diff --git a/lib/modules/datasource/rubygems/common.ts b/lib/modules/datasource/rubygems/common.ts
index 97a7e78ed9233d..a212f7f833398d 100644
--- a/lib/modules/datasource/rubygems/common.ts
+++ b/lib/modules/datasource/rubygems/common.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 import { assignKeys } from '../../../util/assign-keys';
-import type { Http, SafeJsonError } from '../../../util/http';
-import type { AsyncResult } from '../../../util/result';
+import { type Http, HttpError, type SafeJsonError } from '../../../util/http';
+import { type AsyncResult, Result } from '../../../util/result';
 import { joinUrlParts as join } from '../../../util/url';
 import type { Release, ReleaseResult } from '../types';
 import { GemMetadata, GemVersions } from './schema';
@@ -9,7 +9,10 @@ export function getV1Releases(
   http: Http,
   registryUrl: string,
   packageName: string
-): AsyncResult<ReleaseResult, SafeJsonError> {
+): AsyncResult<
+  ReleaseResult,
+  SafeJsonError | 'empty-releases' | 'unsupported-api'
+> {
   const fileName = `${packageName}.json`;
   const versionsUrl = join(registryUrl, '/api/v1/versions', fileName);
   const metadataUrl = join(registryUrl, '/api/v1/gems', fileName);
@@ -26,5 +29,22 @@ export function getV1Releases(
       )
       .unwrap({ releases });
 
-  return http.getJsonSafe(versionsUrl, GemVersions).transform(addMetadata);
+  return http
+    .getJsonSafe(versionsUrl, GemVersions)
+    .catch((err) => {
+      if (err instanceof HttpError) {
+        const status = err.response?.statusCode;
+        if (status === 404 || status === 400) {
+          return Result.err('unsupported-api');
+        }
+      }
+
+      return Result.err(err);
+    })
+    .transform((releases) => {
+      return releases.length > 0
+        ? Result.ok(releases)
+        : Result.err('empty-releases');
+    })
+    .transform(addMetadata);
 }
diff --git a/lib/modules/datasource/rubygems/index.spec.ts b/lib/modules/datasource/rubygems/index.spec.ts
index 81fd7de90a94c6..d50a54ccfc4665 100644
--- a/lib/modules/datasource/rubygems/index.spec.ts
+++ b/lib/modules/datasource/rubygems/index.spec.ts
@@ -23,20 +23,19 @@ describe('modules/datasource/rubygems/index', () => {
       httpMock
         .scope('https://firstparty.com')
         .get('/basepath/versions')
-        .reply(404);
-      httpMock
-        .scope('https://firstparty.com')
-        .get('/basepath/api/v1/gems/rails.json')
-        .reply(200, { name: 'rails' })
+        .reply(404)
         .get('/basepath/api/v1/versions/rails.json')
-        .reply(200, []);
-      httpMock.scope('https://thirdparty.com').get('/versions').reply(404);
+        .reply(200, [])
+        .get('/basepath/api/v1/dependencies?gems=rails')
+        .reply(200, emptyMarshalArray);
       httpMock
         .scope('https://thirdparty.com')
-        .get('/api/v1/gems/rails.json')
-        .reply(200, { name: 'rails' })
+        .get('/versions')
+        .reply(404)
         .get('/api/v1/versions/rails.json')
-        .reply(200, []);
+        .reply(200, [])
+        .get('/api/v1/dependencies?gems=rails')
+        .reply(200, emptyMarshalArray);
       expect(
         await getPkgReleases({
           versioning: rubyVersioning.id,
@@ -151,16 +150,18 @@ describe('modules/datasource/rubygems/index', () => {
         .scope('https://thirdparty.com/')
         .get('/versions')
         .reply(404)
-        .get('/api/v1/gems/rails.json')
-        .reply(401);
+        .get('/api/v1/versions/rails.json')
+        .reply(400)
+        .get('/api/v1/dependencies?gems=rails')
+        .reply(200, emptyMarshalArray);
       httpMock
         .scope('https://firstparty.com/')
         .get('/basepath/versions')
         .reply(404)
-        .get('/basepath/api/v1/gems/rails.json')
-        .reply(200, railsInfo)
         .get('/basepath/api/v1/versions/rails.json')
-        .reply(200, railsVersions);
+        .reply(200, railsVersions)
+        .get('/basepath/api/v1/gems/rails.json')
+        .reply(200, railsInfo);
 
       const res = await getPkgReleases({
         versioning: rubyVersioning.id,
@@ -175,26 +176,22 @@ describe('modules/datasource/rubygems/index', () => {
       expect(res).toMatchSnapshot();
     });
 
