diff --git a/src/WireMock.Net.AwesomeAssertions/WireMock.Net.AwesomeAssertions.csproj b/src/WireMock.Net.AwesomeAssertions/WireMock.Net.AwesomeAssertions.csproj
index 1a304590..21ba249c 100644
--- a/src/WireMock.Net.AwesomeAssertions/WireMock.Net.AwesomeAssertions.csproj
+++ b/src/WireMock.Net.AwesomeAssertions/WireMock.Net.AwesomeAssertions.csproj
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@
     </PropertyGroup>
 
     <ItemGroup>
-        <PackageReference Include="AwesomeAssertions" Version="9.1.0" />
+        <PackageReference Include="AwesomeAssertions" Version="9.4.0" />
     </ItemGroup>
 
     <ItemGroup>
diff --git a/src/WireMock.Net.Minimal/IMappingBuilder.cs b/src/WireMock.Net.Minimal/IMappingBuilder.cs
index 0df6a756..d1e5cdc5 100644
--- a/src/WireMock.Net.Minimal/IMappingBuilder.cs
+++ b/src/WireMock.Net.Minimal/IMappingBuilder.cs
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 // Copyright © WireMock.Net
 
-using System;
 using WireMock.Admin.Mappings;
 using WireMock.Matchers.Request;
 using WireMock.Server;
diff --git a/src/WireMock.Net.Minimal/Mapping.cs b/src/WireMock.Net.Minimal/Mapping.cs
index 263b6e73..181c7fa9 100644
--- a/src/WireMock.Net.Minimal/Mapping.cs
+++ b/src/WireMock.Net.Minimal/Mapping.cs
@@ -1,7 +1,5 @@
 // Copyright © WireMock.Net
 
-using System;
-using System.Threading.Tasks;
 using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Http;
 using Stef.Validation;
 using WireMock.Matchers.Request;
diff --git a/src/WireMock.Net.Minimal/Owin/AspNetCoreSelfHost.cs b/src/WireMock.Net.Minimal/Owin/AspNetCoreSelfHost.cs
index 81e97942..0f52079f 100644
--- a/src/WireMock.Net.Minimal/Owin/AspNetCoreSelfHost.cs
+++ b/src/WireMock.Net.Minimal/Owin/AspNetCoreSelfHost.cs
@@ -1,12 +1,9 @@
 // Copyright © WireMock.Net
 
-using System;
-using System.Linq;
 using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Builder;
 using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Hosting;
 using Microsoft.Extensions.DependencyInjection;
 using Stef.Validation;
-using WireMock.Extensions;
 using WireMock.Logging;
 using WireMock.Owin.Mappers;
 using WireMock.Serialization;
@@ -22,7 +19,7 @@ internal partial class AspNetCoreSelfHost
     private readonly IWireMockLogger _logger;
     private readonly HostUrlOptions _urlOptions;
 
-    private IWebHost _host;
+    private IWebHost _host = null!;
 
     public bool IsStarted { get; private set; }
 
diff --git a/src/WireMock.Net.Minimal/ResponseMessageBuilder.cs b/src/WireMock.Net.Minimal/ResponseMessageBuilder.cs
index 859632a0..318b0796 100644
--- a/src/WireMock.Net.Minimal/ResponseMessageBuilder.cs
+++ b/src/WireMock.Net.Minimal/ResponseMessageBuilder.cs
@@ -1,7 +1,5 @@
 // Copyright © WireMock.Net
 
-using System;
-using System.Collections.Generic;
 using System.Net;
 using WireMock.Admin.Mappings;
 using WireMock.Constants;
diff --git a/src/WireMock.Net.Minimal/WebSockets/WebSocketBuilder.cs b/src/WireMock.Net.Minimal/WebSockets/WebSocketBuilder.cs
index 511823c2..e02ab59a 100644
--- a/src/WireMock.Net.Minimal/WebSockets/WebSocketBuilder.cs
+++ b/src/WireMock.Net.Minimal/WebSockets/WebSocketBuilder.cs
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 // Copyright © WireMock.Net
 
