diff --git a/.github/dependabot.yml b/.github/dependabot.yml
index a59fa5d..d755aeb 100644
--- a/.github/dependabot.yml
+++ b/.github/dependabot.yml
@@ -14,6 +14,13 @@ updates:
       semver-major-days: 7
       semver-minor-days: 3
       semver-patch-days: 1
+    ignore:
+      # Maven 3.10.0 produces a Central bundle that the Central Portal rejects for modules
+      # excluded from publishing (it failed the cui-http 3.2 release, cuioss/cui-http#270). Stay on
+      # 3.9.x until https://github.com/mavenplugins/central-publishing-maven-plugin/issues/78
+      # is resolved.
+      - dependency-name: "org.apache.maven:apache-maven"
+        versions: [">= 3.10.0"]
 
   # Bumps third-party actions pinned by SHA. The cuioss-organization workflow pins are NOT updated
   # here but by the cuioss-release-bot (org release, consumers list), so this lane is idle until a
diff --git a/.mvn/wrapper/maven-wrapper.properties b/.mvn/wrapper/maven-wrapper.properties
index bb58b3c..216df05 100644
--- a/.mvn/wrapper/maven-wrapper.properties
+++ b/.mvn/wrapper/maven-wrapper.properties
@@ -1,3 +1,3 @@
 wrapperVersion=3.3.4
 distributionType=only-script
-distributionUrl=https://repo.maven.apache.org/maven2/org/apache/maven/apache-maven/3.10.0/apache-maven-3.10.0-bin.zip
+distributionUrl=https://repo.maven.apache.org/maven2/org/apache/maven/apache-maven/3.9.16/apache-maven-3.9.16-bin.zip