diff --git a/instrumentation/hibernate/hibernate-reactive-1.0/javaagent/build.gradle.kts b/instrumentation/hibernate/hibernate-reactive-1.0/javaagent/build.gradle.kts
index 54b6b8038d..6f4ee50c78 100644
--- a/instrumentation/hibernate/hibernate-reactive-1.0/javaagent/build.gradle.kts
+++ b/instrumentation/hibernate/hibernate-reactive-1.0/javaagent/build.gradle.kts
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ testing {
         implementation("org.testcontainers:testcontainers")
         if (latestDepTest) {
           implementation("org.hibernate.reactive:hibernate-reactive-core:latest.release")
-          implementation("io.vertx:vertx-pg-client:latest.release")
+          implementation("io.vertx:vertx-pg-client:4.+")
         } else {
           implementation("org.hibernate.reactive:hibernate-reactive-core:2.0.0.Final")
           implementation("io.vertx:vertx-pg-client:4.4.2")
diff --git a/instrumentation/vertx/vertx-http-client/vertx-http-client-4.0/javaagent/build.gradle.kts b/instrumentation/vertx/vertx-http-client/vertx-http-client-4.0/javaagent/build.gradle.kts
index 021419b096..97a9d5f4b6 100644
--- a/instrumentation/vertx/vertx-http-client/vertx-http-client-4.0/javaagent/build.gradle.kts
+++ b/instrumentation/vertx/vertx-http-client/vertx-http-client-4.0/javaagent/build.gradle.kts
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ muzzle {
   pass {
     group.set("io.vertx")
     module.set("vertx-core")
-    versions.set("[4.0.0,)")
+    versions.set("[4.0.0,5)")
     assertInverse.set(true)
   }
 }
@@ -20,4 +20,7 @@ dependencies {
   implementation(project(":instrumentation:vertx:vertx-http-client:vertx-http-client-common:javaagent"))
 
   testInstrumentation(project(":instrumentation:netty:netty-4.1:javaagent"))
+
+  latestDepTestLibrary("io.vertx:vertx-core:4.+") // documented limitation, 5.x not supported yet
+  latestDepTestLibrary("io.vertx:vertx-codegen:4.+") // documented limitation, 5.x not supported yet
 }
diff --git a/instrumentation/vertx/vertx-kafka-client-3.6/javaagent/build.gradle.kts b/instrumentation/vertx/vertx-kafka-client-3.6/javaagent/build.gradle.kts
index 872bddb11b..816085ceca 100644
--- a/instrumentation/vertx/vertx-kafka-client-3.6/javaagent/build.gradle.kts
+++ b/instrumentation/vertx/vertx-kafka-client-3.6/javaagent/build.gradle.kts
@@ -22,6 +22,9 @@ dependencies {
   testImplementation(project(":instrumentation:vertx:vertx-kafka-client-3.6:testing"))
 
   testInstrumentation(project(":instrumentation:kafka:kafka-clients:kafka-clients-0.11:javaagent"))
+
+  latestDepTestLibrary("io.vertx:vertx-kafka-client:4.+") // documented limitation, 5.x not supported yet
+  latestDepTestLibrary("io.vertx:vertx-codegen:4.+") // documented limitation, 5.x not supported yet
 }
 
 val latestDepTest = findProperty("testLatestDeps") as Boolean
@@ -34,8 +37,8 @@ testing {
 
         // the "library" configuration is not recognized by the test suite plugin
         if (latestDepTest) {
-          implementation("io.vertx:vertx-kafka-client:latest.release")
-          implementation("io.vertx:vertx-codegen:latest.release")
+          implementation("io.vertx:vertx-kafka-client:4.+")
+          implementation("io.vertx:vertx-codegen:4.+")
         } else {
           implementation("io.vertx:vertx-kafka-client:3.6.0")
           implementation("io.vertx:vertx-codegen:3.6.0")
diff --git a/instrumentation/vertx/vertx-rx-java-3.5/javaagent/build.gradle.kts b/instrumentation/vertx/vertx-rx-java-3.5/javaagent/build.gradle.kts
index 883d013818..cd1cdaaa78 100644
--- a/instrumentation/vertx/vertx-rx-java-3.5/javaagent/build.gradle.kts
+++ b/instrumentation/vertx/vertx-rx-java-3.5/javaagent/build.gradle.kts
@@ -50,11 +50,11 @@ testing {
         compileOnly(project.dependencies.project(":testing:armeria-shaded-for-testing", configuration = "shadow"))
 
         implementation("org.hsqldb:hsqldb:2.3.4")
-        implementation("io.vertx:vertx-web:latest.release")
-        implementation("io.vertx:vertx-rx-java2:latest.release")
-        implementation("io.vertx:vertx-web-client:latest.release")
-        implementation("io.vertx:vertx-jdbc-client:latest.release")
-        implementation("io.vertx:vertx-circuit-breaker:latest.release")
+        implementation("io.vertx:vertx-web:4.+")
+        implementation("io.vertx:vertx-rx-java2:4.+")
+        implementation("io.vertx:vertx-web-client:4.+")
+        implementation("io.vertx:vertx-jdbc-client:4.+")
+        implementation("io.vertx:vertx-circuit-breaker:4.+")
       }
     }
   }
diff --git a/instrumentation/vertx/vertx-sql-client-4.0/javaagent/build.gradle.kts b/instrumentation/vertx/vertx-sql-client-4.0/javaagent/build.gradle.kts
index 4e2363c908..569e1b214f 100644
--- a/instrumentation/vertx/vertx-sql-client-4.0/javaagent/build.gradle.kts
+++ b/instrumentation/vertx/vertx-sql-client-4.0/javaagent/build.gradle.kts
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ muzzle {
   pass {
     group.set("io.vertx")
     module.set("vertx-sql-client")
-    versions.set("[4.0.0,)")
+    versions.set("[4.0.0,5)")
     assertInverse.set(true)
   }
 }
@@ -20,6 +20,10 @@ dependencies {
 
   testLibrary("io.vertx:vertx-pg-client:$version")
   testLibrary("io.vertx:vertx-codegen:$version")
+
+  latestDepTestLibrary("io.vertx:vertx-sql-client:4.+") // documented limitation, 5.x not supported yet
+  latestDepTestLibrary("io.vertx:vertx-pg-client:4.+") // documented limitation, 5.x not supported yet
+  latestDepTestLibrary("io.vertx:vertx-codegen:4.+") // documented limitation, 5.x not supported yet
 }
 
 tasks {
diff --git a/instrumentation/vertx/vertx-web-3.0/javaagent/build.gradle.kts b/instrumentation/vertx/vertx-web-3.0/javaagent/build.gradle.kts
index 853b0a409e..ee63a8871a 100644
--- a/instrumentation/vertx/vertx-web-3.0/javaagent/build.gradle.kts
+++ b/instrumentation/vertx/vertx-web-3.0/javaagent/build.gradle.kts
@@ -37,9 +37,9 @@ testing {
       dependencies {
         implementation(project(":instrumentation:vertx:vertx-web-3.0:testing"))
 
-        implementation("io.vertx:vertx-web:latest.release")
-        implementation("io.vertx:vertx-jdbc-client:latest.release")
-        implementation("io.vertx:vertx-codegen:latest.release")
+        implementation("io.vertx:vertx-web:4.+")
+        implementation("io.vertx:vertx-jdbc-client:4.+")
+        implementation("io.vertx:vertx-codegen:4.+")
       }
     }
   }