diff --git a/.github/workflows/java-build-for-release.yml b/.github/workflows/java-release.yml
similarity index 61%
rename from .github/workflows/java-build-for-release.yml
rename to .github/workflows/java-release.yml
index 1310a4e0..9eeaa228 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/java-build-for-release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/java-release.yml
@@ -22,13 +22,11 @@ jobs:
   build:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     needs: [ci, strip-tag]
-    outputs:
-      hashes: ${{ steps.hash.outputs.hashes }}
+    permissions:
+      id-token: write # to sign with sigstore
     steps:
       - name: checkout tag
-        uses: actions/checkout@44c2b7a8a4ea60a981eaca3cf939b5f4305c123b # v4.1.5
-        with:
-          ref: "${{ github.ref }}"
+        uses: actions/checkout@9bb56186c3b09b4f86b1c65136769dd318469633 # v4.1.2
 
       - name: Set up JDK 11
         uses: actions/setup-java@99b8673ff64fbf99d8d325f52d9a5bdedb8483e9 # v4.2.1
@@ -37,23 +35,16 @@ jobs:
           distribution: 'temurin'
 
       - name: Build project
+        working-directory: ./java
         run: |
           # override the version in gradle.properties
-          cd java
-          ./gradlew clean createReleaseBundle -Pversion=${{ needs.strip-tag.outputs.version }}
-
-      - name: Hash Artifacts
-        id: hash
-        run: |
-          cd java/build/release
-          echo "hashes=$(sha256sum ./* | base64 -w0)" >> $GITHUB_OUTPUT
-          sha256sum ./*
-
+          # we have to do some post processing with pgp signatures, cause those secrets aren't online yet
+          ./gradlew clean createReleaseBundle -Pversion=${{ needs.strip-tag.outputs.version }} -Prelease -PskipPgpSigning
       - name: Upload build artifacts
         uses: actions/upload-artifact@65462800fd760344b1a7b4382951275a0abb4808 # v4.3.3
         with:
           name: project-release-artifacts
-          path: ./java/build/release/
+          path: ./java/build/libs/protobuf-specs-*-bundle.jar
           if-no-files-found: error
 
   create-release:
@@ -67,23 +58,9 @@ jobs:
         with:
           name: project-release-artifacts
           path: ./release/
-      - name: Create draft release
+      - name: Create release
         uses: softprops/action-gh-release@69320dbe05506a9a39fc8ae11030b214ec2d1f87 # v2.0.5
         with:
           name: ${{ github.ref_name }}
           tag_name: ${{ github.ref_name }}
           files: ./release/*
-          prerelease: true
-
-  provenance:
-    needs: [build, strip-tag, create-release]
-    permissions:
-      actions: read # To read the workflow path.
-      id-token: write # To sign the provenance.
-      contents: write
-    uses: slsa-framework/slsa-github-generator/.github/workflows/generator_generic_slsa3.yml@v2.0.0
-    with:
-      attestation-name: "protobuf-specs-${{ needs.strip-tag.outputs.version }}.attestation.intoto.jsonl"
-      upload-assets: true
-      base64-subjects: "${{ needs.build.outputs.hashes }}"
-      upload-tag-name: "${{ github.ref_name }}" # Upload to tag rather than generate a new release
diff --git a/java/build.gradle.kts b/java/build.gradle.kts
index cd473ce3..71bae2d1 100644
--- a/java/build.gradle.kts
+++ b/java/build.gradle.kts
@@ -1,29 +1,23 @@
-import org.gradle.api.publish.maven.internal.publication.DefaultMavenPublication
-
 plugins {
     `java-library`
     `maven-publish`
-    id("com.google.protobuf") version "0.9.4"
+    id("dev.sigstore.sign") version "0.8.0"
     id("com.diffplug.spotless") version "6.25.0"
+    `signing`
 }
 
-description = "Code generated library for the Sigstore bundle format protobufs"
-
-sourceSets {
-    main {
-        proto {
-            srcDir("../protos/")
-        }
-    }
-}
+description = "Sigstore protobuf spec protos bundled into a jar"
 
 repositories {
     mavenCentral()
 }
 
-dependencies {
-    implementation("com.google.protobuf:protobuf-java:4.26.1")
-    implementation("com.google.api.grpc:proto-google-common-protos:2.37.1")
+sourceSets {
+    main {
+        resources {
+            srcDirs("../protos")
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 // gradle reproducible jar builds
@@ -37,12 +31,6 @@ java {
     withSourcesJar()
 }
 
