
   <dependencies>
 
     <dependency>
-      <groupId>org.jspecify</groupId>
-      <artifactId>jspecify</artifactId>
+      <groupId>org.osgi</groupId>
+      <artifactId>org.osgi.core</artifactId>
       <scope>provided</scope>
     </dependency>
 
     <dependency>
-      <groupId>org.osgi</groupId>
-      <artifactId>org.osgi.core</artifactId>
+      <groupId>org.jspecify</groupId>
+      <artifactId>jspecify</artifactId>
       <scope>provided</scope>
     </dependency>
+
   </dependencies>
   <build>
     <plugins>
diff --git a/log4j-core-test/pom.xml b/log4j-core-test/pom.xml
index 8c8cbc19bbd..7e13dee6640 100644
--- a/log4j-core-test/pom.xml
+++ b/log4j-core-test/pom.xml
@@ -254,6 +254,7 @@
       <artifactId>jspecify</artifactId>
       <scope>test</scope>
     </dependency>
+
     <dependency>
       <groupId>com.sun.mail</groupId>
       <artifactId>javax.mail</artifactId>
diff --git a/log4j-core/pom.xml b/log4j-core/pom.xml
index f5693dc2e92..6d0565627ad 100644
--- a/log4j-core/pom.xml
+++ b/log4j-core/pom.xml
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@
       -->
     <bnd-multi-release>true</bnd-multi-release>
     <bnd-extra-package-options>
-      <!-- Annotations only -->
+      <!-- Annotations only: users are allowed to exclude this dependency -->
       org.jspecify.*;resolution:=optional,
       <!-- External optional dependencies -->
       com.conversantmedia.util.concurrent;resolution:=optional;
@@ -108,12 +108,14 @@
   </properties>
 
   <dependencies>
+
     <dependency>
       <groupId>javax.activation</groupId>
       <artifactId>javax.activation-api</artifactId>
       <scope>provided</scope>
       <optional>true</optional>
     </dependency>
+
     <!-- Used for JMS appenders (needs an implementation of course) -->
     <dependency>
       <groupId>javax.jms</groupId>
@@ -121,6 +123,7 @@
       <scope>provided</scope>
       <optional>true</optional>
     </dependency>
+
     <!-- Required for SMTPAppender -->
     <dependency>
       <groupId>javax.mail</groupId>
@@ -128,94 +131,112 @@
       <scope>provided</scope>
       <optional>true</optional>
     </dependency>
-    <dependency>
-      <groupId>org.jspecify</groupId>
-      <artifactId>jspecify</artifactId>
-      <scope>provided</scope>
-    </dependency>
+
     <!-- Used for OSGi bundle support -->
     <dependency>
       <groupId>org.osgi</groupId>
       <artifactId>org.osgi.core</artifactId>
       <scope>provided</scope>
     </dependency>
+
     <!-- Naturally, all implementations require the log4j-api JAR -->
     <dependency>
       <groupId>org.apache.logging.log4j</groupId>
       <artifactId>log4j-api</artifactId>
     </dependency>
+
     <!-- Used for compressing to formats other than zip and gz -->
     <dependency>
       <groupId>org.apache.commons</groupId>
       <artifactId>commons-compress</artifactId>
       <optional>true</optional>
     </dependency>
+
     <!-- Used for the CSV layout -->
     <dependency>
       <groupId>org.apache.commons</groupId>
       <artifactId>commons-csv</artifactId>
       <optional>true</optional>
     </dependency>
+
     <!-- Alternative implementation of BlockingQueue using Conversant Disruptor for AsyncAppender -->
     <dependency>
       <groupId>com.conversantmedia</groupId>
       <artifactId>disruptor</artifactId>
       <optional>true</optional>
     </dependency>
+
     <!-- Required for AsyncLoggers -->
     <dependency>
       <groupId>com.lmax</groupId>
       <artifactId>disruptor</artifactId>
       <optional>true</optional>
     </dependency>
+
     <!-- Required for JSON support -->
     <dependency>
       <groupId>com.fasterxml.jackson.core</groupId>
       <artifactId>jackson-core</artifactId>
       <optional>true</optional>
     </dependency>
+
     <!-- Required for JSON support -->
     <dependency>
       <groupId>com.fasterxml.jackson.core</groupId>
       <artifactId>jackson-databind</artifactId>
       <optional>true</optional>
     </dependency>
+
     <!-- Required for XML layout and receiver support -->
     <dependency>
       <groupId>com.fasterxml.jackson.dataformat</groupId>
       <artifactId>jackson-dataformat-xml</artifactId>
       <optional>true</optional>
     </dependency>
+
     <!-- Required for YAML support (including JSON requirements) -->
     <dependency>
       <groupId>com.fasterxml.jackson.dataformat</groupId>
       <artifactId>jackson-dataformat-yaml</artifactId>
       <optional>true</optional>
     </dependency>
+
     <!-- Alternative implementation of BlockingQueue using JCTools for AsyncAppender -->
     <dependency>
       <groupId>org.jctools</groupId>
       <artifactId>jctools-core</artifactId>
       <optional>true</optional>
     </dependency>
+
     <!-- Used for ZeroMQ JeroMQ appender -->
     <dependency>
       <groupId>org.zeromq</groupId>
       <artifactId>jeromq</artifactId>
       <optional>true</optional>
     </dependency>
+
+    <!--
+      ~ Effectively optional, but included due to its size and the compilation warnings its absence causes.
+      -->
+    <dependency>
+      <groupId>org.jspecify</groupId>
+      <artifactId>jspecify</artifactId>
+    </dependency>
+
     <!-- Used for Kafka appender -->
     <dependency>
       <groupId>org.apache.kafka</groupId>
       <artifactId>kafka-clients</artifactId>
       <optional>true</optional>
     </dependency>
+
     <dependency>
       <groupId>com.sun.mail</groupId>
       <artifactId>javax.mail</artifactId>
       <scope>runtime</scope>
       <optional>true</optional>
     </dependency>
+
   </dependencies>
 
