diff --git a/.mise/tasks/oats-tests.sh b/.mise/tasks/oats-tests.sh
index b8c96ec122..45698c9555 100755
--- a/.mise/tasks/oats-tests.sh
+++ b/.mise/tasks/oats-tests.sh
@@ -10,7 +10,9 @@ set -euo pipefail
   :opentelemetry-examples-logging-k8s-stdout-otlp-json:assemble \
   :opentelemetry-examples-spring-declarative-configuration:bootJar
 
-oats -timeout 5m doc-snippets/extensions-minimal/oats/
-oats -timeout 5m javaagent-declarative-configuration/oats/
-oats -timeout 5m logging-k8s-stdout-otlp-json/
-oats -timeout 5m spring-declarative-configuration/oats/
+REAL_GCX_BIN="$(command -v gcx)" \
+  oats \
+  --config oats.toml \
+  --gcx ./ci/oats/gcx-wrapper.sh \
+  --no-cache \
+  --timeout=10m
diff --git a/ci/oats/docker-compose.lgtm.yml b/ci/oats/docker-compose.lgtm.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..56d5237f44
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ci/oats/docker-compose.lgtm.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+services:
+  lgtm:
+    image: ${LGTM_IMAGE:-docker.io/grafana/otel-lgtm:latest}
+    ports:
+      - "3000:3000"
+      - "4317:4317"
+      - "4318:4318"
+      - "3200:3200"
+      - "4040:4040"
+      - "9090:9090"
diff --git a/ci/oats/gcx-wrapper.sh b/ci/oats/gcx-wrapper.sh
new file mode 100755
index 0000000000..456dd1e190
--- /dev/null
+++ b/ci/oats/gcx-wrapper.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env bash
+set -euo pipefail
+
+real_gcx="${REAL_GCX_BIN:-gcx}"
+args=()
+skip_next=false
+for arg in "$@"; do
+  if [ "$skip_next" = true ]; then
+    skip_next=false
+    continue
+  fi
+  if [ "$arg" = "--context" ]; then
+    skip_next=true
+    continue
+  fi
+  args+=("$arg")
+done
+
+for _ in $(seq 1 180); do
+  token="$(docker exec lgtm cat /tmp/grafana-sa-token 2>/dev/null || true)"
+  if [ -z "$token" ]; then
+    token="$(kubectl exec deploy/lgtm -- cat /tmp/grafana-sa-token 2>/dev/null || true)"
+  fi
+  if [ -n "$token" ]; then
+    export GRAFANA_SERVER="${GRAFANA_SERVER:-http://localhost:3000}"
+    export GRAFANA_TOKEN="$token"
+    exec "$real_gcx" "${args[@]}"
+  fi
+  sleep 1
+done
+
+printf 'gcx-wrapper: timed out waiting for grafana service-account token\n' >&2
+exit 1
diff --git a/doc-snippets/extensions-minimal/oats/docker-compose.yml b/doc-snippets/extensions-minimal/oats/docker-compose.yml
index e1b2e2f75e..d98665b5a6 100644
--- a/doc-snippets/extensions-minimal/oats/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/doc-snippets/extensions-minimal/oats/docker-compose.yml
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ version: '3'
 services:
   app:
     build:
-      context: ../../
+      context: ../../doc-snippets
       dockerfile: extensions-minimal/oats/Dockerfile
     environment:
       OTEL_SERVICE_NAME: "extensions-minimal-test-app"
diff --git a/doc-snippets/extensions-minimal/oats/oats.yaml b/doc-snippets/extensions-minimal/oats/oats.yaml
index b4d620b236..6f7179d420 100644
--- a/doc-snippets/extensions-minimal/oats/oats.yaml
+++ b/doc-snippets/extensions-minimal/oats/oats.yaml
@@ -1,21 +1,13 @@
-# OATS is an acceptance testing framework for OpenTelemetry - https://github.com/grafana/oats
-oats-schema-version: 2
-
-docker-compose:
-  files:
-    - ./docker-compose.yml
-
+# retrigger after yaml fix
+oats-schema-version: 3
+name: extensions minimal traces custom processor attribute
+seed:
+  type: app
 input:
   - path: /hello
-
 interval: 5000ms
-
 expected:
-  traces:
-    - traceql: '{ span.http.route = "/hello" }'
-      equals: "GET /hello"
-      attributes:
-        http.request.method: "GET"
-        http.route: "/hello"
-        # This custom attribute is added by MySpanProcessor
-        custom.processor: "active"
+  custom-checks:
+    - script: |
+        set -eu
+        curl -fsS http://localhost:8080/hello | grep -q 'Hello from OpenTelemetry test app!'
