diff --git a/.github/workflows/build-multiarch.yml b/.github/workflows/build-multiarch.yml
index dadf2151..93f2af9c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/build-multiarch.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/build-multiarch.yml
@@ -39,37 +39,37 @@ jobs:
           - variant: java21-graalvm
             baseImage: container-registry.oracle.com/graalvm/jdk:21-ol8
             platforms: linux/amd64,linux/arm64
-            mcVersion: 1.20.2
+            mcVersion: latest
           - variant: java21
             baseImage: eclipse-temurin:21-jre
             platforms: linux/amd64,linux/arm64
-            mcVersion: 1.19.3
+            mcVersion: latest
           - variant: java21-alpine
             baseImage: eclipse-temurin:21-jre-alpine
             platforms: linux/amd64
-            mcVersion: 1.19.3
+            mcVersion: latest
         # JAVA 17:
           - variant: java17
             # jammy doesn't work until minecraft updates to https://github.com/netty/netty/issues/12343
             baseImage: eclipse-temurin:17-jre-focal
             platforms: linux/amd64,linux/arm/v7,linux/arm64
-            mcVersion: 1.18.2
+            mcVersion: latest
           - variant: java17-graalvm
             baseImage: container-registry.oracle.com/graalvm/jdk:17-ol8
             platforms: linux/amd64,linux/arm64
-            mcVersion: 1.18.2
+            mcVersion: latest
           - variant: java17-jdk
             baseImage: eclipse-temurin:17-focal
             platforms: linux/amd64,linux/arm/v7,linux/arm64
-            mcVersion: 1.18.2
+            mcVersion: latest
           - variant: java17-openj9
             baseImage: ibm-semeru-runtimes:open-17-jre
             platforms: linux/amd64,linux/arm64
-            mcVersion: 1.18.2
+            mcVersion: latest
           - variant: java17-alpine
             baseImage: eclipse-temurin:17-jre-alpine
             platforms: linux/amd64
-            mcVersion: 1.18.2
+            mcVersion: latest
         # JAVA 11:
           - variant: java11
             baseImage: adoptopenjdk:11-jre-hotspot
diff --git a/.github/workflows/verify-pr.yml b/.github/workflows/verify-pr.yml
index cf12ee8c..26ba0877 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/verify-pr.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/verify-pr.yml
@@ -25,17 +25,17 @@ jobs:
           - variant: java21
             baseImage: eclipse-temurin:21-jre
             platforms: linux/amd64,linux/arm64
-            mcVersion: 1.19.4
+            mcVersion: latest
         # JAVA 17:
           - variant: java17
             # jammy doesn't work until minecraft updates to https://github.com/netty/netty/issues/12343
             baseImage: eclipse-temurin:17-jre-focal
             platforms: linux/amd64
-            mcVersion: 1.19.4
+            mcVersion: latest
           - variant: java17-alpine
             baseImage: eclipse-temurin:17-jre-alpine
             platforms: linux/amd64
-            mcVersion: 1.19.4
+            mcVersion: latest
           - variant: java8-multiarch
             baseImage: eclipse-temurin:8u312-b07-jre-focal
             platforms: linux/amd64
diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index b9864f2b..fa5915b9 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ RUN easy-add --var os=${TARGETOS} --var arch=${TARGETARCH}${TARGETVARIANT} \
   --var version=${RCON_CLI_VERSION} --var app=rcon-cli --file {{.app}} \
   --from ${GITHUB_BASEURL}/itzg/{{.app}}/releases/download/{{.version}}/{{.app}}_{{.version}}_{{.os}}_{{.arch}}.tar.gz
 
-ARG MC_MONITOR_VERSION=0.12.6
+ARG MC_MONITOR_VERSION=0.12.8
 RUN easy-add --var os=${TARGETOS} --var arch=${TARGETARCH}${TARGETVARIANT} \
   --var version=${MC_MONITOR_VERSION} --var app=mc-monitor --file {{.app}} \
   --from ${GITHUB_BASEURL}/itzg/{{.app}}/releases/download/{{.version}}/{{.app}}_{{.version}}_{{.os}}_{{.arch}}.tar.gz
diff --git a/tests/fulltests/multi-part-motd/docker-compose.yml b/tests/fulltests/multi-part-motd/docker-compose.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..d5a272c5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/fulltests/multi-part-motd/docker-compose.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+version: "3"
+
+services:
+  monitor:
+    depends_on:
+      - mc
+    image: ${IMAGE_TO_TEST:-itzg/minecraft-server}
+    entrypoint: mc-monitor
+    command: status --host mc --retry-interval 1s --timeout 1s --retry-limit 60
+  mc:
+    restart: "no"
+    image: ${IMAGE_TO_TEST:-itzg/minecraft-server}
+    environment:
+      EULA: "TRUE"
+      VERSION: ${MINECRAFT_VERSION:-LATEST}
+      TYPE: PAPER
+      # regression tests https://github.com/itzg/docker-minecraft-server/issues/2545
+      MOTD: "Foo§rBar"
+
diff --git a/tests/fulltests/test.sh b/tests/fulltests/test.sh
index 4a9a4891..7e48ab96 100644
--- a/tests/fulltests/test.sh
+++ b/tests/fulltests/test.sh
@@ -3,41 +3,33 @@
 # go to script root directory
 cd "$(dirname "$0")" || exit 1
 
-# compose down function for reuse
 down() {
-  docker-compose down -v --remove-orphans
-}
-
-checkandExitOnFailure(){
-  failed=$1
-  # docker-compose logs outputs messages from the specified container
-  if $failed; then
-    docker-compose logs mc
-    down
-    cd ..
-    exit 2
-  fi
+    docker compose -f "$1" down -v --remove-orphans
 }
 
 # tests to completely spin up Minecraft and use the monitor to validate the service is running.
 fullMinecraftUpTest(){
-  folder=$1
-  cd "$folder"
+  file="$1"
   failed=false
   # run the monitor to validate the Minecraft image is healthy
-  docker-compose run monitor || failed=true
-  echo "${folder} Result: failed=$failed"
-  checkandExitOnFailure $failed
-  down
-  cd ..
+  docker compose -f "$file" run monitor || failed=true
+  echo "$(dirname "$file") Result: failed=$failed"
+  if $failed; then
+    docker compose logs mc
+    down "$file"
+    return 1
+  else
+    down "$file"
+  fi
 }
 
 # go through each folder in fulltests and run fullbuilds
-FOLDERS=$(ls)
-for folder in $FOLDERS; do
-    # If folder is a directory
-    if [ -d "$folder" ]; then
-      echo "Starting Tests on ${folder}"
-      fullMinecraftUpTest $folder
+files=$(ls */docker-compose.yml)
+for file in $files; do
+
+    echo "Starting Tests on $(dirname "$file")"
+    if ! fullMinecraftUpTest "$file"; then
+      exit 2
     fi
+
 done
diff --git a/tests/fulltests/vanilla-latest/docker-compose.yml b/tests/fulltests/vanilla-latest/docker-compose.yml
index 8065459d..b5946e4d 100644
--- a/tests/fulltests/vanilla-latest/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/tests/fulltests/vanilla-latest/docker-compose.yml
@@ -4,7 +4,8 @@ services:
   monitor:
     depends_on:
       - mc
-    image: itzg/mc-monitor:${MC_MONITOR_VERSION:-0.10.4}
+    image: ${IMAGE_TO_TEST:-itzg/minecraft-server}
+    entrypoint: mc-monitor
     command: status --host mc --retry-interval 1s --timeout 1s --retry-limit 300
   mc:
     restart: "no"