diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index b430fb64..ce43916f 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -3,7 +3,13 @@
 *.class
 hs_err_pid*
 target/
-dependency-reduced-pom.xml
-.settings
-.project
-.classpath
\ No newline at end of file
+dependency-reduced-pom.xml
+.settings
+.project
+.classpath
+*.pyc
+/bin/
+*.ipr
+*.iws
+.DS_Store
+**/test-output/*
diff --git a/CI/post-release.sh b/CI/post-release.sh
index d9b55496..9f7adda1 100755
--- a/CI/post-release.sh
+++ b/CI/post-release.sh
@@ -15,3 +15,15 @@ python $CUR/CI/publishRelease.py "$SC_RELEASE_TAG"
 #####################
 mvn versions:set -DnewVersion="${SC_NEXT_VERSION}-SNAPSHOT"
 mvn versions:commit
+
+#####################
+### update all other versions in files around to the new release, including readme ###
+#####################
+sc_find="<version>$SC_VERSION"
+sc_replace="<version>${SC_NEXT_VERSION}-SNAPSHOT"
+sed -i -e "s/$sc_find/$sc_replace/g" $CUR/README.md
+
+sc_find="<version>$SC_VERSION<\/version>"
+sc_replace="<version>${SC_NEXT_VERSION}-SNAPSHOT<\/version>"
+sed -i -e "s/$sc_find/$sc_replace/g" $CUR/scripts/pom.xml
+
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 43159ea0..e526a9e9 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -1,7 +1,5 @@
 # Swagger Inflector
 
-[![Build Status](https://img.shields.io/jenkins/build.svg?jobUrl=https://jenkins.swagger.io/job/oss-swagger-inflector-master)](https://jenkins.swagger.io/view/OSS%20-%20Java/job/oss-swagger-inflector-master)
-
 [![Maven Central](https://maven-badges.herokuapp.com/maven-central/io.swagger/swagger-inflector/badge.svg?style=plastic)](https://maven-badges.herokuapp.com/maven-central/io.swagger/swagger-inflector)
 
 ----
diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index d2fe0817..b38af75b 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@
             <plugin>
                 <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
                 <artifactId>maven-enforcer-plugin</artifactId>
-                <version>3.0.0-M2</version>
+                <version>3.4.1</version>
                 <executions>
                     <execution>
                         <id>enforce-versions</id>
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@
             <plugin>
                 <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
                 <artifactId>maven-source-plugin</artifactId>
-                <version>2.1.2</version>
+                <version>3.3.0</version>
                 <executions>
                     <execution>
                         <id>attach-sources</id>
@@ -168,7 +168,7 @@
             </plugin>
             <plugin>
                 <artifactId>maven-compiler-plugin</artifactId>
-                <version>3.8.1</version>
+                <version>3.11.0</version>
                 <configuration>
                     <source>1.8</source>
                     <target>1.8</target>
@@ -195,12 +195,12 @@
             <plugin>
                 <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
                 <artifactId>maven-site-plugin</artifactId>
-                <version>2.1</version>
+                <version>3.12.1</version>
             </plugin>
             <plugin>
                 <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
                 <artifactId>maven-release-plugin</artifactId>
-                <version>2.1</version>
+                <version>2.5.3</version>
             </plugin>
             <plugin>
                 <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
@@ -494,6 +494,11 @@
             <artifactId>jackson-jaxrs-json-provider</artifactId>
             <version>${jackson.version}</version>
         </dependency>
+        <dependency>
+            <groupId>com.fasterxml.jackson.core</groupId>
+            <artifactId>jackson-databind</artifactId>
+            <version>${jackson.version}</version>
+        </dependency>
         <dependency>
             <groupId>com.fasterxml.jackson.jaxrs</groupId>
             <artifactId>jackson-jaxrs-yaml-provider</artifactId>
@@ -554,19 +559,19 @@
         </repository>
     </repositories>
     <properties>
-        <maven-javadoc-version>3.0.1</maven-javadoc-version>
-        <swagger-core-version>2.2.17</swagger-core-version>
-        <swagger-parser-version>2.1.18</swagger-parser-version>
-        <jackson.version>2.15.3</jackson.version>
+        <maven-javadoc-version>3.6.2</maven-javadoc-version>
+        <swagger-core-version>2.2.21</swagger-core-version>
+        <swagger-parser-version>2.1.22</swagger-parser-version>
+        <jackson.version>2.17.0</jackson.version>
         <jetty-version>9.4.53.v20231009</jetty-version>
-        <jersey2-version>2.40</jersey2-version>
+        <jersey2-version>2.42</jersey2-version>
         <servlet-api-version>3.1.0</servlet-api-version>
-        <commons-io-version>2.14.0</commons-io-version>
-        <commons-lang-version>3.13.0</commons-lang-version>
+        <commons-io-version>2.16.0</commons-io-version>
+        <commons-lang-version>3.14.0</commons-lang-version>
         <commons-csv-version>1.10.0</commons-csv-version>
         <json-schema-validator-version>2.2.14</json-schema-validator-version>
 
-        <logback-version>1.4.11</logback-version>
+        <logback-version>1.5.3</logback-version>
         <junit-version>4.13.2</junit-version>
         <slf4j-version>1.7.36</slf4j-version>
         <jmockit-version>1.19</jmockit-version>
diff --git a/scripts/pom.xml b/scripts/pom.xml
index b35bbdb7..2f0df92b 100644
--- a/scripts/pom.xml
+++ b/scripts/pom.xml
@@ -169,7 +169,7 @@
         <dependency>
             <groupId>io.swagger</groupId>
             <artifactId>swagger-inflector</artifactId>
-            <version>2.0.10</version>
+            <version>2.0.12-SNAPSHOT</version>
         </dependency>
     </dependencies>
     <properties>
diff --git a/src/main/java/io/swagger/oas/inflector/config/DirectionDeserializer.java b/src/main/java/io/swagger/oas/inflector/config/DirectionDeserializer.java
index 3716b0ba..1081f14a 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/swagger/oas/inflector/config/DirectionDeserializer.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/swagger/oas/inflector/config/DirectionDeserializer.java
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 import com.fasterxml.jackson.core.JsonToken;
 import com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.DeserializationContext;
 import com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.JsonDeserializer;
+import com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.exc.InvalidDefinitionException;
 
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.util.EnumSet;
@@ -49,6 +50,6 @@ public Set<Configuration.Direction> deserialize(JsonParser jp,
                 }
             }
         }
-        throw ctxt.mappingException(Configuration.Direction.class);
+        throw InvalidDefinitionException.from(jp, String.format("Failed to deserialize %s", jp.getText()), ctxt.constructType(Configuration.Direction.class));
     }
 }