diff --git a/build.gradle b/build.gradle
index 36ced29d0bd61..304455e821721 100644
--- a/build.gradle
+++ b/build.gradle
@@ -1078,80 +1078,65 @@ project(':core') {
     duplicatesStrategy 'exclude'
   }
 
+  tasks.withType(JavaExec) { task ->
+    if (task.name.startsWith('gen') && task.name.endsWith('Docs')) {
+      task.classpath = sourceSets.main.runtimeClasspath + configurations.releaseOnly
+      if(!generatedDocsDir.exists()) { generatedDocsDir.mkdirs() }
+    }
+  }
+
   task genProtocolErrorDocs(type: JavaExec) {
-    classpath = sourceSets.main.runtimeClasspath
     mainClass = 'org.apache.kafka.common.protocol.Errors'
-    if( !generatedDocsDir.exists() ) { generatedDocsDir.mkdirs() }
     standardOutput = new File(generatedDocsDir, "protocol_errors.html").newOutputStream()
   }
 
   task genProtocolTypesDocs(type: JavaExec) {
-    classpath = sourceSets.main.runtimeClasspath
     mainClass = 'org.apache.kafka.common.protocol.types.Type'
-    if( !generatedDocsDir.exists() ) { generatedDocsDir.mkdirs() }
     standardOutput = new File(generatedDocsDir, "protocol_types.html").newOutputStream()
   }
 
   task genProtocolApiKeyDocs(type: JavaExec) {
-    classpath = sourceSets.main.runtimeClasspath
     mainClass = 'org.apache.kafka.common.protocol.ApiKeys'
-    if( !generatedDocsDir.exists() ) { generatedDocsDir.mkdirs() }
     standardOutput = new File(generatedDocsDir, "protocol_api_keys.html").newOutputStream()
   }
 
   task genProtocolMessageDocs(type: JavaExec) {
-    classpath = sourceSets.main.runtimeClasspath
     mainClass = 'org.apache.kafka.common.protocol.Protocol'
-    if( !generatedDocsDir.exists() ) { generatedDocsDir.mkdirs() }
     standardOutput = new File(generatedDocsDir, "protocol_messages.html").newOutputStream()
   }
 
   task genAdminClientConfigDocs(type: JavaExec) {
-    classpath = sourceSets.main.runtimeClasspath
     mainClass = 'org.apache.kafka.clients.admin.AdminClientConfig'
-    if( !generatedDocsDir.exists() ) { generatedDocsDir.mkdirs() }
     standardOutput = new File(generatedDocsDir, "admin_client_config.html").newOutputStream()
   }
 
   task genProducerConfigDocs(type: JavaExec) {
-    classpath = sourceSets.main.runtimeClasspath
     mainClass = 'org.apache.kafka.clients.producer.ProducerConfig'
-    if( !generatedDocsDir.exists() ) { generatedDocsDir.mkdirs() }
     standardOutput = new File(generatedDocsDir, "producer_config.html").newOutputStream()
   }
 
   task genConsumerConfigDocs(type: JavaExec) {
-    classpath = sourceSets.main.runtimeClasspath
     mainClass = 'org.apache.kafka.clients.consumer.ConsumerConfig'
-    if( !generatedDocsDir.exists() ) { generatedDocsDir.mkdirs() }
     standardOutput = new File(generatedDocsDir, "consumer_config.html").newOutputStream()
   }
 
   task genKafkaConfigDocs(type: JavaExec) {
-    classpath = sourceSets.main.runtimeClasspath
     mainClass = 'kafka.server.KafkaConfig'
-    if( !generatedDocsDir.exists() ) { generatedDocsDir.mkdirs() }
     standardOutput = new File(generatedDocsDir, "kafka_config.html").newOutputStream()
   }
 
   task genTopicConfigDocs(type: JavaExec) {
-    classpath = sourceSets.main.runtimeClasspath
     mainClass = 'org.apache.kafka.storage.internals.log.LogConfig'
-    if( !generatedDocsDir.exists() ) { generatedDocsDir.mkdirs() }
     standardOutput = new File(generatedDocsDir, "topic_config.html").newOutputStream()
   }
 
