diff --git a/.github/workflows/pinot_tests.yml b/.github/workflows/pinot_tests.yml
index 727280bd2e3d..0417d3f92727 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/pinot_tests.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/pinot_tests.yml
@@ -77,12 +77,22 @@ jobs:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
         testset: [ 1, 2 ]
-        java: [ 11, 17, 20 ]
+        java: [ 11, 21 ]
         distribution: [ "temurin" ]
-    name: Pinot Unit Test Set ${{ matrix.testset }} (${{matrix.distribution}}-${{matrix.java}})
+        skip_bytebuffer: [false]
+        include:
+          - java: 21
+            testset: 1
+            distribution: "temurin"
+            skip_bytebuffer: true
+          - java: 21
+            testset: 2
+            distribution: "temurin"
+            skip_bytebuffer: true
+    name: Pinot Unit Test Set ${{ matrix.testset }} (${{matrix.distribution}}-${{matrix.java}}) with skip bytebuffers:${{matrix.skip_bytebuffer}}
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v3
-      - name: Set up JDK ${{ matrix.java }}
+      - name: Set up JDK ${{ matrix.java }}-${{ matrix.distribution }}
         uses: actions/setup-java@v3
         with:
           java-version: ${{ matrix.java }}
@@ -116,6 +126,7 @@ jobs:
         env:
           RUN_INTEGRATION_TESTS: false
           RUN_TEST_SET: ${{ matrix.testset }}
+          PINOT_OFFHEAP_SKIP_BYTEBUFFER: ${{ matrix.skip_bytebuffer }}
           GRADLE_ENTERPRISE_ACCESS_KEY: ${{ secrets.GE_ACCESS_TOKEN }}
           MAVEN_OPTS: >
             -Xmx2G -DskipShade -DfailIfNoTests=false -Dmaven.wagon.httpconnectionManager.ttlSeconds=25
@@ -132,7 +143,7 @@ jobs:
         continue-on-error: true
         timeout-minutes: 5
         with:
-          flags: unittests,unittests${{ matrix.testset }},${{matrix.distribution}},java-${{matrix.java}}
+          flags: unittests,unittests${{ matrix.testset }},${{matrix.distribution}},java-${{matrix.java}},skip-bytebuffers-${{matrix.skip_bytebuffer}}
           name: codecov-unit-tests
           fail_ci_if_error: false
           verbose: true
@@ -145,12 +156,22 @@ jobs:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
         testset: [ 1, 2 ]
-        java: [ 11, 17, 20 ]
+        java: [ 11, 21 ]
         distribution: [ "temurin" ]
-    name: Pinot Integration Test Set ${{ matrix.testset }} (${{matrix.distribution}}-${{matrix.java}})
+        skip_bytebuffer: [false]
+        include:
+          - java: 21
+            testset: 1
+            distribution: "temurin"
+            skip_bytebuffer: true
+          - java: 21
+            testset: 2
+            distribution: "temurin"
+            skip_bytebuffer: true
+    name: Pinot Integration Test Set ${{ matrix.testset }} (${{matrix.distribution}}-${{matrix.java}}) with skip bytebuffers:${{matrix.skip_bytebuffer}}
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v3
-      - name: Set up JDK ${{ matrix.java }}
+      - name: Set up JDK ${{ matrix.java }}-${{ matrix.distribution }}
         uses: actions/setup-java@v3
         with:
           java-version: ${{ matrix.java }}
@@ -183,6 +204,7 @@ jobs:
         env:
           RUN_INTEGRATION_TESTS: true
           RUN_TEST_SET: ${{ matrix.testset }}
+          PINOT_OFFHEAP_SKIP_BYTEBUFFER: ${{ matrix.skip_bytebuffer }}
           GRADLE_ENTERPRISE_ACCESS_KEY: ${{ secrets.GE_ACCESS_TOKEN }}
           MAVEN_OPTS: >
             -Xmx2G -DskipShade -DfailIfNoTests=false -Dmaven.wagon.httpconnectionManager.ttlSeconds=25
@@ -199,7 +221,7 @@ jobs:
         continue-on-error: true
         timeout-minutes: 5
         with:
-          flags: integration,integration${{ matrix.testset }},${{matrix.distribution}},java-${{matrix.java}}
+          flags: integration,integration${{ matrix.testset }},${{matrix.distribution}},java-${{matrix.java}},skip-bytebuffers-${{matrix.skip_bytebuffer}}
           name: codecov-integration-tests
           fail_ci_if_error: false
           verbose: true
@@ -292,9 +314,14 @@ jobs:
       # Changed to false in order to improve coverage using unsafe buffers
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
-        java: [ 11, 17, 20 ]
+        java: [ 11, 21 ]
         distribution: [ "temurin" ]
-    name: Pinot Quickstart on JDK ${{ matrix.java }}
+        skip_bytebuffer: [false]
+        include:
+          - java: 21
+            distribution: "temurin"
+            skip_bytebuffer: true
+    name: Pinot Quickstart on JDK ${{ matrix.java }}-${{ matrix.distribution }} with skip bytebuffers:${{matrix.skip_bytebuffer}}
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v3
       - name: Set up JDK ${{ matrix.java }}
@@ -314,4 +341,6 @@ jobs:
           restore-keys: |
             ${{ runner.os }}-maven-
       - name: Quickstart on JDK ${{ matrix.java }}
+        env:
+          PINOT_OFFHEAP_SKIP_BYTEBUFFER: ${{ matrix.skip_bytebuffer }}
         run: .github/workflows/scripts/.pinot_quickstart.sh
diff --git a/pinot-plugins/pinot-batch-ingestion/pinot-batch-ingestion-spark-3/pom.xml b/pinot-plugins/pinot-batch-ingestion/pinot-batch-ingestion-spark-3/pom.xml
index 95f3fcdbc2bc..7f0e3c23f436 100644
--- a/pinot-plugins/pinot-batch-ingestion/pinot-batch-ingestion-spark-3/pom.xml
+++ b/pinot-plugins/pinot-batch-ingestion/pinot-batch-ingestion-spark-3/pom.xml
@@ -36,9 +36,7 @@
   <properties>
     <pinot.root>${basedir}/../../..</pinot.root>
     <phase.prop>package</phase.prop>
-    <scala.major.version>2.12</scala.major.version>
     <spark.version>3.5.0</spark.version>
-    <scala.minor.version>2.12.15</scala.minor.version>
     <commons-lang3.version>3.11</commons-lang3.version>
   </properties>
 
