diff --git a/.ci/manifest.toml b/.ci/manifest.toml
index c7b8809b..c97cb0b4 100644
--- a/.ci/manifest.toml
+++ b/.ci/manifest.toml
@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@ platform = "gh-ubuntu-24.04"
 runs-on = "arc-runner-normal"
 container = "eccr.ecmwf.int/public-ci-images/rocky8-gcc8-gfortran8:latest"
 platform = "rocky-8"
+cxx-compiler = "g++-8"
+c-compiler = "gcc-8"
 
 [[matrix.build.include]]
 runs-on = "arc-runner-normal"
@@ -46,6 +48,41 @@ platform = "macos-13-arm"
 runs-on = ["self-hosted", "platform-builder-macosx-13.4.1-x86_64"]
 platform = "macos-13-x86"
 
+[[matrix.build.include]]
+runs-on = "arc-runner-normal"
+cxx-compiler = "g++-15"
+c-compiler = "gcc-15"
+container = "eccr.ecmwf.int/public-ci-images/ubuntu26.04-gcc15-gfortran15"
+platform = "ubuntu-26.04"
+
+[[matrix.build.include]]
+runs-on = "arc-runner-normal"
+cxx-compiler = "g++-11"
+c-compiler = "gcc-11"
+container = "eccr.ecmwf.int/public-ci-images/rocky9-gcc11-gfortran11"
+platform = "rocky-9"
+
+[[matrix.build.include]]
+runs-on = "arc-runner-normal"
+cxx-compiler = "g++-14"
+c-compiler = "gcc-14"
+container = "eccr.ecmwf.int/public-ci-images/rocky10-gcc14-gfortran14"
+platform = "rocky-10"
+
+[[matrix.build.include]]
+runs-on = "arc-runner-normal"
+cxx-compiler = "g++-12"
+c-compiler = "gcc-12"
+container = "eccr.ecmwf.int/public-ci-images/debian12-gcc12-gfortran12"
+platform = "debian-12"
+
+[[matrix.build.include]]
+runs-on = "arc-runner-normal"
+cxx-compiler = "g++-14"
+c-compiler = "gcc-14"
+container = "eccr.ecmwf.int/public-ci-images/debian13-gcc14-gfortran14"
+platform = "debian-13"
+
 [matrix.build]
 triggers = ["rebuild-request"]
 
@@ -123,3 +160,11 @@ ref = "develop"
 [[trigger-downstream]]
 repo = "ecmwf/ecflow"
 ref = "develop"
+
+[[trigger-downstream]]
+repo = "ecmwf/fckit"
+ref = "develop"
+
+[[trigger-downstream]]
+repo = "ecmwf/atlas"
+ref = "develop"
diff --git a/.github/ci-approval-allowlist.yml b/.github/ci-approval-allowlist.yml
index ba4b0c82..9a8f4d0f 100644
--- a/.github/ci-approval-allowlist.yml
+++ b/.github/ci-approval-allowlist.yml
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 ---
 exempt:
-  - workflow: contributor-declaration.yml
   - workflow: pr-label-downstream-ci.yml
   - workflow: old_CI.yml
     reason: "legacy, retiring; gates downstream-ci with an if: rather than needs:"
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index e94e1ed2..f93ba3c7 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ concurrency:
 
 env:
   ARTIFACT_POLL_INTERVAL: ${{ vars.ARTIFACT_POLL_INTERVAL || '60' }}
+  ARTIFACT_WAIT_TIMEOUT: ${{ vars.ARTIFACT_WAIT_TIMEOUT || '1800' }}
   ARTIFACT_S3_ENDPOINT: ${{ secrets.ARTIFACT_S3_ENDPOINT }}
   ARTIFACT_S3_BUCKET: ${{ secrets.ARTIFACT_S3_BUCKET }}
   AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID: ${{ secrets.AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID }}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/contributor-declaration.yml b/.github/workflows/contributor-declaration.yml
deleted file mode 100644
index aebb7654..00000000
--- a/.github/workflows/contributor-declaration.yml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,19 +0,0 @@
-name: Contributor Declaration
-
-on:
-  # Parked: run it by hand only, until the declaration check comes back. To
-  # restore, put back the trigger below -- pull_request_target runs the BASE
-  # branch's copy of this file, so a pull request cannot edit the gate that
-  # judges it, and it is safe here because nothing from the pull request is ever
-  # checked out or executed and no write token is used.
-  #
-  #  pull_request_target:
-  #    types: [opened, edited, reopened, synchronize]
-  workflow_dispatch:
-
-permissions:
-  contents: read
-
-jobs:
-  contributor-declaration:
-    uses: ecmwf/ci-infrastructure/.github/workflows/check-pr-declaration.yml@main