   task genConsumerMetricsDocs(type: JavaExec) {
-    classpath = sourceSets.test.runtimeClasspath
     mainClass = 'org.apache.kafka.clients.consumer.internals.ConsumerMetrics'
-    if( !generatedDocsDir.exists() ) { generatedDocsDir.mkdirs() }
     standardOutput = new File(generatedDocsDir, "consumer_metrics.html").newOutputStream()
   }
 
   task genProducerMetricsDocs(type: JavaExec) {
-    classpath = sourceSets.test.runtimeClasspath
     mainClass = 'org.apache.kafka.clients.producer.internals.ProducerMetrics'
-    if( !generatedDocsDir.exists() ) { generatedDocsDir.mkdirs() }
     standardOutput = new File(generatedDocsDir, "producer_metrics.html").newOutputStream()
   }
 
@@ -2605,9 +2590,12 @@ project(':streams') {
 
   configurations {
     generator
+    releaseOnly
   }
 
   dependencies {
+    releaseOnly log4jReleaseLibs
+
     api project(path: ':clients', configuration: 'shadow')
     // `org.rocksdb.Options` is part of Kafka Streams public api via `RocksDBConfigSetter`
     api libs.rocksDBJni
@@ -2711,7 +2699,7 @@ project(':streams') {
   }
 
   task genStreamsConfigDocs(type: JavaExec) {
-    classpath = sourceSets.main.runtimeClasspath
+    classpath = sourceSets.main.runtimeClasspath + configurations.releaseOnly
     mainClass = 'org.apache.kafka.streams.StreamsConfig'
     if( !generatedDocsDir.exists() ) { generatedDocsDir.mkdirs() }
     standardOutput = new File(generatedDocsDir, "streams_config.html").newOutputStream()
@@ -3462,6 +3450,7 @@ project(':connect:json') {
 project(':connect:runtime') {
   configurations {
     swagger
+    releaseOnly
   }
 
   base {
@@ -3469,6 +3458,7 @@ project(':connect:runtime') {
   }
 
   dependencies {
+    releaseOnly log4jReleaseLibs
     // connect-runtime is used in tests, use `api` for modules below for backwards compatibility even though
     // applications should generally not depend on `connect-runtime`
     api project(':connect:api')
@@ -3555,45 +3545,40 @@ project(':connect:runtime') {
     dependsOn copyDependantLibs
   }
 
+  tasks.withType(JavaExec) { task ->
+    if (task.name.startsWith('gen') && task.name.endsWith('Docs')) {
+      task.classpath = sourceSets.main.runtimeClasspath + configurations.releaseOnly
+      if(!generatedDocsDir.exists()) { generatedDocsDir.mkdirs() }
+    }
+  }
+
   task genConnectConfigDocs(type: JavaExec) {
-    classpath = sourceSets.main.runtimeClasspath
     mainClass = 'org.apache.kafka.connect.runtime.distributed.DistributedConfig'
-    if( !generatedDocsDir.exists() ) { generatedDocsDir.mkdirs() }
     standardOutput = new File(generatedDocsDir, "connect_config.html").newOutputStream()
   }
 
   task genSinkConnectorConfigDocs(type: JavaExec) {
-    classpath = sourceSets.main.runtimeClasspath
     mainClass = 'org.apache.kafka.connect.runtime.SinkConnectorConfig'
-    if( !generatedDocsDir.exists() ) { generatedDocsDir.mkdirs() }
     standardOutput = new File(generatedDocsDir, "sink_connector_config.html").newOutputStream()
   }
 
   task genSourceConnectorConfigDocs(type: JavaExec) {
-    classpath = sourceSets.main.runtimeClasspath
     mainClass = 'org.apache.kafka.connect.runtime.SourceConnectorConfig'
-    if( !generatedDocsDir.exists() ) { generatedDocsDir.mkdirs() }
     standardOutput = new File(generatedDocsDir, "source_connector_config.html").newOutputStream()
   }
 
