diff --git a/.gitlab-ci.yml b/.gitlab-ci.yml
index c089ef9fab2..84aebbe3e97 100644
--- a/.gitlab-ci.yml
+++ b/.gitlab-ci.yml
@@ -54,10 +54,10 @@ variables:
   MAVEN_REPOSITORY_PROXY: "https://depot-read-api-java.us1.ddbuild.io/magicmirror/magicmirror/@current/"
   GRADLE_PLUGIN_PROXY: "https://depot-read-api-java.us1.ddbuild.io/magicmirror/magicmirror/@current/"
   BUILDER_IMAGE_REPO: "registry.ddbuild.io/images/mirror/dd-trace-java-docker-build" # images are pinned in images/mirror.lock.yaml in the DataDog/images repo
-  BUILDER_IMAGE_VERSION_PREFIX: "ci-" # use either an empty string (e.g. "") for latest images or a version followed by a hyphen (e.g. "ci-" or "123_merge-")
+  BUILDER_IMAGE_VERSION_PREFIX: "168_merge-" # use either an empty string (e.g. "") for latest images or a version followed by a hyphen (e.g. "ci-" or "123_merge-")
   TEST_COUNTS_S3_BUCKET: "dd-trace-java-ci-test-reports"
   REPO_NOTIFICATION_CHANNEL: "#apm-java-escalations"
-  DEFAULT_TEST_JVMS: /^(8|11|17|21|25|tip)$/ # the latest "tip" version is 26
+  DEFAULT_TEST_JVMS: /^(8|11|17|21|25|27|tip)$/ # Java 27 TODO: remove 27 after GA (tip will move to 27)
   PROFILE_TESTS:
     description: "Enable profiling of tests"
     value: "false"
@@ -100,6 +100,7 @@ workflow:
       - "17"
       - "21"
       - "25"
+      - "27" # Java 27 TODO: remove after GA (tip will move to 27)
       - "semeru11"
       - "oracle8"
       - "zulu8"
@@ -742,7 +743,7 @@ muzzle-dep-report:
   needs: []
   variables:
     <<: *tier_m_variables
-    DEFAULT_TEST_JVMS: /^(8|11|17|21|25|tip)$/
+    DEFAULT_TEST_JVMS: /^(8|11|17|21|25|27|tip)$/ # Java 27 TODO: remove 27 after GA (tip will move to 27)
     GRADLE_PARAMS: "-PskipFlakyTests"
     TESTCONTAINERS_CHECKS_DISABLE: "true"
     TESTCONTAINERS_RYUK_DISABLED: "true"
@@ -978,7 +979,7 @@ test_inst_latest:
     CACHE_TYPE: "latestdep"
   parallel:
     matrix:
-      - testJvm: ["8", "17", "21", "25"] # the latest "tip" version is LTS v25
+      - testJvm: ["8", "17", "21", "25", "27"] # Java 27 TODO: remove 27 after GA (tip will move to 27)
         # Gitlab doesn't support "parallel" and "parallel:matrix" at the same time
         # This emulates "parallel" by including it in the matrix
         CI_SPLIT: [ "1/6", "2/6", "3/6", "4/6", "5/6", "6/6"]
@@ -991,7 +992,7 @@ test_inst_latest_arm64:
     CACHE_TYPE: "latestdep"
   parallel:
     matrix:
-      - testJvm: ["8", "17", "21", "25"] # the latest "tip" version is LTS v25
+      - testJvm: ["8", "17", "21", "25", "27"] # Java 27 TODO: remove 27 after GA (tip will move to 27)
         # Gitlab doesn't support "parallel" and "parallel:matrix" at the same time
         # This emulates "parallel" by including it in the matrix
         CI_SPLIT: [ "1/6", "2/6", "3/6", "4/6", "5/6", "6/6"]
@@ -1061,7 +1062,7 @@ test_debugger:
   variables:
     GRADLE_TARGET: ":debuggerTest"
     CACHE_TYPE: "base"
-    DEFAULT_TEST_JVMS: /^(8|11|17|21|25|semeru8)$/ # the latest "tip" version is LTS v25
+    DEFAULT_TEST_JVMS: /^(8|11|17|21|25|27|semeru8)$/ # Java 27 TODO: remove 27 after GA (tip will move to 27)
   parallel:
     matrix: *test_matrix
   # avoid running coverage for semeru8, semeru11, semeru17 and ibm8 as some tests are disabled and therefore cannot reach the
diff --git a/.gitlab/upload_ciapp.sh b/.gitlab/upload_ciapp.sh
index a4c36438796..0457af6a910 100755
--- a/.gitlab/upload_ciapp.sh
+++ b/.gitlab/upload_ciapp.sh
@@ -16,6 +16,10 @@ if [ -n "$TEST_JVM" ]; then
         for var in $(compgen -v JAVA_ | grep -E '^JAVA_[0-9]+_HOME$'); do
             ver="${var#JAVA_}"
             ver="${ver%_HOME}"
+            # Java 27 TODO: remove after GA (tip will move to 27)
+            if [ "$ver" = "27" ]; then
+                continue
+            fi
             if [ "$ver" -gt "$MAX_VER" ] 2>/dev/null; then
                 MAX_VER="$ver"
             fi
diff --git a/buildSrc/src/main/kotlin/datadog/gradle/plugin/testJvmConstraints/TestJvmSpec.kt b/buildSrc/src/main/kotlin/datadog/gradle/plugin/testJvmConstraints/TestJvmSpec.kt
index 16fd16977d8..89ff8650141 100644
--- a/buildSrc/src/main/kotlin/datadog/gradle/plugin/testJvmConstraints/TestJvmSpec.kt
+++ b/buildSrc/src/main/kotlin/datadog/gradle/plugin/testJvmConstraints/TestJvmSpec.kt
@@ -37,6 +37,16 @@ import java.nio.file.Paths
 class TestJvmSpec(val project: Project) {
   companion object {
     const val TEST_JVM = "testJvm"
+
+    // Java 27 TODO: remove after GA (tip will move to 27)
+    internal fun resolveTipJavaVersion(javaVersions: List<Int>): String {
+      val tipJavaVersions = javaVersions.filterNot { it == 27 }
+      if (tipJavaVersions.isEmpty()) {
+        throw GradleException("No Java installations found for tip after excluding Java 27.")
+      }
+
+      return tipJavaVersions.max().toString()
+    }
   }
 
   private val currentJavaHomePath = project.providers.systemProperty("java.home").map { it.normalizeToJDKJavaHome() }
@@ -63,7 +73,7 @@ class TestJvmSpec(val project: Project) {
           throw GradleException("No Java installations found via toolchains or JAVA_X_HOME environment variables.")
         }
 
-        javaVersions.max().toString()
+        resolveTipJavaVersion(javaVersions) // Java 27 TODO: revert back to "javaVersions.max().toString()" after GA
       }
 
       else -> testJvm