diff --git a/build.gradle b/build.gradle
index 3d9d1408..f57efbf9 100644
--- a/build.gradle
+++ b/build.gradle
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ buildscript {
     }
     dependencies {
         classpath("org.springframework.boot:spring-boot-gradle-plugin:$springBootVersion")
-        classpath "com.avast.gradle:gradle-docker-compose-plugin:0.12.0"
+        classpath "com.avast.gradle:gradle-docker-compose-plugin:$dockerComposePluginVersion"
         classpath "io.eventuate.plugins.gradle:eventuate-plugins-gradle-publish:$eventuatePluginsGradleVersion"
     }
 }
@@ -114,19 +114,19 @@ dockerCompose {
     mysql {
         projectName = null
         useComposeFiles = ["docker-compose-mysql.yml"]
-        removeContainers = project.ext.removeContainers
+        removeContainers = project.ext.removeContainers.toBoolean()
     }
 
     mysql8 {
         projectName = null
         useComposeFiles = ["docker-compose-mysql8.yml"]
-        removeContainers = project.ext.removeContainers
+        removeContainers = project.ext.removeContainers.toBoolean()
     }
 
     mysql8cdcpolling {
         projectName = null
         useComposeFiles = ["docker-compose-mysql8.yml", "docker-compose-cdc-mysql-polling.yml"]
-        removeContainers = project.ext.removeContainers
+        removeContainers = project.ext.removeContainers.toBoolean()
         startedServices = ["eventuate-cdc-service"]
     }
 
@@ -134,14 +134,14 @@ dockerCompose {
         environment.put "EVENTUATE_OUTBOX_TABLES", "8"
         projectName = null
         useComposeFiles = ["docker-compose-mysql8.yml", "docker-compose-cdc-unified-polling-mysql.yml"]
-        removeContainers = project.ext.removeContainers
+        removeContainers = project.ext.removeContainers.toBoolean()
         startedServices = ["eventuate-cdc-service"]
     }
 
     mysqlonly {
         projectName = null
         useComposeFiles = ["docker-compose-mysql.yml"]
-        removeContainers = project.ext.removeContainers
+        removeContainers = project.ext.removeContainers.toBoolean()
         startedServices = ["mysql"]
         removeOrphans = false
     }
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@ dockerCompose {
     mysql8only {
         projectName = null
         useComposeFiles = ["docker-compose-mysql8.yml"]
-        removeContainers = project.ext.removeContainers
+        removeContainers = project.ext.removeContainers.toBoolean()
         startedServices = ["mysql"]
         removeOrphans = false
     }
@@ -157,14 +157,14 @@ dockerCompose {
     mysql8KafkaOnly {
         projectName = null
         useComposeFiles = ["docker-compose-mysql8.yml"]
-        removeContainers = project.ext.removeContainers
+        removeContainers = project.ext.removeContainers.toBoolean()
         startedServices = ["kafka"]
         removeOrphans = false
     }
 
     mysqlmigration {
         projectName = null
-        removeContainers = project.ext.removeContainers
+        removeContainers = project.ext.removeContainers.toBoolean()
         useComposeFiles = ["docker-compose-eventuate-local-mysql-for-migration.yml"]
         startedServices = project.ext.composeStartedServices()
     }
@@ -172,13 +172,13 @@ dockerCompose {
     mariadb {
         projectName = null
         useComposeFiles = ["docker-compose-mariadb.yml"]
-        removeContainers = project.ext.removeContainers
+        removeContainers = project.ext.removeContainers.toBoolean()
     }
 
     mariadbonly {
         projectName = null
         useComposeFiles = ["docker-compose-mariadb.yml"]
-        removeContainers = project.ext.removeContainers
+        removeContainers = project.ext.removeContainers.toBoolean()
         startedServices = ["mariadb"]
         removeOrphans = false
     }
@@ -186,13 +186,13 @@ dockerCompose {
     mssql {
         projectName = null
         useComposeFiles = ["docker-compose-mssql.yml"]
-        removeContainers = project.ext.removeContainers
+        removeContainers = project.ext.removeContainers.toBoolean()
     }
 
     mssqlonly {
         projectName = null
         useComposeFiles = ["docker-compose-mssql.yml"]
-        removeContainers = project.ext.removeContainers
+        removeContainers = project.ext.removeContainers.toBoolean()
         startedServices = ["mssql"]
         removeOrphans = false
     }
@@ -200,13 +200,13 @@ dockerCompose {
     postgres {
         projectName = null
         useComposeFiles = ["docker-compose-postgres.yml"]
-        removeContainers = project.ext.removeContainers
+        removeContainers = project.ext.removeContainers.toBoolean()
     }
 
     postgresonly {
         projectName = null
         useComposeFiles = ["docker-compose-postgres.yml"]
-        removeContainers = project.ext.removeContainers
+        removeContainers = project.ext.removeContainers.toBoolean()
         startedServices = ["postgres"]
         removeOrphans = false
     }
@@ -214,13 +214,13 @@ dockerCompose {
     unified {
         projectName = null
         useComposeFiles = ["docker-compose-unified.yml", "docker-compose-cdc-unified.yml"]
-        removeContainers = project.ext.removeContainers
+        removeContainers = project.ext.removeContainers.toBoolean()
     }
 
