diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci-build.yml b/.github/workflows/ci-build.yml
index 8d377eee..13f97b92 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci-build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci-build.yml
@@ -13,10 +13,10 @@ jobs:
       matrix:
         # ATTENTION: When changing the versions in the matrix, make sure one of them is listed as default version below
         # Only for the default version you will get a Sonar analysis!
-        docker_db_version: ["7.1.23", "8.22.0"]
+        docker_db_version: ["7.1.23", "8.23.0"]
     env:
       DEFAULT_DB_VERSION: "7.1.23"
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    runs-on: ubuntu-20.04
     concurrency:
       group: ${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.ref }}-${{ matrix.docker_db_version }}
       cancel-in-progress: true
diff --git a/src/main/java/com/exasol/containers/ExasolContainer.java b/src/main/java/com/exasol/containers/ExasolContainer.java
index bdbf70c5..33f08ae1 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/exasol/containers/ExasolContainer.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/exasol/containers/ExasolContainer.java
@@ -710,7 +710,7 @@ private void waitUntilStatementCanBeExecuted() {
             }
         }
         final Duration timeoutAfter = Duration.between(before, Instant.now());
-        final ContainerLaunchException exception = new ContainerLaunchException(ExaError.messageBuilder("F-ETC-5")
+        throw new ContainerLaunchException(ExaError.messageBuilder("F-ETC-5")
                 .message("Exasol container start-up timed out trying connection to {{url}} using query {{query}}"
                         + " after {{after}} seconds. Last connection exception was: {{exception}}")
                 .parameter("url", getJdbcUrl(), "JDBC URL of the connection to the Exasol Testcontainer")
@@ -720,8 +720,6 @@ private void waitUntilStatementCanBeExecuted() {
                         (this.lastConnectionException == null) ? "none" : this.lastConnectionException.getMessage(),
                         "exception thrown on last connection attempt")
                 .toString(), this.lastConnectionException);
-        LOGGER.error(exception.getMessage(), this.lastConnectionException);
-        throw exception;
     }
 
     private void sleepBeforeNextConnectionAttempt() {