   <build>
diff --git a/log4j-fuzz-test/pom.xml b/log4j-fuzz-test/pom.xml
index 8c76b205a08..1a608aeac6a 100644
--- a/log4j-fuzz-test/pom.xml
+++ b/log4j-fuzz-test/pom.xml
@@ -41,6 +41,15 @@
     <!-- dependency versions -->
     <json.version>20250107</json.version>
 
+    <bnd-extra-package-options>
+      <!-- Annotations only: users are allowed to exclude this dependency -->
+      org.jspecify.*;resolution:=optional
+    </bnd-extra-package-options>
+    <bnd-extra-module-options>
+      <!-- Remove `transitive` for optional dependencies -->
+      org.jspecify;transitive=false
+    </bnd-extra-module-options>
+
   </properties>
 
   <dependencies>
@@ -50,10 +59,12 @@
       <artifactId>log4j-core</artifactId>
     </dependency>
 
+    <!--
+      ~ Effectively optional, but included due to its size and the compilation warnings its absence causes.
+      -->
     <dependency>
       <groupId>org.jspecify</groupId>
       <artifactId>jspecify</artifactId>
-      <scope>provided</scope>
     </dependency>
 
     <dependency>
diff --git a/log4j-taglib/pom.xml b/log4j-taglib/pom.xml
index a05ff111e71..bb1661e0a9c 100644
--- a/log4j-taglib/pom.xml
+++ b/log4j-taglib/pom.xml
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@
       ~ OSGi and JPMS options
       -->
     <bnd-extra-package-options>
-      <!-- Annotations only -->
+      <!-- Annotations only: users are allowed to exclude this dependency -->
       org.jspecify.*;resolution:=optional
     </bnd-extra-package-options>
     <bnd-extra-module-options>
@@ -44,55 +44,69 @@
     </bnd-extra-module-options>
     <Fragment-Host>org.apache.logging.log4j.core</Fragment-Host>
   </properties>
+
   <dependencies>
+
     <dependency>
       <groupId>javax.servlet.jsp</groupId>
       <artifactId>javax.servlet.jsp-api</artifactId>
       <scope>provided</scope>
     </dependency>
+
     <dependency>
       <groupId>javax.servlet</groupId>
       <artifactId>javax.servlet-api</artifactId>
       <scope>provided</scope>
     </dependency>
+
     <dependency>
       <groupId>org.apache.logging.log4j</groupId>
       <artifactId>log4j-api</artifactId>
     </dependency>
+
     <dependency>
       <groupId>org.apache.logging.log4j</groupId>
       <artifactId>log4j-web</artifactId>
       <optional>true</optional>
     </dependency>
+
+    <!--
+      ~ Effectively optional, but included due to its size and the compilation warnings its absence causes.
+      -->
     <dependency>
       <groupId>org.jspecify</groupId>
       <artifactId>jspecify</artifactId>
-      <scope>provided</scope>
     </dependency>
+
     <dependency>
       <groupId>org.apache.logging.log4j</groupId>
       <artifactId>log4j-core</artifactId>
       <scope>test</scope>
     </dependency>
+
     <dependency>
       <groupId>org.apache.logging.log4j</groupId>
       <artifactId>log4j-core-test</artifactId>
       <scope>test</scope>
     </dependency>
+
     <dependency>