@@ -50,7 +48,7 @@
     </dependency>
     <dependency>
       <groupId>org.apache.spark</groupId>
-      <artifactId>spark-core_${scala.major.version}</artifactId>
+      <artifactId>spark-core_${scala.compat.version}</artifactId>
       <version>${spark.version}</version>
       <scope>provided</scope>
       <exclusions>
@@ -99,7 +97,7 @@
     <dependency>
       <groupId>org.scala-lang</groupId>
       <artifactId>scala-library</artifactId>
-      <version>${scala.minor.version}</version>
+      <version>${scala.version}</version>
       <scope>provided</scope>
     </dependency>
     <dependency>
diff --git a/pinot-segment-spi/src/main/java/org/apache/pinot/segment/spi/memory/PinotDataBuffer.java b/pinot-segment-spi/src/main/java/org/apache/pinot/segment/spi/memory/PinotDataBuffer.java
index 9bd36aeb38d4..0895a1782bc3 100644
--- a/pinot-segment-spi/src/main/java/org/apache/pinot/segment/spi/memory/PinotDataBuffer.java
+++ b/pinot-segment-spi/src/main/java/org/apache/pinot/segment/spi/memory/PinotDataBuffer.java
@@ -67,6 +67,13 @@ public abstract class PinotDataBuffer implements Closeable {
   // With number of bytes less than this threshold, we get/put bytes one by one
   // With number of bytes more than this threshold, we create a ByteBuffer from the buffer and use bulk get/put method
   public static final int BULK_BYTES_PROCESSING_THRESHOLD = 10;
+  private static final String SKIP_BYTEBUFFER_ENV = "PINOT_OFFHEAP_SKIP_BYTEBUFFER";
+  private static final boolean DEFAULT_PRIORITIZE_BYTE_BUFFER;
+
+  static {
+     String skipBbEnvValue = System.getenv(SKIP_BYTEBUFFER_ENV);
+     DEFAULT_PRIORITIZE_BYTE_BUFFER = !Boolean.parseBoolean(skipBbEnvValue);
+  }
 
