diff --git a/.github/workflows/branches-and-prs.main.kts b/.github/workflows/branches-and-prs.main.kts
index 95c3f247f5..f7ed18fb39 100755
--- a/.github/workflows/branches-and-prs.main.kts
+++ b/.github/workflows/branches-and-prs.main.kts
@@ -17,7 +17,10 @@
  */
 
 @file:DependsOn("io.github.typesafegithub:github-workflows-kt:0.41.0")
+@file:DependsOn("org.codehaus.groovy:groovy:3.0.15")
 
+import groovy.lang.Binding
+import groovy.lang.GroovyShell
 import io.github.typesafegithub.workflows.actions.actions.CheckoutV3
 import io.github.typesafegithub.workflows.actions.actions.GithubScriptV6
 import io.github.typesafegithub.workflows.actions.codecov.CodecovActionV3
@@ -74,8 +77,7 @@ workflow(
         )
     }
 
-    val variants = listOf("2.5", "3.0", "4.0")
-    val javaVersions = listOf("8", "11", "17")
+    val (javaVersions, variants) = getMatrixAxes()
     val matrixExcludes = javaVersions
         .filter { it.toInt() >= 17 }
         .map { javaVersion ->
@@ -168,3 +170,19 @@ data class SetupBuildEnv(
 
     override fun buildOutputObject(stepId: String): Outputs = Outputs(stepId)
 }
+
+fun getMatrixAxes(): Pair<List<String>, List<String>> {
+    val binding = object : Binding() {
+        lateinit var javaVersions: List<String>
+        lateinit var variants: List<String>
+
+        override fun setVariable(name: String?, value: Any?) {
+            when (name) {
+                "javaVersions" -> javaVersions = (value as List<Int>).map { it.toString() }
+                "variants" -> variants = value as List<String>
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    GroovyShell(binding).evaluate(__FILE__.parentFile.resolve("../../matrix.groovy"))
+    return binding.javaVersions to binding.variants
+}
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.main.kts b/.github/workflows/release.main.kts
index 47005aaff9..577a605a0e 100755
--- a/.github/workflows/release.main.kts
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.main.kts
@@ -17,7 +17,10 @@
  */
 
 @file:DependsOn("io.github.typesafegithub:github-workflows-kt:0.41.0")
+@file:DependsOn("org.codehaus.groovy:groovy:3.0.15")
 
+import groovy.lang.Binding
+import groovy.lang.GroovyShell
 import io.github.typesafegithub.workflows.actions.actions.CheckoutV3
 import io.github.typesafegithub.workflows.actions.actions.CheckoutV3.FetchDepth
 import io.github.typesafegithub.workflows.actions.actions.GithubScriptV6
@@ -52,8 +55,7 @@ workflow(
     val SPOCK_BUILD_CACHE_PASSWORD by Contexts.secrets
     val GRADLE_ENTERPRISE_ACCESS_KEY by Contexts.secrets
 
-    val variants = listOf("2.5", "3.0", "4.0")
-    val javaVersions = listOf("8", "11", "17")
+    val (javaVersions, variants) = getMatrixAxes()
     val matrixExcludes = javaVersions
         .filter { it.toInt() >= 17 }
         .map { javaVersion ->
@@ -241,3 +243,19 @@ data class SetupBuildEnv(
 
     override fun buildOutputObject(stepId: String): Outputs = Outputs(stepId)
 }
+
+fun getMatrixAxes(): Pair<List<String>, List<String>> {
+    val binding = object : Binding() {
+        lateinit var javaVersions: List<String>
+        lateinit var variants: List<String>
+
+        override fun setVariable(name: String?, value: Any?) {
+            when (name) {
+                "javaVersions" -> javaVersions = (value as List<Int>).map { it.toString() }
+                "variants" -> variants = value as List<String>
+            }
+        }
+    }
+    GroovyShell(binding).evaluate(__FILE__.parentFile.resolve("../../matrix.groovy"))
+    return binding.javaVersions to binding.variants
+}
diff --git a/build.gradle b/build.gradle
index 6100905d26..42f954cbc0 100644
--- a/build.gradle
+++ b/build.gradle
@@ -13,13 +13,16 @@ plugins {
 
 description = "Spock Framework"
 
+ext.javaVersions = null
+ext.variants = null
+apply from: 'matrix.groovy'
+variants = variants.collect { it as BigDecimal }
+
 ext {
   baseVersion = "2.4"
   snapshotVersion = true
   milestone = 0
-  javaVersions = [8, 11, 17] // ensure that latest version is actually build on travis, otherwise no docs get published
   javaVersion = (System.getProperty("javaVersion") ?: 8) as int
-  variants = [2.5, 3.0, 4.0]
   variant = System.getProperty("variant") as BigDecimal ?: variants.first()
   buildScan.tag "groovy-$variant"
   if (variant == 2.5) {
diff --git a/matrix.groovy b/matrix.groovy
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..202bd3dda7
--- /dev/null
+++ b/matrix.groovy
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+javaVersions = [8, 11, 17] // ensure that latest version is actually built on GitHub Actions, otherwise no docs get published
+variants = ['2.5', '3.0', '4.0']