diff --git a/build.gradle b/build.gradle
index 6f4353e..6c58e9e 100644
--- a/build.gradle
+++ b/build.gradle
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ plugins {
 }
 
 wrapper {
-    gradleVersion = "${project.property('gradle.wrapper.version')}"
+    gradleVersion = libs.versions.gradle.get()
     distributionType = Wrapper.DistributionType.ALL
 }
 
@@ -27,9 +27,9 @@ subprojects {
     apply plugin: 'java-library'
 
     dependencies {
-        testImplementation "org.apache.logging.log4j:log4j-core:${project.property('log4j.version')}"
-        testImplementation "org.apache.logging.log4j:log4j-jul:${project.property('log4j.version')}"
-        testImplementation "org.apache.logging.log4j:log4j-slf4j-impl:${project.property('log4j.version')}"
+        testImplementation libs.log4j.core
+        testImplementation libs.log4j.jul
+        testImplementation libs.log4j.slf4j
     }
 
     apply from: rootProject.file('gradle/ide/idea.gradle')
diff --git a/elx-api/build.gradle b/elx-api/build.gradle
index 4b91301..ae40999 100644
--- a/elx-api/build.gradle
+++ b/elx-api/build.gradle
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 dependencies {
-    api "org.xbib:metrics-common:${project.property('xbib-metrics.version')}"
-    api "org.elasticsearch:elasticsearch:${project.property('elasticsearch.version')}"
+    api libs.metrics
+    api libs.elasticsearch
     // override old artifacts in ES x-content. We must use jackson smile/cbor/yaml and log4j2 api here.
-    api "com.fasterxml.jackson.core:jackson-core:${project.property('jackson.version')}"
-    api "org.apache.logging.log4j:log4j-api:${project.property('log4j.version')}"
+    api libs.jackson
+    api libs.log4j.api
 }
diff --git a/elx-common/build.gradle b/elx-common/build.gradle
index fc26420..f59c9cd 100644
--- a/elx-common/build.gradle
+++ b/elx-common/build.gradle
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 dependencies {
     api project(':elx-api')
-    implementation "org.xbib:time:${rootProject.property('xbib-time.version')}"
-    testImplementation "org.elasticsearch.plugin:transport-netty4-client:${rootProject.property('elasticsearch.version')}"
-    testImplementation "org.xbib:netty-http-client:${project.property('xbib-netty-http.version')}"
+    implementation libs.time
+    testImplementation libs.netty.http
+    testImplementation libs.es.plugin.transport.netty4
 }
diff --git a/elx-http/build.gradle b/elx-http/build.gradle
index b069967..31c0959 100644
--- a/elx-http/build.gradle
+++ b/elx-http/build.gradle
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 dependencies{
     api project(':elx-common')
-    api "org.xbib:netty-http-client:${project.property('xbib-netty-http.version')}"
-    api "org.elasticsearch.plugin:transport-netty4-client:${rootProject.property('elasticsearch.version')}"
+    api libs.netty.http
+    api libs.es.plugin.transport.netty4
 }
diff --git a/elx-node/build.gradle b/elx-node/build.gradle
index b61dbcf..aa78967 100644
--- a/elx-node/build.gradle
+++ b/elx-node/build.gradle
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 dependencies {
     api project(':elx-common')
-    api "org.elasticsearch.plugin:transport-netty4-client:${project.property('elasticsearch.version')}"
+    api libs.es.plugin.transport.netty4
 }
diff --git a/elx-transport/build.gradle b/elx-transport/build.gradle
index 835f3a0..aa78967 100644
--- a/elx-transport/build.gradle
+++ b/elx-transport/build.gradle
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
 dependencies {
     api project(':elx-common')
-    api "org.elasticsearch.plugin:transport-netty4-client:${rootProject.property('elasticsearch.version')}"
+    api libs.es.plugin.transport.netty4
 }
diff --git a/gradle.properties b/gradle.properties
index 0255d0e..89eeefa 100644
--- a/gradle.properties
+++ b/gradle.properties
@@ -1,16 +1,5 @@
 group = org.xbib
 name = elx
-version = 7.10.2.20
+version = 7.10.2.21
 
