diff --git a/.github/workflows/mock_release.yaml b/.github/workflows/mock_release.yaml
index 738be30b9dd..7a1bae2050b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/mock_release.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/mock_release.yaml
@@ -6,18 +6,26 @@ jobs:
     name: Mock-release JGiven
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     env:
+      KEYSTORE_PASSWORD: 'clearlyNotARealPassword'
+      KEYSTORE_NAME: 'server.p12'
       SONATYPE_PASSWORD: 'notARealPassword'
       SONATYPE_USERNAME: 'notARealUsername'
       GPG_PASSWORD: 'espalhando'
       GPG_KEY_ID: 'notARealKeyId@example.com'
       VERSION: '0.0.1-TEST'
     steps:
-      - uses: actions/checkout@v4.1.1
       - name: Set up JDK 11
         uses: actions/setup-java@v3.13.0
         with:
           java-version: '11'
           distribution: 'adopt'
+      - name: Set up a server certificate
+        run: |
+          openssl genrsa -out server.key 2048
+          openssl req -new -key server.key -out server.csr -subj '/C=DE/ST=Berlin/L=Berlin/O=JGiven/OU=JGiven/CN=localhost'
+          openssl x509 -req -days 365 -in server.csr -signkey server.key -out server.crt
+          openssl pkcs12 -export -in server.crt -inkey server.key -out ${KEYSTORE_NAME} -name "localhost" -password "pass:${KEYSTORE_PASSWORD}"
+          keytool -import -cacerts -storepass changeit -noprompt -alias "localhost" -file server.crt
       - name: Set up openpgp signing keys
         run: |
           gpg --quick-gen-key --batch --passphrase "${GPG_PASSWORD}" "${GPG_KEY_ID}"
@@ -26,21 +34,32 @@ jobs:
         run: |
           wget https://repo1.maven.org/maven2/org/wiremock/wiremock-standalone/3.3.1/wiremock-standalone-3.3.1.jar
           wiremock=$(find ./ -name "wiremock-standalone-*.jar")
-          java -jar ${wiremock} --port 7000 --verbose &
+          java -jar "${wiremock}" --port 7000 --https-port 8443 --verbose --https-keystore "${KEYSTORE_NAME}" \
+          --keystore-password "${KEYSTORE_PASSWORD}" --keystore-type PKCS12 --key-manager-password "${KEYSTORE_PASSWORD}" &
+          counter=0 
           while ! nc -z localhost 7000; do   
             sleep 0.1 # wait for 1/10 of the second before check again
+            counter=$((counter + 1))  
+            if [ $counter -gt 100 ]; then
+              echo "Server failed to start"
+              exit 1
+            fi
           done
       - name: Add mock server mappings
         run: |
           curl -X POST  --data '{"request": {"urlPattern": "/com/tngtech/jgiven/[^/]+/[^/]+/[^/]+", "method": "PUT"}, "response": {"status": 200, "body": "OK"}}' http://localhost:7000/__admin/mappings
           curl -X POST  --data '{"request": {"urlPattern": "/com/tngtech/jgiven/.*?/maven-metadata.xml(?:[.]sha(?:1|512|256)|[.]md5)?", "method": "PUT"}, "response": {"status": 200, "body": "OK"}}' http://localhost:7000/__admin/mappings
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4.1.1
       - name: set an alternate version
         run: "source scripts/source_files/helper_functions.sh && updateAllVersionInformation ${VERSION}"
       - name: Attempt mock release
         run: >
           ./gradlew test publishMavenPublicationToMavenLocal publishMavenPublicationToMavenRepository 
           -PsigningKey="$(gpg --batch --pinentry-mode=loopback --yes --passphrase "${GPG_PASSWORD}" --armor --export-secret-key "${GPG_KEY_ID}")"
-          -PsigningPassword="${GPG_PASSWORD}" -Ppublishing.releaseUrl=http://localhost:7000 -Ppublishing.allowInsecureProtocol=true
+          -PsigningPassword="${GPG_PASSWORD}" -Ppublishing.releaseUrl=https://localhost:8443 -Ppublishing.allowInsecureProtocol=false
+          --info --stacktrace
+        env:
+          RELEASE: TRUE
       - name: Upload test results html files
         continue-on-error: true
         if: ${{failure()}}
@@ -49,4 +68,7 @@ jobs:
           name: test-report.zip
           path: /home/runner/work/JGiven/JGiven/*/build/reports/tests
           if-no-files-found: ignore
+      - name: shut down server
+        continue-on-error: true
+        run: curl -X POST http://localhost:7000/__admin/shutdown
 
diff --git a/build.gradle b/build.gradle
index 268b5ee7849..9859388a219 100644
--- a/build.gradle
+++ b/build.gradle
@@ -122,7 +122,6 @@ subprojects {
                         String releaseUrl = project["mavenRepo.releaseUrl"]
                         String snapshotUrl = project["mavenRepo.releaseUrl"]
                         url = System.env.RELEASE == "true" ? releaseUrl : snapshotUrl
-                        allowInsecureProtocol = project["mavenRepo.allowInsecureProtocol"] && url.getHost() == "localhost"
                         credentials {
                             username = sonatypeUsername
                             password = sonatypePassword
@@ -301,7 +300,6 @@ configure(subprojects) {
         }
         def signingKey = findProperty("signingKey")
         def signingPassword = findProperty("signingPassword")
-        println signingKey
         useInMemoryPgpKeys(signingKey, signingPassword)
         sign publishing.publications
     }
diff --git a/gradle.properties b/gradle.properties
index e6674e89d40..f89d0f4981f 100644
--- a/gradle.properties
+++ b/gradle.properties
@@ -5,4 +5,3 @@ android.useAndroidX=true
 android.enableJetifier=true
 mavenRepo.releaseUrl='https://oss.sonatype.org/service/local/staging/deploy/maven2/'
 mavenRepo.snapshotUrl='https://oss.sonatype.org/content/repositories/snapshots/'
-mavenRepo.allowInsecureProtocol=false