diff --git a/.github/dependabot.yml b/.github/dependabot.yml
index b201e44..8893f93 100644
--- a/.github/dependabot.yml
+++ b/.github/dependabot.yml
@@ -6,19 +6,3 @@ updates:
       interval: "weekly"
     reviewers:
       - "fnobilia"
-  - package-ecosystem: "gradle"
-    directory: "/examples/junit-5"
-    schedule:
-      interval: "weekly"
-    ignore:
-      - dependency-name: "io.github.data-rocks-team:schemaregistry-junit5"
-    reviewers:
-      - "fnobilia"
-  - package-ecosystem: "gradle"
-    directory: "/examples/junit-4"
-    schedule:
-      interval: "weekly"
-    ignore:
-      - dependency-name: "io.github.data-rocks-team:schemaregistry-junit4"
-    reviewers:
-      - "fnobilia"
diff --git a/.github/workflows/gradle-example.yml b/.github/workflows/gradle-example.yml
index 851ee3a..1d47c3d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/gradle-example.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/gradle-example.yml
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@ jobs:
           restore-keys: ${{ runner.os }}-example-gradle
       - name: Build with Gradle
         run: ./gradlew publishToMavenLocal -PdisableCheckstyle -PdisableJacoco -PdisablePmd -x test
+      - name: Set dependency versions
+        run: ./gradlew setDependenciesForExample
       - name: Run Junit5 example
         run: cd ./examples/junit-5 && ./gradlew build
       - name: Run Junit4 example
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 93d5647..cfe47d1 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -74,6 +74,13 @@ Every build is automatically tested against the latest patch version of every mi
 - [JUnit 5 example](/examples/junit-5)
 - [JUnit 4 example](/examples/junit-4)
 
+Before compiling any example, run `./gradlew setDependenciesForExample` in the main project. This 
+gradle task will ensure that the example project will use the same dependency versions used in the
+main project. To ensure that `setDependenciesForExample` works as expected, dependencies 
+version should be defined in the `ext {}` section in the [main build.gradle](build.gradle) and the
+example project should define versions as `nameOfTheDependencyVersion = PLACEHOLDER` (an example 
+can be found [here](examples/junit-5/build.gradle)). 
+
 ## Contributing
 Found a bug? Think you've got an awesome feature you want to add? We welcome contributions!
 
diff --git a/build.gradle b/build.gradle
index 7bbbd6f..b0474f5 100644
--- a/build.gradle
+++ b/build.gradle
@@ -27,21 +27,21 @@ allprojects {
     }
 }
 
-subprojects {
+ext {
+    assertjVersion = '3.18.1'
+    apacheCuratorVersion = '5.1.0'
+    confluentVersion = '6.0.1'
+    kafkaJunitVersion = '3.2.2'
+    jsonSchemaVersion = '1.12.1'
+    junit4Version = '4.13.1'
+    junitJupiterVersion = '5.7.0'
+    lombokVersion = '1.18.16'
+    protobufVersion = '3.14.0'
+    slf4jVersion = '1.7.30'
+    testcontainersVersion = '1.15.1'
+}
 
-    ext {
-        assertjVersion = '3.18.1'
-        apacheCuratorVersion = '5.1.0'
-        confluentVersion = '6.0.1'
-        kafkaJunitVersion = '3.2.2'
-        jsonSchemaVersion = '1.12.1'
-        junit4Version = '4.13.1'
-        junitJupiterVersion = '5.7.0'
-        lombokVersion = '1.18.16'
-        protobufVersion = '3.14.0'
-        slf4jVersion = '1.7.30'
-        testcontainersVersion = '1.15.1'
-    }
+subprojects {
 