-    it('falls back to info when version request fails', async () => {
+    it('falls back to dependencies when other API requests fail', async () => {
       httpMock
         .scope('https://thirdparty.com/')
         .get('/versions')
         .reply(404)
-        .get('/api/v1/gems/rails.json')
-        .reply(200, railsInfo)
         .get('/api/v1/versions/rails.json')
-        .reply(400, {});
+        .reply(400, {})
+        .get('/api/v1/dependencies?gems=rails')
+        .reply(200, railsDependencies);
       const res = await getPkgReleases({
         versioning: rubyVersioning.id,
         datasource: RubyGemsDatasource.id,
         packageName: 'rails',
-        registryUrls: [
-          'https://thirdparty.com',
-          'https://firstparty.com/basepath/',
-        ],
+        registryUrls: ['https://thirdparty.com'],
       });
-      expect(res?.releases).toHaveLength(1);
-      expect(res?.releases[0].version).toBe(railsInfo.version);
+      expect(res?.releases).toHaveLength(339);
     });
 
     it('errors when version request fails with anything other than 400 or 404', async () => {
@@ -202,8 +199,6 @@ describe('modules/datasource/rubygems/index', () => {
         .scope('https://thirdparty.com/')
         .get('/versions')
         .reply(404)
-        .get('/api/v1/gems/rails.json')
-        .reply(200, railsInfo)
         .get('/api/v1/versions/rails.json')
         .reply(500, {});
       await expect(
@@ -224,7 +219,7 @@ describe('modules/datasource/rubygems/index', () => {
         .scope('https://thirdparty.com/')
         .get('/versions')
         .reply(404)
-        .get('/api/v1/gems/rails.json')
+        .get('/api/v1/versions/rails.json')
         .reply(404, railsInfo)
         .get('/api/v1/dependencies?gems=rails')
         .reply(200, railsDependencies);
@@ -233,10 +228,7 @@ describe('modules/datasource/rubygems/index', () => {
         versioning: rubyVersioning.id,
         datasource: RubyGemsDatasource.id,
         packageName: 'rails',
-        registryUrls: [
-          'https://thirdparty.com',
-          'https://firstparty.com/basepath/',
-        ],
+        registryUrls: ['https://thirdparty.com'],
       });
       expect(res?.releases).toHaveLength(339);
     });
diff --git a/lib/modules/datasource/rubygems/index.ts b/lib/modules/datasource/rubygems/index.ts
index 5f767400b38d42..7ad388e630219f 100644
--- a/lib/modules/datasource/rubygems/index.ts
+++ b/lib/modules/datasource/rubygems/index.ts
@@ -1,15 +1,14 @@
 import { Marshal } from '@qnighy/marshal';
-import { logger } from '../../../logger';
-import { cache } from '../../../util/cache/package/decorator';
 import { HttpError } from '../../../util/http';
 import { Result } from '../../../util/result';
 import { getQueryString, joinUrlParts, parseUrl } from '../../../util/url';
 import * as rubyVersioning from '../../versioning/ruby';
 import { Datasource } from '../datasource';
-import type { GetReleasesConfig, Release, ReleaseResult } from '../types';
+import type { GetReleasesConfig, ReleaseResult } from '../types';
+import { getV1Releases } from './common';
 import { RubygemsHttp } from './http';
 import { MetadataCache } from './metadata-cache';
-import { GemMetadata, GemVersions, MarshalledVersionInfo } from './schema';
+import { MarshalledVersionInfo } from './schema';
 import { VersionsEndpointCache } from './versions-endpoint-cache';
 
 export class RubyGemsDatasource extends Datasource {
@@ -70,19 +69,18 @@ export class RubyGemsDatasource extends Datasource {
           return await this.getReleasesViaFallbackAPI(registryUrl, packageName);
         }
 
