diff --git a/.github/workflows/auto_release.yml b/.github/workflows/auto_release.yml
index affeca90..d15d148d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/auto_release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/auto_release.yml
@@ -66,7 +66,12 @@ jobs:
         branch: "release-prep"
         delete-branch: true
         title: "Release prep v${{ steps.gv.outputs.ver }}"
-        body: "Automated release-prep through [pdk-templates](https://github.com/puppetlabs/pdk-templates/blob/main/moduleroot/.github/workflows/auto_release.yml.erb) from commit ${{ github.sha }}"
+        body: |
+          Automated release-prep through [pdk-templates](https://github.com/puppetlabs/pdk-templates/blob/main/moduleroot/.github/workflows/auto_release.yml.erb) from commit ${{ github.sha }}. 
+          Please verify before merging:
+          - [ ] last [nightly](https://github.com/${{ github.repository }}/actions/workflows/nightly.yml) run is green
+          - [ ] [Changelog](https://github.com/${{ github.repository }}/blob/release-prep/CHANGELOG.md) is readable and has no unlabeled pull requests
+          - [ ] Ensure the [changelog](https://github.com/${{ github.repository }}/blob/release-prep/CHANGELOG.md) version and [metadata](https://github.com/${{ github.repository }}/blob/release-prep/metadata.json) version match
         labels: "maintenance"
 
     - name: PR outputs
diff --git a/.github/workflows/integration_test.yml b/.github/workflows/integration_test.yml
index d3e62c74..8bd74e57 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/integration_test.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/integration_test.yml
@@ -124,6 +124,13 @@ jobs:
         echo ::group::=== INVENTORY ===
         sed -e 's/password: .*/password: "[redacted]"/' < inventory.yaml || true
         echo ::endgroup::
+    - name: Disable gpg check google-cloud.repo
+      uses: nick-invision/retry@v1
+      with:
+        timeout_minutes: 30
+        max_attempts: 5
+        retry_wait_seconds: 60
+        command: buildevents cmd $TRACE_ID $STEP_ID 'rake kubernetes::disable_gpg' -- bundle exec bolt --modulepath spec/fixtures/modules command run "sed -i 's/gpgcheck=1/gpgcheck=0/g' /etc/yum.repos.d/google-cloud.repo" --targets '*' -i ./inventory.yaml
     - name: Puppet server setup
       run: |
         buildevents cmd $TRACE_ID $STEP_ID 'rake kubernetes::puppetserver_setup' -- bundle exec bolt --modulepath spec/fixtures/modules plan run kubernetes::puppetserver_setup -i ./inventory.yaml
diff --git a/Gemfile b/Gemfile
index ae2b430d..135373d0 100644
--- a/Gemfile
+++ b/Gemfile
@@ -45,16 +45,6 @@ gems['puppet'] = location_for(puppet_version)
 gems['facter'] = location_for(facter_version) if facter_version
 gems['hiera'] = location_for(hiera_version) if hiera_version
 
-if Gem.win_platform? && puppet_version =~ %r{^(file:///|git://)}
-  # If we're using a Puppet gem on Windows which handles its own win32-xxx gem
-  # dependencies (>= 3.5.0), set the maximum versions (see PUP-6445).
-  gems['win32-dir'] =      ['<= 0.4.9', require: false]
-  gems['win32-eventlog'] = ['<= 0.6.5', require: false]
-  gems['win32-process'] =  ['<= 0.7.5', require: false]
-  gems['win32-security'] = ['<= 0.2.5', require: false]
-  gems['win32-service'] =  ['0.8.8', require: false]
-end
-
 gems.each do |gem_name, gem_params|
   gem gem_name, *gem_params
 end
diff --git a/metadata.json b/metadata.json
index b3bc644f..ec7d7d0a 100644
--- a/metadata.json
+++ b/metadata.json
@@ -55,5 +55,5 @@
   ],
   "pdk-version": "1.18.1",
   "template-url": "https://github.com/puppetlabs/pdk-templates.git#main",
-  "template-ref": "heads/main-0-g7be43a3"
+  "template-ref": "heads/main-0-g12a5dea"
 }
diff --git a/spec/spec_helper_acceptance_local.rb b/spec/spec_helper_acceptance_local.rb
index 445f7e91..f5c71c5a 100644
--- a/spec/spec_helper_acceptance_local.rb
+++ b/spec/spec_helper_acceptance_local.rb
@@ -226,8 +226,8 @@ def execute_agent(role)
 name=Kubernetes
 baseurl=https://packages.cloud.google.com/yum/repos/kubernetes-el7-x86_64
 enabled=1
-gpgcheck=1
-repo_gpgcheck=1
+gpgcheck=0
+repo_gpgcheck=0
 gpgkey=https://packages.cloud.google.com/yum/doc/yum-key.gpg https://packages.cloud.google.com/yum/doc/rpm-package-key.gpg
 EOS
   pp = <<-PUPPETCODE