diff --git a/.github/workflows/maven.yml b/.github/workflows/maven.yml
index 080b404c4..ce38c5c8b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/maven.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/maven.yml
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 # For more information see: https://help.github.com/actions/language-and-framework-guides/building-and-testing-java-with-maven
 
 # Tests disabled due to flakiness with under resourced github test machines. Confluent Jira works fine. Will fix later.
-name: CI compile only - Java 8 (IT disabled atm, unit tests only)
+name: Java 8 (unit tests only)
 
 on:
   push:
@@ -12,7 +12,26 @@ on:
 
 jobs:
   build:
-
+    strategy:
+      fail-fast: false
+      matrix:
+        # Why not? because we can.
+        # 2.0.1, 2.1.1, 2.2.2, 2.3.1, 2.4.1 don't work - needs zstd and some kafka client libs.
+        # Doesn't mean it couldn't be modified slightly to work...
+        ak: [2.5.1, 2.6.1]
+        jdk: ['-P jvm8-release -Djvm8.location=/opt/hostedtoolcache/jdk/8.0.282/x64', '']
+        experimental: [false]
+        name: ["Stable AK version"]
+        include:
+          - ak: "'[2.4.1,2.5)'" # currently failing
+            experimental: true
+            name: "Oldest AK breaking version 2.4.1+ (below 2.5.0) expected to fail"
+          - ak: "'[2.7.0,4)'" # currently failing
+            experimental: true
+            name: "Newest AK version 2.7.0+ expected to fail"
+
+    continue-on-error: ${{ matrix.experimental }}
+    name: "${{ matrix.name }} (AK: ${{ matrix.ak }}) experimental? ${{ matrix.experimental }}"
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
 
     steps:
@@ -71,8 +90,9 @@ jobs:
         key: ${{ runner.os }}-m2
         restore-keys: ${{ runner.os }}-m2
 
-    - name: Test with Maven on Java 8
-      run: mvn -B package -P jvm8-release -Djvm8.location=/opt/hostedtoolcache/jdk/8.0.282/x64
+    - name: Test with Maven
+      #run: mvn -B package -P jvm8-release -Djvm8.location=/opt/hostedtoolcache/jdk/8.0.282/x64 -Dkafka.version=${{ matrix.ak }}
+      run: mvn -B package ${{ matrix.jdk }} -Dkafka.version=${{ matrix.ak }}
 # - name: Test with Maven on Java 9
 #      run: mvn -B package -P jvm9-release -Djvm9.location=/opt/hostedtoolcache/jdk/9.0.7/x64
 #    - name: Test with Maven on Java
diff --git a/README.adoc b/README.adoc
index 8dbeba20f..9a779ca07 100644
--- a/README.adoc
+++ b/README.adoc
@@ -753,6 +753,9 @@ See what profiles are active::
 See what plugins or dependencies are available to be updated::
 `mvn versions:display-plugin-updates versions:display-property-updates versions:display-dependency-updates`
 
+Run a single unit test::
+`mvn -Dtest=TestCircle test`
+
 Run a specific integration test method in a submodule project, skipping unit tests::
 `mvn -Dit.test=TransactionAndCommitModeTest#testLowMaxPoll -DskipUTs=true verify  -DfailIfNoTests=false --projects parallel-consumer-core`
 
diff --git a/parallel-consumer-core/src/test/java/io/confluent/csid/utils/JavaEnvTest.java b/parallel-consumer-core/src/test/java/io/confluent/csid/utils/JavaEnvTest.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..e0115f2d9
--- /dev/null
+++ b/parallel-consumer-core/src/test/java/io/confluent/csid/utils/JavaEnvTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+package io.confluent.csid.utils;
+
+import lombok.extern.slf4j.Slf4j;
+import org.assertj.core.presentation.StandardRepresentation;
+import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
+import org.slf4j.helpers.MessageFormatter;
+
+import java.util.Map;
+import java.util.Properties;
+
+import static io.confluent.csid.utils.StringTestUtils.pretty;
+
+@Slf4j
+class JavaEnvTest {
+
+    /**
+     * Used to check the java environment at runtime
+     */
+    @Test
+    void checkJavaEnvironment() {
+        log.error("Java all env: {}", pretty(System.getProperties().entrySet()));
+    }
+}
diff --git a/parallel-consumer-core/src/test/java/io/confluent/csid/utils/StringTestUtils.java b/parallel-consumer-core/src/test/java/io/confluent/csid/utils/StringTestUtils.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..2d2adf3b3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/parallel-consumer-core/src/test/java/io/confluent/csid/utils/StringTestUtils.java
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+package io.confluent.csid.utils;
+
+import lombok.experimental.UtilityClass;
+import org.assertj.core.presentation.StandardRepresentation;
+
+@UtilityClass
+public class StringTestUtils {
+
+    public static final StandardRepresentation STANDARD_REPRESENTATION = new StandardRepresentation();
+
+    public static String pretty(Object properties) {
+        return STANDARD_REPRESENTATION.toStringOf(properties);
+    }
+}
diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index 5fe3fb9f7..fc19003eb 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@
 
         <!-- core -->
         <slf4j.version>1.7.30</slf4j.version>
-        <kafka.version>2.5.0</kafka.version>
+        <kafka.version>2.5.1</kafka.version>
         <version.unij>0.1.3</version.unij>
 
         <!-- tests -->
@@ -645,6 +645,18 @@
                     </execution>
                 </executions>
             </plugin>
+            <plugin>
+                <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
+                <artifactId>maven-dependency-plugin</artifactId>
+                <executions>
+                    <execution>
+                        <phase>initialize</phase>
+                        <goals>
+                            <goal>tree</goal>
+                        </goals>
+                    </execution>
+                </executions>
+            </plugin>
         </plugins>
 
         <!-- Management -->
diff --git a/src/docs/README.adoc b/src/docs/README.adoc
index 3a01ed9e4..21863c54b 100644
--- a/src/docs/README.adoc
+++ b/src/docs/README.adoc
@@ -675,6 +675,9 @@ See what profiles are active::
 See what plugins or dependencies are available to be updated::
 `mvn versions:display-plugin-updates versions:display-property-updates versions:display-dependency-updates`
 
+Run a single unit test::
+`mvn -Dtest=TestCircle test`
+
 Run a specific integration test method in a submodule project, skipping unit tests::
 `mvn -Dit.test=TransactionAndCommitModeTest#testLowMaxPoll -DskipUTs=true verify  -DfailIfNoTests=false --projects parallel-consumer-core`