   task genConnectTransformationDocs(type: JavaExec) {
-    classpath = sourceSets.main.runtimeClasspath
     mainClass = 'org.apache.kafka.connect.tools.TransformationDoc'
-    if( !generatedDocsDir.exists() ) { generatedDocsDir.mkdirs() }
     standardOutput = new File(generatedDocsDir, "connect_transforms.html").newOutputStream()
   }
 
   task genConnectPredicateDocs(type: JavaExec) {
-    classpath = sourceSets.main.runtimeClasspath
     mainClass = 'org.apache.kafka.connect.tools.PredicateDoc'
-    if( !generatedDocsDir.exists() ) { generatedDocsDir.mkdirs() }
     standardOutput = new File(generatedDocsDir, "connect_predicates.html").newOutputStream()
   }
 
   task genConnectMetricsDocs(type: JavaExec) {
-    classpath = sourceSets.main.runtimeClasspath
     mainClass = 'org.apache.kafka.connect.runtime.ConnectMetrics'
-    if( !generatedDocsDir.exists() ) { generatedDocsDir.mkdirs() }
     standardOutput = new File(generatedDocsDir, "connect_metrics.html").newOutputStream()
   }
 
@@ -3605,7 +3590,7 @@ project(':connect:runtime') {
   }
 
   task genConnectOpenAPIDocs(type: io.swagger.v3.plugins.gradle.tasks.ResolveTask, dependsOn: setVersionInOpenAPISpec) {
-    classpath = sourceSets.main.runtimeClasspath
+    classpath = sourceSets.main.runtimeClasspath + configurations.releaseOnly
 
     buildClasspath = classpath + configurations.swagger
     outputFileName = 'connect_rest'
@@ -3706,7 +3691,13 @@ project(':connect:mirror') {
     archivesName = "connect-mirror"
   }
 
+  configurations {
+    releaseOnly
+  }
+
   dependencies {
+    releaseOnly log4jReleaseLibs
+
     implementation project(':connect:api')
     implementation project(':connect:runtime')
     implementation project(':connect:mirror-client')
@@ -3764,31 +3755,30 @@ project(':connect:mirror') {
     duplicatesStrategy 'exclude'
   }
 
+  tasks.withType(JavaExec) { task ->
+    if (task.name.startsWith('gen') && task.name.endsWith('Docs')) {
+      task.classpath = sourceSets.main.runtimeClasspath + configurations.releaseOnly
+      if(!generatedDocsDir.exists()) { generatedDocsDir.mkdirs() }
+    }
+  }
+
   task genMirrorConnectorConfigDocs(type: JavaExec) {
-    classpath = sourceSets.main.runtimeClasspath
     mainClass = 'org.apache.kafka.connect.mirror.MirrorConnectorConfig'
-    if( !generatedDocsDir.exists() ) { generatedDocsDir.mkdirs() }
     standardOutput = new File(generatedDocsDir, "mirror_connector_config.html").newOutputStream()
   }
 
   task genMirrorSourceConfigDocs(type: JavaExec) {
-    classpath = sourceSets.main.runtimeClasspath
     mainClass = 'org.apache.kafka.connect.mirror.MirrorSourceConfig'
-    if( !generatedDocsDir.exists() ) { generatedDocsDir.mkdirs() }
     standardOutput = new File(generatedDocsDir, "mirror_source_config.html").newOutputStream()
   }
 
   task genMirrorCheckpointConfigDocs(type: JavaExec) {
-    classpath = sourceSets.main.runtimeClasspath
     mainClass = 'org.apache.kafka.connect.mirror.MirrorCheckpointConfig'
-    if( !generatedDocsDir.exists() ) { generatedDocsDir.mkdirs() }
     standardOutput = new File(generatedDocsDir, "mirror_checkpoint_config.html").newOutputStream()
   }
 
   task genMirrorHeartbeatConfigDocs(type: JavaExec) {
-    classpath = sourceSets.main.runtimeClasspath
     mainClass = 'org.apache.kafka.connect.mirror.MirrorHeartbeatConfig'
-    if( !generatedDocsDir.exists() ) { generatedDocsDir.mkdirs() }
     standardOutput = new File(generatedDocsDir, "mirror_heartbeat_config.html").newOutputStream()
   }