diff --git a/build.gradle b/build.gradle
index ab4b16a146..2f86927075 100644
--- a/build.gradle
+++ b/build.gradle
@@ -200,7 +200,10 @@ subprojects {
                 // But since the dependsOn is within the conditional, the dependency is not created for release versions
                 // so the publish in that case is never executed.
                 if (version.toString().endsWith('SNAPSHOT')) {
-                    dependsOn tasks.publish
+                    exec {
+                        workingDir project.projectDir
+                        commandLine 'bash', "${project.rootDir}/scripts/snapshot_management.sh", project.name, project.version
+                    }
                 }
                 doFirst {
                     if (!version.toString().endsWith('SNAPSHOT')) {
diff --git a/scripts/publish_to_maven_central.sh b/scripts/publish_to_maven_central.sh
index 76157c5e13..ac7ba9cc87 100644
--- a/scripts/publish_to_maven_central.sh
+++ b/scripts/publish_to_maven_central.sh
@@ -12,11 +12,25 @@ echo "Executing in directory = $(pwd)"
 
 zipfile=${subproject}.${version}.zip
 
-pushd build/local-repo
-zip -qr ${zipfile} *
-
-bearer_token=$(echo "$MAVEN_CENTRAL_PORTAL_TOKEN_USERNAME:$MAVEN_CENTRAL_PORTAL_TOKEN_PASSWORD" | base64)
-
+# Ensure jq is available if later used by callers; not strictly required here but helpful to surface missing deps early.
+if ! command -v jq >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+  echo "Warning: jq not found. Some scripts expect jq for JSON parsing. Continue if you're sure it's not needed."
+fi
+
+pushd build/local-repo >/dev/null
+zip -qr "${zipfile}" *
+
+# Build Authorization header: prefer an explicit bearer token, otherwise fall back to Basic auth built from username/password
+if [ -n "${MAVEN_CENTRAL_PORTAL_BEARER_TOKEN:-}" ]; then
+  auth_header="Authorization: Bearer ${MAVEN_CENTRAL_PORTAL_BEARER_TOKEN}"
+elif [ -n "${MAVEN_CENTRAL_PORTAL_TOKEN_USERNAME:-}" ] && [ -n "${MAVEN_CENTRAL_PORTAL_TOKEN_PASSWORD:-}" ]; then
+  basic_token=$(echo -n "${MAVEN_CENTRAL_PORTAL_TOKEN_USERNAME}:${MAVEN_CENTRAL_PORTAL_TOKEN_PASSWORD}" | base64 | tr -d '\n')
+  auth_header="Authorization: Basic ${basic_token}"
+else
+  echo "Error: No credentials found. Set MAVEN_CENTRAL_PORTAL_BEARER_TOKEN or MAVEN_CENTRAL_PORTAL_TOKEN_USERNAME and MAVEN_CENTRAL_PORTAL_TOKEN_PASSWORD."
+  popd >/dev/null || true
+  exit 1
+fi
 
 # Upload to maven central.
 # publishingType=USER_MANAGED means that the artefacts will be uploaded and verified, but not yet published.
@@ -24,12 +38,8 @@ bearer_token=$(echo "$MAVEN_CENTRAL_PORTAL_TOKEN_USERNAME:$MAVEN_CENTRAL_PORTAL_
 # From this page you can examine the list of artefacts, and either drop them or release them.
 # If you want to remove that step, use publishingType=AUTOMATIC below, that will publish directly.
 # Note that once published you cannot remove or alter the artifacts.
-answer=$(curl --request POST \
-  --verbose \
-  --header "Authorization: Bearer ${bearer_token}" \
-  --form bundle="@${zipfile}" \
-  'https://central.sonatype.com/api/v1/publisher/upload?publishingType=USER_MANAGED')
+answer=$(curl --request POST --silent --show-error --header "${auth_header}" --form bundle="@${zipfile}" 'https://central.sonatype.com/api/v1/publisher/upload?publishingType=USER_MANAGED')
 
 echo "curl request answer: $answer"
 
-popd
\ No newline at end of file
+popd >/dev/null
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/scripts/snapshot_management.sh b/scripts/snapshot_management.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..237dedd334
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scripts/snapshot_management.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+# This script manages the uploading of snapshots to the Maven Central snapshot repository, and deletion of the associated snapshots after a set retention time.
+set -e
+
+subproject=$1
+version=$2
+
+echo "Running $(basename $0) for subproject \"$subproject\" and version \"$version\""
+echo "Executing in directory = $(pwd)"
+
+zipfile=${subproject}.${version}.zip
+
+# Ensure jq is available for JSON parsing
+if ! command -v jq >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+  echo "Error: jq is required but not installed. Please install jq and retry."
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+pushd build/local-repo >/dev/null
+zip -qr "${zipfile}" *
+
+# Build Authorization header: prefer an explicit bearer token, otherwise fall back to Basic auth built from username/password
+if [ -n "${MAVEN_CENTRAL_PORTAL_BEARER_TOKEN:-}" ]; then
+  auth_header="Authorization: Bearer ${MAVEN_CENTRAL_PORTAL_BEARER_TOKEN}"
+elif [ -n "${MAVEN_CENTRAL_PORTAL_TOKEN_USERNAME:-}" ] && [ -n "${MAVEN_CENTRAL_PORTAL_TOKEN_PASSWORD:-}" ]; then
+  basic_token=$(echo -n "${MAVEN_CENTRAL_PORTAL_TOKEN_USERNAME}:${MAVEN_CENTRAL_PORTAL_TOKEN_PASSWORD}" | base64 | tr -d '\n')
+  auth_header="Authorization: Basic ${basic_token}"
+else
+  echo "Error: No credentials found. Set MAVEN_CENTRAL_PORTAL_BEARER_TOKEN or MAVEN_CENTRAL_PORTAL_TOKEN_USERNAME and MAVEN_CENTRAL_PORTAL_TOKEN_PASSWORD."
+  popd >/dev/null || true
+  exit 1
+fi
+
+# Delete older snapshots before uploading the newest one to the project's snapshot repository on Maven Central.
+# Query the deployments/files endpoint and delete each returned deployment id.
+response=$(curl -s --request POST --header "${auth_header}" 'https://central.sonatype.com/api/v1/publisher/deployments/files')
+if [ -z "${response}" ]; then
+  echo "No response from Sonatype when listing deployments."
+else
+  staleIds=$(echo "${response}" | jq -r '.deploymentIds[]?')
+  if [ -z "${staleIds}" ]; then
+    echo "No stale deployment ids found."
+  else
+    for id in ${staleIds}; do
+      echo "Deleting stale deployment id: ${id}"
+      curl -s --request DELETE --header "${auth_header}" "https://central.sonatype.com/api/v1/publisher/deployments/${id}" || echo "Warning: failed to delete deployment ${id}"
+    done
+  fi
+fi
+
+# Publish to the snapshot repository automatically (no manual intervention).
+answer=$(curl --request POST --silent --show-error --header "${auth_header}" --form bundle="@${zipfile}" 'https://central.sonatype.com/api/v1/publisher/upload?publishingType=AUTOMATIC')
+
+echo "curl request answer: $answer"
+
+popd >/dev/null