       <groupId>commons-logging</groupId>
       <artifactId>commons-logging</artifactId>
       <scope>test</scope>
     </dependency>
+
     <dependency>
       <groupId>org.junit.jupiter</groupId>
       <artifactId>junit-jupiter-engine</artifactId>
       <scope>test</scope>
     </dependency>
+
     <dependency>
       <groupId>org.springframework</groupId>
       <artifactId>spring-test</artifactId>
       <scope>test</scope>
     </dependency>
+
   </dependencies>
 </project>
diff --git a/log4j-to-jul/pom.xml b/log4j-to-jul/pom.xml
index 54899fad282..3d683e2319e 100644
--- a/log4j-to-jul/pom.xml
+++ b/log4j-to-jul/pom.xml
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
 
   <properties>
     <bnd-extra-package-options>
-      <!-- Annotations only -->
+      <!-- Annotations only: users are allowed to exclude this dependency -->
       org.jspecify.*;resolution:=optional
     </bnd-extra-package-options>
     <bnd-extra-module-options>
@@ -41,39 +41,49 @@
   </properties>
 
   <dependencies>
-    <dependency>
-      <groupId>org.jspecify</groupId>
-      <artifactId>jspecify</artifactId>
-      <scope>provided</scope>
-    </dependency>
+
     <dependency>
       <groupId>org.osgi</groupId>
       <artifactId>org.osgi.core</artifactId>
       <scope>provided</scope>
     </dependency>
+
     <dependency>
       <groupId>org.apache.logging.log4j</groupId>
       <artifactId>log4j-api</artifactId>
     </dependency>
+
+    <!--
+      ~ Effectively optional, but included due to its size and the compilation warnings its absence causes.
+      -->
+    <dependency>
+      <groupId>org.jspecify</groupId>
+      <artifactId>jspecify</artifactId>
+    </dependency>
+
     <dependency>
       <groupId>org.assertj</groupId>
       <artifactId>assertj-core</artifactId>
       <scope>test</scope>
     </dependency>
+
     <dependency>
       <groupId>com.google.guava</groupId>
       <artifactId>guava-testlib</artifactId>
       <scope>test</scope>
     </dependency>
+
     <dependency>
       <groupId>org.junit.jupiter</groupId>
       <artifactId>junit-jupiter-engine</artifactId>
       <scope>test</scope>
     </dependency>
+
     <dependency>
       <groupId>org.junit.vintage</groupId>
       <artifactId>junit-vintage-engine</artifactId>
       <scope>test</scope>
     </dependency>
+
   </dependencies>
 </project>
diff --git a/log4j-to-slf4j/pom.xml b/log4j-to-slf4j/pom.xml
index 68f305133aa..1120f846017 100644
--- a/log4j-to-slf4j/pom.xml
+++ b/log4j-to-slf4j/pom.xml
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@
       -->
     <slf4j.support.range>[1.7,3)</slf4j.support.range>
     <bnd-extra-package-options>
-      <!-- Annotations only -->
+      <!-- Annotations only: users are allowed to exclude this dependency -->
       org.jspecify.*;resolution:=optional,
       <!-- This bridge also support SLF4J 2.x -->
       org.slf4j.*;version="${slf4j.support.range}"
@@ -64,70 +64,86 @@
   </dependencyManagement>
 