 org.gradle.warning.mode = ALL
-gradle.wrapper.version = 7.3.2
-elasticsearch.version = 7.10.2
-# ES 7.10.2 uses Jackson 2.10.4
-jackson.version = 2.12.5
-# ES 7.10.2 uses Netty 4.1.49
-xbib-netty-http.version = 4.1.72.1
-# ES 7.10.2 uses log4j2 2.11.1
-log4j.version = 2.17.1
-xbib-metrics.version = 2.2.0
-xbib-time.version = 2.1.0
-junit.version = 5.8.1
diff --git a/gradle/test/junit5.gradle b/gradle/test/junit5.gradle
index 79f16ba..2a11c7a 100644
--- a/gradle/test/junit5.gradle
+++ b/gradle/test/junit5.gradle
@@ -1,12 +1,8 @@
-
-def junitVersion = project.hasProperty('junit.version')?project.property('junit.version'):'5.7.1'
-def hamcrestVersion = project.hasProperty('hamcrest.version')?project.property('hamcrest.version'):'2.2'
-
 dependencies {
-    testImplementation "org.junit.jupiter:junit-jupiter-api:${junitVersion}"
-    testImplementation "org.junit.jupiter:junit-jupiter-params:${junitVersion}"
-    testImplementation "org.hamcrest:hamcrest-library:${hamcrestVersion}"
-    testRuntimeOnly "org.junit.jupiter:junit-jupiter-engine:${junitVersion}"
+    testImplementation libs.junit.jupiter.api
+    testImplementation libs.junit.jupiter.params
+    testImplementation libs.hamcrest
+    testRuntimeOnly libs.junit.jupiter.engine
 }
 
 test {
diff --git a/gradle/wrapper/gradle-wrapper.jar b/gradle/wrapper/gradle-wrapper.jar
index 7454180..41d9927 100644
Binary files a/gradle/wrapper/gradle-wrapper.jar and b/gradle/wrapper/gradle-wrapper.jar differ
diff --git a/gradle/wrapper/gradle-wrapper.properties b/gradle/wrapper/gradle-wrapper.properties
index ac0b842..92f06b5 100644
--- a/gradle/wrapper/gradle-wrapper.properties
+++ b/gradle/wrapper/gradle-wrapper.properties
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 distributionBase=GRADLE_USER_HOME
 distributionPath=wrapper/dists
-distributionUrl=https\://services.gradle.org/distributions/gradle-7.3.2-all.zip
+distributionUrl=https\://services.gradle.org/distributions/gradle-7.4.2-all.zip
 zipStoreBase=GRADLE_USER_HOME
 zipStorePath=wrapper/dists
diff --git a/settings.gradle b/settings.gradle
index 57d6828..a7477a9 100644
--- a/settings.gradle
+++ b/settings.gradle
@@ -1,3 +1,29 @@
+dependencyResolutionManagement {
+    versionCatalogs {
+        libs {
+            version('gradle', '7.4.2')
+            version('junit', '5.8.2')
+            version('elasticsearch', '7.10.2')
+            version('log4j', '2.17.1') // ES 7.10.2 uses log4j2 2.11.1
+            library('junit-jupiter-api', 'org.junit.jupiter', 'junit-jupiter-api').versionRef('junit')
+            library('junit-jupiter-params', 'org.junit.jupiter', 'junit-jupiter-params').versionRef('junit')
+            library('junit-jupiter-engine', 'org.junit.jupiter', 'junit-jupiter-engine').versionRef('junit')
+            library('hamcrest', 'org.hamcrest:hamcrest-library:2.2')
+            library('junit4', 'junit:junit:4.13.2')
+            library('log4j-api', 'org.apache.logging.log4j', 'log4j-api').versionRef('log4j')
+            library('log4j-core', 'org.apache.logging.log4j', 'log4j-core').versionRef('log4j')
+            library('log4j-slf4j', 'org.apache.logging.log4j', 'log4j-slf4j-impl').versionRef('log4j')
+            library('log4j-jul', 'org.apache.logging.log4j', 'log4j-jul').versionRef('log4j')
+            library('elasticsearch', 'org.elasticsearch', 'elasticsearch').versionRef('elasticsearch')
+            library('es-plugin-transport-netty4', 'org.elasticsearch.plugin', 'transport-netty4-client').versionRef('elasticsearch')
+            library('jackson', 'com.fasterxml.jackson.core', 'jackson-core').version('2.12.7') // ES 7.10.2 uses Jackson 2.10.4
+            library('netty-http', 'org.xbib', 'netty-http-client').version('4.1.77.0') // ES 7.10.2 uses Netty 4.1.49
+            library('metrics', 'org.xbib', 'metrics-common').version('2.2.0')
+            library('time', 'org.xbib', 'time').version('2.1.0')
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 include 'elx-api'
 include 'elx-common'
 include 'elx-node'