   private static class BufferContext {
     enum Type {
@@ -152,17 +159,20 @@ public static PinotBufferFactory getFactory() {
   }
 
   public static PinotBufferFactory createDefaultFactory() {
-    return createDefaultFactory(true);
+    return createDefaultFactory(DEFAULT_PRIORITIZE_BYTE_BUFFER);
   }
 
   public static PinotBufferFactory createDefaultFactory(boolean prioritizeByteBuffer) {
     String factoryClassName;
-    if (JavaVersion.VERSION < 16) {
-      LOGGER.info("Using LArray as buffer on JVM version {}", JavaVersion.VERSION);
-      factoryClassName = LArrayPinotBufferFactory.class.getCanonicalName();
-    } else {
-      LOGGER.info("Using Unsafe as buffer on JVM version {}", JavaVersion.VERSION);
-      factoryClassName = UnsafePinotBufferFactory.class.getCanonicalName();
+    factoryClassName = System.getenv("PINOT_BUFFER_LIBRARY");
+    if (factoryClassName == null) {
+      if (JavaVersion.VERSION < 16) {
+        LOGGER.info("Using LArray as buffer on JVM version {}", JavaVersion.VERSION);
+        factoryClassName = LArrayPinotBufferFactory.class.getCanonicalName();
+      } else {
+        LOGGER.info("Using Unsafe as buffer on JVM version {}", JavaVersion.VERSION);
+        factoryClassName = UnsafePinotBufferFactory.class.getCanonicalName();
+      }
     }
     return createFactory(factoryClassName, prioritizeByteBuffer);
   }
diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index 4ab348ab1367..1fd92be11047 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -184,6 +184,10 @@
     <scala.version>2.12.18</scala.version>
     <scala.compat.version>2.12</scala.compat.version>
 
+    <!-- Configuration for Scala -->
+    <scala.version>2.12.18</scala.version>
+    <scala.compat.version>2.12</scala.compat.version>
+
     <flink.version>1.12.0</flink.version>
     <commons-configuration2.version>2.9.0</commons-configuration2.version>
   </properties>
@@ -1138,13 +1142,13 @@
       <dependency>
         <groupId>org.mockito</groupId>
         <artifactId>mockito-core</artifactId>
-        <version>5.3.1</version>
+        <version>5.5.0</version>
         <scope>test</scope>
       </dependency>
       <dependency>
         <groupId>org.mockito</groupId>
         <artifactId>mockito-inline</artifactId>
-        <version>4.7.0</version>
+        <version>5.2.0</version>
         <scope>test</scope>
       </dependency>
       <dependency>
@@ -1495,6 +1499,7 @@
               --add-opens=java.base/java.util=ALL-UNNAMED
               --add-exports=java.base/jdk.internal.util.random=ALL-UNNAMED
               --add-opens=java.base/java.lang.reflect=ALL-UNNAMED
+              -Dnet.bytebuddy.experimental=true
             </argLine>
           </configuration>
           <!-- Explicitly select the test provider, instead of relying on the classpath -->