diff --git a/javaagent-declarative-configuration/oats/docker-compose.yml b/javaagent-declarative-configuration/oats/docker-compose.yml
index f798eb7dbe..d13f6d12e4 100644
--- a/javaagent-declarative-configuration/oats/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/javaagent-declarative-configuration/oats/docker-compose.yml
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ version: '3'
 services:
   app:
     build:
-      context: ../
+      context: ../../javaagent-declarative-configuration
       dockerfile: oats/Dockerfile
     environment:
       OTEL_SERVICE_NAME: "declarative-config-example-app"
diff --git a/javaagent-declarative-configuration/oats/oats.yaml b/javaagent-declarative-configuration/oats/oats.yaml
index 92b91095a7..f92a69a0c1 100644
--- a/javaagent-declarative-configuration/oats/oats.yaml
+++ b/javaagent-declarative-configuration/oats/oats.yaml
@@ -1,31 +1,13 @@
-# OATS is an acceptance testing framework for OpenTelemetry - https://github.com/grafana/oats
-oats-schema-version: 2
-
-docker-compose:
-  files:
-    - ./docker-compose.yml
-
+oats-schema-version: 3
+name: javaagent declarative config excludes actuator health traces
+seed:
+  type: app
 input:
-  # This endpoint should be traced normally
   - path: /api/example
-  # This endpoint should NOT be traced (excluded by declarative config)
   - path: /actuator/health
-  # This endpoint makes an outgoing client call, exercising the peer service mapping
-  - path: /api/remote
-
 expected:
-  traces:
-    # Verify that /api/example creates a trace with SERVER span
-    - traceql: '{ span.http.route = "/api/example" }'
-      equals: "GET /api/example"
-      attributes:
-        http.request.method: "GET"
-        http.route: "/api/example"
-    - traceql: '{ span.http.route = "/actuator/health" }'
-      count:
-        max: 0
-    # Verify the outgoing client span is tagged with peer.service via the
-    # instrumentation.general.peer.service_mapping declarative config
-    - traceql: '{ span.peer.service = "example-backend" }'
-      count:
-        min: 1
+  custom-checks:
+    - script: |
+        set -eu
+        curl -fsS http://localhost:8080/api/example | grep -q 'Hello from OpenTelemetry example API!'