-protobuf {
-    protoc {
-        artifact = "com.google.protobuf:protoc:4.26.1"
-    }
-}
-
 spotless {
     kotlinGradle {
         target("*.gradle.kts") // default target for kotlinGradle
@@ -62,19 +50,11 @@ val repoUrl = "https://github.com/sigstore/protobuf-specs"
 
 publishing {
     publications {
-        create<MavenPublication>("mavenJava") {
+        create<MavenPublication>("proto") {
 
             artifactId = project.name
             from(components["java"])
 
-            versionMapping {
-                usage(Usage.JAVA_RUNTIME) {
-                    fromResolutionResult()
-                }
-                usage(Usage.JAVA_API) {
-                    fromResolutionOf("runtimeClasspath")
-                }
-            }
             pom {
                 name.set(
                     (project.findProperty("artifact.name") as? String)
@@ -114,20 +94,48 @@ publishing {
             }
         }
     }
+    repositories {
+        maven {
+            name = "releaseStaging"
+            url = uri(layout.buildDirectory.dir("releaseStaging"))
+        }
+    }
 }
 
-// this task should be used by github actions to create release artifacts along with a slsa
-// attestation.
-tasks.register("createReleaseBundle") {
-    val releaseDir = layout.buildDirectory.dir("release")
-    outputs.dir(releaseDir)
-    dependsOn((publishing.publications["mavenJava"] as DefaultMavenPublication).publishableArtifacts)
-    doLast {
-        project.copy {
-            from((publishing.publications["mavenJava"] as DefaultMavenPublication).publishableArtifacts.files)
-            into(releaseDir)
-            rename("pom-default.xml", "${project.name}-${project.version}.pom")
-            rename("module.json", "${project.name}-${project.version}.module")
-        }
+tasks.register<Jar>("createReleaseBundle") {
+    dependsOn("publishProtoPublicationToReleaseStagingRepository")
+    from(layout.buildDirectory.dir("releaseStaging/dev/sigstore/protobuf-specs/$version")) {
+        include("*.jar")
+        include("*.pom")
+        include("*.module")
+        include("*.sigstore")
+        include("*.sigstore.json")
+        include("*.asc")
+    }
+    archiveFileName = "${project.name}-${project.version}-bundle.jar"
+}
+
+signing {
+    val signingKey: String? by project
+    val signingPassword: String? by project
+    useInMemoryPgpKeys(signingKey, signingPassword)
+    sign(publishing.publications["proto"])
+}
+
+tasks.withType<Sign>().configureEach {
+    onlyIf("Is a release") {
+        project.hasProperty("release")
+    }
+    onlyIf("PGP Signing is not skipped") {
+        !project.hasProperty("skipPgpSigning")
+    }
+}
+
+tasks.withType<dev.sigstore.sign.tasks.SigstoreSignFilesTask>().configureEach {
+    onlyIf("Is a release") {
+        project.hasProperty("release")
+    }
+    onlyIf("Sigstore Signing is not skipped") {
+        !project.hasProperty("skipSigstoreSigning")
     }
 }
diff --git a/java/scripts/sign_and_bundle_release.sh b/java/scripts/sign_and_bundle_release.sh
index 110d1cc8..1bb0c8e9 100755
--- a/java/scripts/sign_and_bundle_release.sh
+++ b/java/scripts/sign_and_bundle_release.sh
@@ -62,20 +62,18 @@ main() {
   done
   cd "$RELEASE_DIR"
 
-  # cosign sign all the files
-  echo "Signing with cosign"
-  for file in *; do
-      # skip intoto attestations, they are already signed
-     if [[ "$file" == *.intoto.jsonl ]] ; then
-       continue;
-     fi
-     COSIGN_EXPERIMENTAL=1 cosign sign-blob --yes "$file" --output-signature="$file.sig" --output-certificate="$file.pem" --bundle "$file.bundle"
-  done
+  jar -xf *.jar
+  rm protobuf-specs-*-bundle.jar
+  rm META-INF/MANIFEST.MF
+  rmdir META-INF
 
   # then gpg sign all the files (including sigstore files)
   # this command uses gpgs default password acceptance mechansim accept a passcode
   echo "Signing with gpg"
   for file in *; do
+    if [[ $file == *.sigstore.json ]]; then
+      continue;
+    fi
     gpg --batch --detach-sign --armor -o "$file.asc" "$file"
   done