-using System;
 using System.Net.WebSockets;
 using Stef.Validation;
 using WireMock.Matchers;
diff --git a/src/WireMock.Net.Minimal/WebSockets/WebSocketMessageBuilder.cs b/src/WireMock.Net.Minimal/WebSockets/WebSocketMessageBuilder.cs
index 69545cdd..7848ef0d 100644
--- a/src/WireMock.Net.Minimal/WebSockets/WebSocketMessageBuilder.cs
+++ b/src/WireMock.Net.Minimal/WebSockets/WebSocketMessageBuilder.cs
@@ -42,8 +42,7 @@ internal class WebSocketMessageBuilder : IWebSocketMessageBuilder
     public IWebSocketMessageBuilder WithDelay(int delayInMilliseconds)
     {
         Guard.Condition(delayInMilliseconds, d => d >= 0, nameof(delayInMilliseconds));
-        Delay = TimeSpan.FromMilliseconds(delayInMilliseconds);
-        return this;
+        return WithDelay(TimeSpan.FromMilliseconds(delayInMilliseconds));
     }
 
     public IWebSocketMessageBuilder Close()
diff --git a/src/WireMock.Net.NUnit/WireMock.Net.NUnit.csproj b/src/WireMock.Net.NUnit/WireMock.Net.NUnit.csproj
index aad883f5..f5114c73 100644
--- a/src/WireMock.Net.NUnit/WireMock.Net.NUnit.csproj
+++ b/src/WireMock.Net.NUnit/WireMock.Net.NUnit.csproj
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
     <ItemGroup>
         <PackageReference Include="JsonConverter.Newtonsoft.Json" Version="0.8.0" />
         <PackageReference Include="NUnit" Version="4.4.0" />
-        <PackageReference Include="Stef.Validation" Version="0.1.1" />
+        <PackageReference Include="Stef.Validation" Version="0.2.0" />
     </ItemGroup>
 
     <ItemGroup>
diff --git a/src/WireMock.Net.OpenApiParser/WireMock.Net.OpenApiParser.csproj b/src/WireMock.Net.OpenApiParser/WireMock.Net.OpenApiParser.csproj
index 080a3dc4..7daf4ed7 100644
--- a/src/WireMock.Net.OpenApiParser/WireMock.Net.OpenApiParser.csproj
+++ b/src/WireMock.Net.OpenApiParser/WireMock.Net.OpenApiParser.csproj
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@
         <PackageReference Include="RamlToOpenApiConverter.SourceOnly" Version="0.11.0" />
         <PackageReference Include="YamlDotNet" Version="16.3.0" />
         <PackageReference Include="RandomDataGenerator.Net" Version="1.0.19" />
-        <PackageReference Include="Stef.Validation" Version="0.1.1" />
+        <PackageReference Include="Stef.Validation" Version="0.2.0" />
     </ItemGroup>
 
     <ItemGroup Condition="'$(Configuration)' == 'Debug'">
diff --git a/src/WireMock.Net.xUnit.v3/WireMock.Net.xUnit.v3.csproj b/src/WireMock.Net.xUnit.v3/WireMock.Net.xUnit.v3.csproj
index 9e5eba4d..dd410373 100644
--- a/src/WireMock.Net.xUnit.v3/WireMock.Net.xUnit.v3.csproj
+++ b/src/WireMock.Net.xUnit.v3/WireMock.Net.xUnit.v3.csproj
@@ -30,8 +30,4 @@
     <ItemGroup>
         <ProjectReference Include="..\WireMock.Net.Abstractions\WireMock.Net.Abstractions.csproj" />
     </ItemGroup>
-
-    <ItemGroup>
-      <PackageReference Update="JetBrains.Annotations" Version="2025.2.2" />
-    </ItemGroup>
 </Project>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/WireMock.Net.Aspire.Tests/WireMock.Net.Aspire.Tests.csproj b/test/WireMock.Net.Aspire.Tests/WireMock.Net.Aspire.Tests.csproj
index ff192ec9..fc48f611 100644
--- a/test/WireMock.Net.Aspire.Tests/WireMock.Net.Aspire.Tests.csproj
+++ b/test/WireMock.Net.Aspire.Tests/WireMock.Net.Aspire.Tests.csproj
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
             <PrivateAssets>all</PrivateAssets>
             <IncludeAssets>runtime; build; native; contentfiles; analyzers; buildtransitive</IncludeAssets>
         </PackageReference>
-        <PackageReference Include="AwesomeAssertions" Version="9.3.0" />
+        <PackageReference Include="AwesomeAssertions" Version="9.4.0" />
         <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.NET.Test.Sdk" Version="18.0.1" />
         <PackageReference Include="Moq" Version="4.20.72" />
         <PackageReference Include="xunit.v3" Version="3.2.2" />
diff --git a/test/WireMock.Net.Extensions.Routing.Tests/WireMock.Net.Extensions.Routing.Tests.csproj b/test/WireMock.Net.Extensions.Routing.Tests/WireMock.Net.Extensions.Routing.Tests.csproj
index 0dcdf422..5e91c503 100644
--- a/test/WireMock.Net.Extensions.Routing.Tests/WireMock.Net.Extensions.Routing.Tests.csproj
+++ b/test/WireMock.Net.Extensions.Routing.Tests/WireMock.Net.Extensions.Routing.Tests.csproj
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
     </PropertyGroup>
 