     // Every module is a Java library
     apply plugin: 'java-library'
@@ -74,3 +74,25 @@ subprojects {
     // Add flag to run specific group of tests
     apply from: "$rootProject.projectDir/on-off-test.gradle"
 }
+
+task setDependenciesForExample {
+    group 'Configure Example'
+    description 'Set dependencies for example using centralised ext variables'
+    doLast {
+        fileTree("examples")
+            .filter { it.isFile() }
+            .filter { it.name == 'build.gradle' }
+            .files
+            .path
+            .each {file ->
+                File buildGradle = new File(file)
+                String content = buildGradle.text
+
+                project.ext.properties
+                    .each{ k, v ->
+                        content = content.replaceAll("$k = 'PLACEHOLDER'", "$k = '$v'")}
+
+                buildGradle.write(content)
+            }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/examples/junit-4/build.gradle b/examples/junit-4/build.gradle
index f53022f..9d1a6d3 100644
--- a/examples/junit-4/build.gradle
+++ b/examples/junit-4/build.gradle
@@ -20,20 +20,24 @@ repositories {
 }
 
 ext {
-    confluentVersion = '6.0.1'
+    // Run ./gradlew setDependenciesForExample to set this properties
+    assertjVersion = 'PLACEHOLDER'
+    confluentVersion = 'PLACEHOLDER'
+    kafkaJunitVersion = 'PLACEHOLDER'
+    junit4Version = 'PLACEHOLDER'
 }
 
 dependencies {
     implementation "io.confluent:kafka-avro-serializer:$confluentVersion"
     implementation "io.confluent:kafka-schema-registry-client:$confluentVersion"
 
-    testImplementation 'com.salesforce.kafka.test:kafka-junit4:3.2.2'
+    testImplementation "com.salesforce.kafka.test:kafka-junit4:$kafkaJunitVersion"
 
     // schema-registry junit
     testImplementation 'io.github.data-rocks-team:schemaregistry-junit4:local'
     testImplementation "io.confluent:kafka-schema-registry:$confluentVersion"
 
-    testImplementation 'junit:junit:4.13.1'
+    testImplementation "junit:junit:$junit4Version"
 
-    testImplementation 'org.assertj:assertj-core:3.18.1'
+    testImplementation "org.assertj:assertj-core:$assertjVersion"
 }
diff --git a/examples/junit-5/build.gradle b/examples/junit-5/build.gradle
index faf25d9..c6c80cb 100644
--- a/examples/junit-5/build.gradle
+++ b/examples/junit-5/build.gradle
@@ -20,23 +20,27 @@ repositories {
 }
 
 ext {
-    confluentVersion = '6.0.1'
+    // Run ./gradlew setDependenciesForExample to set this properties
+    assertjVersion = 'PLACEHOLDER'
+    confluentVersion = 'PLACEHOLDER'
+    kafkaJunitVersion = 'PLACEHOLDER'
+    junitJupiterVersion = 'PLACEHOLDER'
 }
 
 dependencies {
     implementation "io.confluent:kafka-avro-serializer:$confluentVersion"
     implementation "io.confluent:kafka-schema-registry-client:$confluentVersion"
 
-    testImplementation 'com.salesforce.kafka.test:kafka-junit5:3.2.2'
+    testImplementation "com.salesforce.kafka.test:kafka-junit5:$kafkaJunitVersion"
 
     // schema-registry junit
     testImplementation 'io.github.data-rocks-team:schemaregistry-junit5:local'
     testImplementation "io.confluent:kafka-schema-registry:$confluentVersion"
 
-    testImplementation 'org.junit.jupiter:junit-jupiter-api:5.6.2'
-    testRuntimeOnly 'org.junit.jupiter:junit-jupiter-engine:5.6.2'
+    testImplementation "org.junit.jupiter:junit-jupiter-api:$junitJupiterVersion"
+    testRuntimeOnly "org.junit.jupiter:junit-jupiter-engine:$junitJupiterVersion"
 
-    testImplementation 'org.assertj:assertj-core:3.17.2'
+    testImplementation "org.assertj:assertj-core:$assertjVersion"
 }
 
 test {