   <dependencies>
+
     <dependency>
       <groupId>org.osgi</groupId>
       <artifactId>org.osgi.core</artifactId>
       <scope>provided</scope>
     </dependency>
-    <dependency>
-      <groupId>org.jspecify</groupId>
-      <artifactId>jspecify</artifactId>
-      <scope>provided</scope>
-    </dependency>
+
     <dependency>
       <groupId>org.apache.logging.log4j</groupId>
       <artifactId>log4j-api</artifactId>
     </dependency>
+
+    <!--
+      ~ Effectively optional, but included due to its size and the compilation warnings its absence causes.
+      -->
+    <dependency>
+      <groupId>org.jspecify</groupId>
+      <artifactId>jspecify</artifactId>
+    </dependency>
+
     <dependency>
       <groupId>org.slf4j</groupId>
       <artifactId>slf4j-api</artifactId>
     </dependency>
+
     <dependency>
       <groupId>org.assertj</groupId>
       <artifactId>assertj-core</artifactId>
       <scope>test</scope>
     </dependency>
+
     <dependency>
       <groupId>org.hamcrest</groupId>
       <artifactId>hamcrest</artifactId>
       <scope>test</scope>
     </dependency>
+
     <dependency>
       <groupId>org.junit.jupiter</groupId>
       <artifactId>junit-jupiter-engine</artifactId>
       <scope>test</scope>
     </dependency>
+
     <dependency>
       <groupId>org.junit.jupiter</groupId>
       <artifactId>junit-jupiter-params</artifactId>
       <scope>test</scope>
     </dependency>
+
     <dependency>
       <groupId>ch.qos.logback</groupId>
       <artifactId>logback-classic</artifactId>
       <scope>test</scope>
     </dependency>
+
     <dependency>
       <groupId>ch.qos.logback</groupId>
       <artifactId>logback-core</artifactId>
       <scope>test</scope>
     </dependency>
+
     <dependency>
       <groupId>ch.qos.logback</groupId>
       <artifactId>logback-core</artifactId>
       <type>test-jar</type>
       <scope>test</scope>
     </dependency>
+
     <dependency>
       <groupId>org.apache.logging.log4j</groupId>
       <artifactId>log4j-api-test</artifactId>
       <scope>test</scope>
     </dependency>
+
     <dependency>
       <groupId>org.mockito</groupId>
       <artifactId>mockito-core</artifactId>
       <scope>test</scope>
     </dependency>
+
   </dependencies>
 
   <build>
diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index bce5e5cc036..19d842dfd92 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -968,19 +968,6 @@
         </property>
       </activation>
 
-      <!-- There are certain Java 8 bugs[1] that cause Mockito failures[2].
-           Adding necessary dependencies to workaround them.
-           [1] https://bugs.openjdk.org/browse/JDK-8152174
-           [2] https://github.com/mockito/mockito/issues/1449 -->
-      <dependencies>
-        <dependency>
-          <groupId>org.jspecify</groupId>
-          <artifactId>jspecify</artifactId>
-          <version>${jspecify.version}</version>
-          <scope>test</scope>
-        </dependency>
-      </dependencies>
-
       <build>
         <plugins>
           <plugin>