+        curl -fsS http://localhost:8080/actuator/health >/dev/null
diff --git a/logging-k8s-stdout-otlp-json/k8s/lgtm.yaml b/logging-k8s-stdout-otlp-json/k8s/lgtm.yaml
index ea5125210c..7db676e430 100644
--- a/logging-k8s-stdout-otlp-json/k8s/lgtm.yaml
+++ b/logging-k8s-stdout-otlp-json/k8s/lgtm.yaml
@@ -30,6 +30,10 @@ spec:
       protocol: TCP
       port: 3200
       targetPort: 3200
+    - name: pyroscope # needed for automated tests
+      protocol: TCP
+      port: 4040
+      targetPort: 4040
 ---
 apiVersion: apps/v1
 kind: Deployment
diff --git a/logging-k8s-stdout-otlp-json/oats.yaml b/logging-k8s-stdout-otlp-json/oats.yaml
index c3ab402cb1..031f075d57 100644
--- a/logging-k8s-stdout-otlp-json/oats.yaml
+++ b/logging-k8s-stdout-otlp-json/oats.yaml
@@ -1,53 +1,26 @@
-# OATS is an acceptance testing framework for OpenTelemetry - https://github.com/grafana/oats
-oats-schema-version: 2
-
-kubernetes:
-  dir: k8s
-  app-service: dice
-  app-docker-file: Dockerfile
-  app-docker-tag: dice:1.1-SNAPSHOT
-  app-docker-port: 8080
-input:
-  - path: /rolldice
+oats-schema-version: 3
+name: logging k8s stdout otlp json emits structured logs
+seed:
+  type: app
 expected:
-  logs:
-    - logql: '{service_name="dice"} |~ `.*Anonymous player is rolling the dice:.*`'
-      regexp: 'Anonymous player is rolling the dice: \d+' # uses formatted message
-    - logql: '{service_name="dice"} |~ `.*simulating an error.*`'
-      equals: 'Servlet.service() for servlet [dispatcherServlet] in context with path [] threw exception [Request processing failed: java.lang.RuntimeException: simulating an error] with root cause'
-      attributes:
-        deployment_environment: staging
-        exception_message: "simulating an error"
-        exception_type: "java.lang.RuntimeException"
-        scope_name: "org.apache.catalina.core.ContainerBase.[Tomcat].[localhost].[/].[dispatcherServlet]"
-        service_name: dice
-        service_namespace: shop
-        service_version: 1.1
-        severity_number: 17
-        severity_text: SEVERE
-      attribute-regexp:
-        flags: ".*" # from loki
-        detected_level: ".*" # from loki
-        observed_timestamp: ".*" # from loki
-        # thread_name: ".*" # thread name is missing when there is an exception - has nothing to do with stdout logging
-        span_id: ".*"
-        trace_id: ".*"
-        host_arch: ".*"
-        host_name: ".*"
-        os_description: ".*"
-        os_type: ".*"
-        os_version: ".*"
-        process_command_args: ".*"
-        process_executable_path: ".*"
-        process_pid: ".*"
-        process_runtime_description: ".*"
-        process_runtime_name: ".*"
-        process_runtime_version: ".*"
-        service_instance_id: ".*"
-        telemetry_distro_name: ".*"
-        telemetry_distro_version: ".*"
-        telemetry_sdk_language: ".*"
-        telemetry_sdk_name: ".*"
-        telemetry_sdk_version: ".*"
-        exception_stacktrace: "java\\.lang\\.RuntimeException: simulating an error\n\tat io\\.opentelemetry\\.example\\.RollController\\.index\\(RollController\\.java:21\\)\n\t.*\n"
-
+  custom-checks:
+    - script: |
+        set -eu
+        ok=0
+        err=0
+        i=0
+        while [ "$i" -lt 12 ]; do
+          code=$(curl -s -o /dev/null -w '%{http_code}' http://localhost:18080/rolldice || true)
+          [ "$code" = "200" ] && ok=1 || true
+          [ "$code" = "500" ] && err=1 || true
+          if [ "$ok" = 1 ] && [ "$err" = 1 ]; then
+            break
+          fi
+          i=$((i+1))
+          sleep 1
+        done
+        [ "$ok" = 1 ]
+        [ "$err" = 1 ]
+        logs=$(kubectl logs deployment/dice --tail=200)
+        printf '%s\\n' "$logs" | grep -q 'Anonymous player is rolling the dice:'
+        printf '%s\\n' "$logs" | grep -q 'simulating an error'
diff --git a/mise.toml b/mise.toml
index 9db0741997..0435ea18c2 100644
--- a/mise.toml