     publish {
         projectName = null
         useComposeFiles = ["docker-compose-mysql.yml", "docker-compose-cdc-mysql-binlog.yml"]
-        removeContainers = project.ext.removeContainers
+        removeContainers = project.ext.removeContainers.toBoolean()
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/eventuate-local-java-cdc-connector-e2e-tests/build.gradle b/eventuate-local-java-cdc-connector-e2e-tests/build.gradle
index a673f616..8bcb505c 100644
--- a/eventuate-local-java-cdc-connector-e2e-tests/build.gradle
+++ b/eventuate-local-java-cdc-connector-e2e-tests/build.gradle
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ dockerCompose {
 
     eventuatelocalcdc {
         projectName = null
-        removeContainers = project.ext.removeContainers
+        removeContainers = project.ext.removeContainers.toBoolean()
         upAdditionalArgs = ['--no-deps']
         useComposeFiles = ["../${databaseDockerFile}", "../${databaseDockerCdcFile}"]
         if (mode != "unified") {
diff --git a/eventuate-tram-cdc-connector-activemq-e2e-tests/build.gradle b/eventuate-tram-cdc-connector-activemq-e2e-tests/build.gradle
index 707fc30b..6038c438 100644
--- a/eventuate-tram-cdc-connector-activemq-e2e-tests/build.gradle
+++ b/eventuate-tram-cdc-connector-activemq-e2e-tests/build.gradle
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ dockerCompose {
 
     tramcdc {
         projectName = null
-        removeContainers = project.ext.removeContainers
+        removeContainers = project.ext.removeContainers.toBoolean()
         upAdditionalArgs = ['--no-deps']
         useComposeFiles = ["../${databaseDockerFile}", "../${databaseDockerCdcFile}"]
         startedServices = ["zookeeper", "activemq", database, "eventuate-cdc-service"]
diff --git a/eventuate-tram-cdc-connector-kafka-e2e-tests/build.gradle b/eventuate-tram-cdc-connector-kafka-e2e-tests/build.gradle
index 4905eb98..9364a0c5 100644
--- a/eventuate-tram-cdc-connector-kafka-e2e-tests/build.gradle
+++ b/eventuate-tram-cdc-connector-kafka-e2e-tests/build.gradle
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ dockerCompose {
 
     tramcdc {
         projectName = null
-        removeContainers = project.ext.removeContainers
+        removeContainers = project.ext.removeContainers.toBoolean()
         upAdditionalArgs = ['--no-deps']
         useComposeFiles = ["../${databaseDockerFile}", "../${databaseDockerCdcFile}"]
         if (mode != "unified") {
diff --git a/eventuate-tram-cdc-connector-rabbitmq-e2e-tests/build.gradle b/eventuate-tram-cdc-connector-rabbitmq-e2e-tests/build.gradle
index 0e3bbb3b..7d49c9e2 100644
--- a/eventuate-tram-cdc-connector-rabbitmq-e2e-tests/build.gradle
+++ b/eventuate-tram-cdc-connector-rabbitmq-e2e-tests/build.gradle
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ dockerCompose {
 
     tramcdc {
         projectName = null
-        removeContainers = project.ext.removeContainers
+        removeContainers = project.ext.removeContainers.toBoolean()
         upAdditionalArgs = ['--no-deps']
         useComposeFiles = ["../${databaseDockerFile}", "../${databaseDockerCdcFile}"]
         startedServices = ["rabbitmq", "zookeeper", database, "eventuate-cdc-service"]
diff --git a/eventuate-tram-cdc-connector-redis-e2e-tests/build.gradle b/eventuate-tram-cdc-connector-redis-e2e-tests/build.gradle
index 0dcdac9c..37d7859f 100644
--- a/eventuate-tram-cdc-connector-redis-e2e-tests/build.gradle
+++ b/eventuate-tram-cdc-connector-redis-e2e-tests/build.gradle
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ dockerCompose {
 
     tramcdc {
         projectName = null
-        removeContainers = project.ext.removeContainers
+        removeContainers = project.ext.removeContainers.toBoolean()
         upAdditionalArgs = ['--no-deps']
         useComposeFiles = ["../${databaseDockerFile}", "../${databaseDockerCdcFile}"]
         startedServices = ["zookeeper", "redis", database, "eventuate-cdc-service"]
diff --git a/gradle.properties b/gradle.properties
index 601daa1f..0638f4da 100644
--- a/gradle.properties
+++ b/gradle.properties
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 deployUrl=file:///Users/cer/.m2/testdeploy
 eventuateMavenRepoUrl=file:///Users/cer/.m2/testdeploy,https://snapshots.repositories.eventuate.io/repository
+dockerComposePluginVersion=0.16.12
 
 dockerImageTag=latest