diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 38be3c7..e1cd2df 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
-.PHONY: default help clean build jar run-jar refresh versioncheck build-docker run-docker push-docker release upgrade-wrapper _require-version _require-gradle-version _require-image
+.PHONY: default help clean build jar run-jar refresh versioncheck build-docker run-docker \
+        push-docker release upgrade-wrapper \
+        _require-version _require-gradle-version _require-image
 
-VERSION := $(shell awk -F'=' '/^version[[:space:]]*=/{gsub(/[[:space:]]/,"",$$2); print $$2; exit}' gradle.properties 2>/dev/null)
-GRADLE_VERSION := $(shell awk -F'"' '/^gradle[[:space:]]*=/{gsub(/[[:space:]]/,"",$$2); print $$2; exit}' gradle/libs.versions.toml 2>/dev/null)
+VERSION := $(shell sed -n 's/^version=\(.*\)/\1/p' gradle.properties)
+GRADLE_VERSION := $(shell sed -n 's/^gradle-wrapper = "\(.*\)"/\1/p' gradle/libs.versions.toml)
 
 # Override on the command line: `IMAGE_NAME=myorg/vapi4k-template make release`
 IMAGE_NAME ?= docker_hub_username/vapi4k-template
@@ -9,8 +11,9 @@ PLATFORMS  := linux/amd64,linux/arm64/v8
 
 default: help
 
-help: ## Show this help message
-	@awk 'BEGIN {FS = ":.*?## "; printf "Targets (project v$(VERSION), gradle v$(GRADLE_VERSION)):\n\n"} /^[A-Za-z0-9_.-]+:.*?## / {printf "  \033[36m%-16s\033[0m %s\n", $$1, $$2}' $(MAKEFILE_LIST)
+help:  ## Show this help (list of targets)
+	@awk 'BEGIN {FS = ":.*?## "; printf "Usage: make <target>\n\nTargets:\n"} \
+		/^[a-zA-Z0-9_-]+:.*?## / {printf "  \033[36m%-22s\033[0m %s\n", $$1, $$2}' $(MAKEFILE_LIST)
 
 clean: ## Remove build artifacts
 	./gradlew clean
@@ -43,7 +46,11 @@ push-docker: _require-version _require-image ## Build and push a multiarch image
 
 release: push-docker ## Build and push the multiarch Docker image (single buildx pass)
 
-upgrade-wrapper: _require-gradle-version ## Upgrade the Gradle wrapper to the version pinned in libs.versions.toml
+# Gradle's documented upgrade procedure: the first run rewrites
+# gradle-wrapper.properties using the *old* wrapper jar; the second run
+# regenerates the wrapper itself with the new version.
+upgrade-wrapper: _require-gradle-version  ## Upgrade the Gradle wrapper to the version pinned in libs.versions.toml
+	./gradlew wrapper --gradle-version=$(GRADLE_VERSION) --distribution-type=bin
 	./gradlew wrapper --gradle-version=$(GRADLE_VERSION) --distribution-type=bin
 