     <ItemGroup>
-        <PackageReference Include="AwesomeAssertions" Version="9.3.0" />
+        <PackageReference Include="AwesomeAssertions" Version="9.4.0" />
         <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.NET.Test.Sdk" Version="18.0.1" />
         <PackageReference Include="coverlet.collector" Version="6.0.4">
             <PrivateAssets>all</PrivateAssets>
diff --git a/test/WireMock.Net.Middleware.Tests/WireMock.Net.Middleware.Tests.csproj b/test/WireMock.Net.Middleware.Tests/WireMock.Net.Middleware.Tests.csproj
index aec740c0..6c65c9d8 100644
--- a/test/WireMock.Net.Middleware.Tests/WireMock.Net.Middleware.Tests.csproj
+++ b/test/WireMock.Net.Middleware.Tests/WireMock.Net.Middleware.Tests.csproj
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
             <PrivateAssets>all</PrivateAssets>
             <IncludeAssets>runtime; build; native; contentfiles; analyzers; buildtransitive</IncludeAssets>
         </PackageReference>
-        <PackageReference Include="AwesomeAssertions" Version="9.3.0" />
+        <PackageReference Include="AwesomeAssertions" Version="9.4.0" />
         <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc.Testing" Version="8.0.8" />
         <PackageReference Include="Microsoft.NET.Test.Sdk" Version="18.0.1" />
         <PackageReference Include="Moq" Version="4.20.72" />
diff --git a/test/WireMock.Net.Tests.UsingNuGet/WireMock.Net.Tests.UsingNuGet.csproj b/test/WireMock.Net.Tests.UsingNuGet/WireMock.Net.Tests.UsingNuGet.csproj
index 540631f8..8d41905f 100644
--- a/test/WireMock.Net.Tests.UsingNuGet/WireMock.Net.Tests.UsingNuGet.csproj
+++ b/test/WireMock.Net.Tests.UsingNuGet/WireMock.Net.Tests.UsingNuGet.csproj
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
     </PropertyGroup>
 
     <ItemGroup>
-        <PackageReference Include="AwesomeAssertions" Version="9.3.0" />
+        <PackageReference Include="AwesomeAssertions" Version="9.4.0" />
         <PackageReference Include="coverlet.collector" Version="6.0.4">
             <PrivateAssets>all</PrivateAssets>
             <IncludeAssets>runtime; build; native; contentfiles; analyzers; buildtransitive</IncludeAssets>
diff --git a/test/WireMock.Net.Tests/WireMock.Net.Tests.csproj b/test/WireMock.Net.Tests/WireMock.Net.Tests.csproj
index 56fe0432..988d77fc 100644
--- a/test/WireMock.Net.Tests/WireMock.Net.Tests.csproj
+++ b/test/WireMock.Net.Tests/WireMock.Net.Tests.csproj
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@
             <IncludeAssets>runtime; build; native; contentfiles; analyzers; buildtransitive</IncludeAssets>
         </PackageReference>
         <PackageReference Include="Meziantou.Extensions.Logging.Xunit.v3" Version="1.1.23" />
-        <PackageReference Include="Verify.XunitV3" Version="31.12.5" />
+        <PackageReference Include="Verify.XunitV3" Version="31.13.2" />
         <PackageReference Include="xunit.runner.visualstudio" Version="3.1.5">
             <PrivateAssets>all</PrivateAssets>
             <IncludeAssets>runtime; build; native; contentfiles; analyzers; buildtransitive</IncludeAssets>