-        const gemMetadata = await this.fetchGemMetadata(
+        const { val: apiV1Result, err: apiV1Error } = await getV1Releases(
+          this.http,
           registryUrl,
           packageName
-        );
-        if (!gemMetadata) {
-          return await this.getReleasesViaFallbackAPI(registryUrl, packageName);
+        ).unwrap();
+        if (apiV1Result) {
+          return apiV1Result;
+        } else if (apiV1Error instanceof HttpError) {
+          throw apiV1Error;
         }
 
-        return await this.getReleasesViaAPI(
-          registryUrl,
-          packageName,
-          gemMetadata
-        );
+        return await this.getReleasesViaFallbackAPI(registryUrl, packageName);
       }
 
       return null;
@@ -91,102 +89,6 @@ export class RubyGemsDatasource extends Datasource {
     }
   }
 
-  @cache({
-    namespace: `datasource-${RubyGemsDatasource.id}`,
-    key: ({ registryUrl, packageName }: GetReleasesConfig) =>
-      // TODO: types (#7154)
-      /* eslint-disable @typescript-eslint/restrict-template-expressions */
-      `metadata:${registryUrl}/${packageName}`,
-  })
-  async fetchGemMetadata(
-    registryUrl: string,
-    packageName: string
-  ): Promise<GemMetadata | null> {
-    try {
-      const { body } = await this.http.getJson(
-        joinUrlParts(registryUrl, '/api/v1/gems', `${packageName}.json`),
-        GemMetadata
-      );
-      return body;
-    } catch (err) {
-      // fallback to deps api on 404
-      if (err instanceof HttpError && err.response?.statusCode === 404) {
-        return null;
-      }
-      throw err;
-    }
-  }
-
-  @cache({
-    namespace: `datasource-${RubyGemsDatasource.id}`,
-    key: ({ registryUrl, packageName }: GetReleasesConfig) =>
-      // TODO: types (#7154)
-      /* eslint-disable @typescript-eslint/restrict-template-expressions */
-      `versions:${registryUrl}/${packageName}`,
-  })
-  async fetchGemVersions(
-    registryUrl: string,
-    packageName: string
-  ): Promise<GemVersions | null> {
-    try {
-      const { body } = await this.http.getJson(
-        joinUrlParts(registryUrl, '/api/v1/versions', `${packageName}.json`),
-        GemVersions
-      );
-      return body;
-    } catch (err) {
-      if (err.statusCode === 400 || err.statusCode === 404) {
-        logger.debug(
-          { registry: registryUrl },
-          'versions endpoint returns error - falling back to info endpoint'
-        );
-        return null;
-      } else {
-        throw err;
-      }
-    }
-  }
-
-  async getReleasesViaAPI(
-    registryUrl: string,
-    packageName: string,
-    gemMetadata: GemMetadata
-  ): Promise<ReleaseResult | null> {
-    const gemVersions = await this.fetchGemVersions(registryUrl, packageName);
-
-    let releases: Release[] | null = null;
-    if (gemVersions?.length) {
-      releases = gemVersions;
-    } else if (gemMetadata.latestVersion) {
-      releases = [{ version: gemMetadata.latestVersion }];
-    } else {
-      return null;
-    }
-
-    const result: ReleaseResult = { releases };
-
-    if (gemMetadata.changelogUrl) {
-      result.changelogUrl = gemMetadata.changelogUrl;
-    }
-
-    if (gemMetadata.homepage) {
-      result.homepage = gemMetadata.homepage;
-    }
-
-    if (gemMetadata.sourceUrl) {
-      result.sourceUrl = gemMetadata.sourceUrl;
-    }
-
-    return result;
-  }
-
-  @cache({
-    namespace: `datasource-${RubyGemsDatasource.id}`,
-    key: ({ registryUrl, packageName }: GetReleasesConfig) =>
-      // TODO: types (#7154)
-      /* eslint-disable @typescript-eslint/restrict-template-expressions */
-      `dependencies:${registryUrl}/${packageName}`,
-  })
   async getReleasesViaFallbackAPI(
     registryUrl: string,
     packageName: string