 _require-version:
diff --git a/gradle/libs.versions.toml b/gradle/libs.versions.toml
index d14c82f..ce649a8 100644
--- a/gradle/libs.versions.toml
+++ b/gradle/libs.versions.toml
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 [versions]
-gradle = "9.5.0"
+gradle-wrapper = "9.5.1"
 jvm = "21"
 kotlin = "2.3.21"
 ktor = "3.4.3"
diff --git a/gradle/wrapper/gradle-wrapper.jar b/gradle/wrapper/gradle-wrapper.jar
index d997cfc..b1b8ef5 100644
Binary files a/gradle/wrapper/gradle-wrapper.jar and b/gradle/wrapper/gradle-wrapper.jar differ
diff --git a/gradle/wrapper/gradle-wrapper.properties b/gradle/wrapper/gradle-wrapper.properties
index 1a70468..df6a6ad 100644
--- a/gradle/wrapper/gradle-wrapper.properties
+++ b/gradle/wrapper/gradle-wrapper.properties
@@ -1,7 +1,9 @@
 distributionBase=GRADLE_USER_HOME
 distributionPath=wrapper/dists
-distributionUrl=https\://services.gradle.org/distributions/gradle-9.5.0-bin.zip
+distributionUrl=https\://services.gradle.org/distributions/gradle-9.5.1-bin.zip
 networkTimeout=10000
+retries=0
+retryBackOffMs=500
 validateDistributionUrl=true
 zipStoreBase=GRADLE_USER_HOME
 zipStorePath=wrapper/dists
diff --git a/gradlew b/gradlew
index 739907d..b9bb139 100755
--- a/gradlew
+++ b/gradlew
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@
 #       Darwin, MinGW, and NonStop.
 #
 #   (3) This script is generated from the Groovy template
-#       https://github.com/gradle/gradle/blob/2d6327017519d23b96af35865dc997fcb544fb40/platforms/jvm/plugins-application/src/main/resources/org/gradle/api/internal/plugins/unixStartScript.txt
+#       https://github.com/gradle/gradle/blob/3d91ce3b8caaf77ad09f381f43615b715b53f72c/platforms/jvm/plugins-application/src/main/resources/org/gradle/api/internal/plugins/unixStartScript.txt
 #       within the Gradle project.
 #
 #       You can find Gradle at https://github.com/gradle/gradle/.
diff --git a/gradlew.bat b/gradlew.bat
index e509b2d..aa5f10b 100644
--- a/gradlew.bat
+++ b/gradlew.bat
@@ -23,8 +23,8 @@
 @rem
 @rem ##########################################################################
 
-@rem Set local scope for the variables with windows NT shell
-if "%OS%"=="Windows_NT" setlocal
+@rem Set local scope for the variables, and ensure extensions are enabled
+setlocal EnableExtensions
 
 set DIRNAME=%~dp0
 if "%DIRNAME%"=="" set DIRNAME=.
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ echo. 1>&2
 echo Please set the JAVA_HOME variable in your environment to match the 1>&2
 echo location of your Java installation. 1>&2
 
-goto fail
+"%COMSPEC%" /c exit 1
 
 :findJavaFromJavaHome
 set JAVA_HOME=%JAVA_HOME:"=%
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ echo. 1>&2
 echo Please set the JAVA_HOME variable in your environment to match the 1>&2
 echo location of your Java installation. 1>&2
 
-goto fail
+"%COMSPEC%" /c exit 1
 
 :execute
 @rem Setup the command line
@@ -73,21 +73,10 @@ goto fail
 
 
 @rem Execute Gradle
-"%JAVA_EXE%" %DEFAULT_JVM_OPTS% %JAVA_OPTS% %GRADLE_OPTS% "-Dorg.gradle.appname=%APP_BASE_NAME%" -jar "%APP_HOME%\gradle\wrapper\gradle-wrapper.jar" %*
+@rem endlocal doesn't take effect until after the line is parsed and variables are expanded
+@rem which allows us to clear the local environment before executing the java command
+endlocal & "%JAVA_EXE%" %DEFAULT_JVM_OPTS% %JAVA_OPTS% %GRADLE_OPTS% "-Dorg.gradle.appname=%APP_BASE_NAME%" -jar "%APP_HOME%\gradle\wrapper\gradle-wrapper.jar" %* & call :exitWithErrorLevel
 
-:end
-@rem End local scope for the variables with windows NT shell
-if %ERRORLEVEL% equ 0 goto mainEnd
-
-:fail
-rem Set variable GRADLE_EXIT_CONSOLE if you need the _script_ return code instead of
-rem the _cmd.exe /c_ return code!
-set EXIT_CODE=%ERRORLEVEL%
-if %EXIT_CODE% equ 0 set EXIT_CODE=1
-if not ""=="%GRADLE_EXIT_CONSOLE%" exit %EXIT_CODE%
-exit /b %EXIT_CODE%
-
-:mainEnd
-if "%OS%"=="Windows_NT" endlocal
-
-:omega
+:exitWithErrorLevel
+@rem Use "%COMSPEC%" /c exit to allow operators to work properly in scripts
+"%COMSPEC%" /c exit %ERRORLEVEL%