diff --git a/.github/workflows/reusable-test-integrations.yml b/.github/workflows/reusable-test-integrations.yml
index 9b3fee1..128ddca 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/reusable-test-integrations.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/reusable-test-integrations.yml
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ jobs:
   test-build-binaries:
     name: Build Binaries
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
-    timeout-minutes: 60
+    timeout-minutes: 80
     steps:
       - name: Checkout ${{ inputs.repo }}
         uses: actions/checkout@3d3c42e5aac5ba805825da76410c181273ba90b1 # v7.0.1
@@ -111,6 +111,15 @@ jobs:
       - name: Install Helm
         uses: ./.github/actions/dependencies/install-helm
 
+      - name: Restore Kafka binaries cache
+        if: ${{ inputs.clusterOperatorBuild == true }}
+        uses: actions/cache/restore@55cc8345863c7cc4c66a329aec7e433d2d1c52a9 # v6.1.0
+        with:
+          path: docker-images/artifacts/binaries/kafka/archives
+          key: kafka-binaries-${{ hashFiles('kafka-versions.yaml') }}
+          restore-keys: |
+            kafka-binaries-
+
       - name: Build binaries using build-binaries action
         uses: ./.github/actions/build/build-binaries
         with:
@@ -122,6 +131,13 @@ jobs:
           # Skip just ITs and rerun unit tests in case of flakes
           MVN_ARGS: "-DskipITs -Dsurefire.rerunFailingTestsCount=5"
 
+      - name: Save Kafka binaries cache
+        if: ${{ inputs.clusterOperatorBuild == true }}
+        uses: actions/cache/save@55cc8345863c7cc4c66a329aec7e433d2d1c52a9 # v6.1.0
+        with:
+          path: docker-images/artifacts/binaries/kafka/archives
+          key: kafka-binaries-${{ hashFiles('kafka-versions.yaml') }}
+
       - name: Verify binaries artifact was created
         run: |
           if [ ! -f "binaries-${{ inputs.artifactSuffix }}.tar" ]; then
diff --git a/.github/workflows/test-integrations.yml b/.github/workflows/test-integrations.yml
index 572570e..4748e0f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test-integrations.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test-integrations.yml
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ jobs:
             buildContainers: false
             modules: "./"
             nexusCheck: "kafka-kubernetes-config-provider"
-            javaVersion: "17"
+            javaVersion: "21"
             helmChartName: "none"
             releaseVersion: "6.6.6"
             imagesLocation: "none"