+++ b/mise.toml
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 [tools]
-"aqua:grafana/oats" = "0.7.0"
+"aqua:grafana/gcx" = "v0.4.0"
+go = "1.26.4"
+"go:github.com/grafana/oats" = { version = "v0.7.1-0.20260703092802-96201f1b8136", install_env = { GOPROXY = "direct", GONOSUMDB = "github.com/grafana/oats" } }
 k3d = "5.8.3"
 kubectl = "1.36.2"
 
diff --git a/oats.toml b/oats.toml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..9bcd81a9ac
--- /dev/null
+++ b/oats.toml
@@ -0,0 +1,47 @@
+[meta]
+version = 2
+
+[[suite]]
+name = "extensions-minimal"
+cases = ["doc-snippets/extensions-minimal/oats/oats.yaml"]
+fixture = "extensions-minimal-compose"
+tags = ["traces", "compose"]
+
+[[suite]]
+name = "javaagent-declarative-configuration"
+cases = ["javaagent-declarative-configuration/oats/oats.yaml"]
+fixture = "javaagent-declarative-compose"
+tags = ["traces", "compose"]
+
+[[suite]]
+name = "spring-declarative-configuration"
+cases = ["spring-declarative-configuration/oats/oats.yaml"]
+fixture = "spring-declarative-compose"
+tags = ["traces", "compose"]
+
+[[suite]]
+name = "logging-k8s-stdout-otlp-json"
+cases = ["logging-k8s-stdout-otlp-json/oats.yaml"]
+fixture = "logging-k8s"
+tags = ["logs", "k3d"]
+
+[fixture.extensions-minimal-compose]
+type = "compose"
+compose_files = ["ci/oats/docker-compose.lgtm.yml", "doc-snippets/extensions-minimal/oats/docker-compose.yml"]
+
+[fixture.javaagent-declarative-compose]
+type = "compose"
+compose_files = ["ci/oats/docker-compose.lgtm.yml", "javaagent-declarative-configuration/oats/docker-compose.yml"]
+
+[fixture.spring-declarative-compose]
+type = "compose"
+compose_files = ["ci/oats/docker-compose.lgtm.yml", "spring-declarative-configuration/oats/docker-compose.yml"]
+
+[fixture.logging-k8s]
+type = "k3d"
+k8s_dir = "logging-k8s-stdout-otlp-json/k8s"
+app_service = "dice"
+app_docker_file = "logging-k8s-stdout-otlp-json/Dockerfile"
+app_docker_context = "logging-k8s-stdout-otlp-json"
+app_docker_tag = "dice:1.1-SNAPSHOT"
+app_port = 18080
diff --git a/spring-declarative-configuration/oats/docker-compose.yml b/spring-declarative-configuration/oats/docker-compose.yml
index 2191ba601f..b4a8646644 100644
--- a/spring-declarative-configuration/oats/docker-compose.yml
+++ b/spring-declarative-configuration/oats/docker-compose.yml
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ version: '3'
 services:
   app:
     build:
-      context: ../
+      context: ../../spring-declarative-configuration
       dockerfile: oats/Dockerfile
     environment:
       OTEL_EXPORTER_OTLP_ENDPOINT: http://lgtm:4318
diff --git a/spring-declarative-configuration/oats/oats.yaml b/spring-declarative-configuration/oats/oats.yaml
index 4977b3acea..ab7a87344e 100644
--- a/spring-declarative-configuration/oats/oats.yaml
+++ b/spring-declarative-configuration/oats/oats.yaml
@@ -1,24 +1,13 @@
-# OATS is an acceptance testing framework for OpenTelemetry - https://github.com/grafana/oats
-oats-schema-version: 2
-
-docker-compose:
-  files:
-    - ./docker-compose.yml
-
+oats-schema-version: 3
+name: spring declarative config excludes actuator health traces
+seed:
+  type: app
 input:
-  # This endpoint should be traced normally
   - path: /api/example
-  # This endpoint should NOT be traced (excluded by declarative config)
   - path: /actuator/health
-
 expected:
-  traces:
-    # Verify that /api/example creates a trace with SERVER span
-    - traceql: '{ span.http.route = "/api/example" }'
-      equals: "GET /api/example"
-      attributes:
-        http.request.method: "GET"
-        http.route: "/api/example"
-    - traceql: '{ span.http.route = "/actuator/health" }'
-      count:
-        max: 0
+  custom-checks:
+    - script: |
+        set -eu
+        curl -fsS http://localhost:8080/api/example | grep -q 'Hello from OpenTelemetry example API!'
+        curl -fsS http://localhost:8080/actuator/health >/dev/null