diff --git a/.asf.yaml b/.asf.yaml
index 5be9016a3f..319c47872e 100644
--- a/.asf.yaml
+++ b/.asf.yaml
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ github:
           parameters:
             check_response_timeout_minutes: 180
             grouping_strategy: ALLGREEN
-            max_entries_to_build: 1
+            max_entries_to_build: 2
             max_entries_to_merge: 1
             merge_method: SQUASH
             min_entries_to_merge: 1
diff --git a/.github/workflows/asf-allowlist-check.yml b/.github/workflows/asf-allowlist-check.yml
index 132faa1bc3..e2e408d358 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/asf-allowlist-check.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/asf-allowlist-check.yml
@@ -30,6 +30,10 @@ on:
 permissions:
   contents: read
 
+concurrency:
+  group: ${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.ref }}
+  cancel-in-progress: ${{ github.event_name == 'pull_request' }}
+
 jobs:
   asf-allowlist-check:
     runs-on: ubuntu-slim
diff --git a/.github/workflows/codeql.yml b/.github/workflows/codeql.yml
index 5de3f9d366..3df052476c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/codeql.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/codeql.yml
@@ -31,6 +31,10 @@ on:
 permissions:
   contents: read
 
+concurrency:
+  group: ${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.ref }}
+  cancel-in-progress: ${{ github.event_name == 'pull_request' }}
+
 jobs:
   analyze:
     name: Analyze Actions
diff --git a/.github/workflows/license_check.yml b/.github/workflows/license_check.yml
index a6155c84cc..f196f2fffd 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/license_check.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/license_check.yml
@@ -25,6 +25,10 @@ on:
 permissions:
   contents: read
 
+concurrency:
+  group: ${{ github.workflow }}-${{ github.ref }}
+  cancel-in-progress: ${{ github.event_name == 'pull_request' }}
+
 jobs:
   rat:
     runs-on: ubuntu-slim
diff --git a/.github/workflows/nightly-pypi-build.yml b/.github/workflows/nightly-pypi-build.yml
index 1f4aae490c..016b10ec25 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/nightly-pypi-build.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/nightly-pypi-build.yml
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ permissions:
 jobs:
   set-version:
     if: github.repository == 'apache/iceberg-python' || github.event_name == 'workflow_dispatch' # Run on schedule for apache repo, or on manual dispatch from any repo
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    runs-on: ubuntu-slim
     outputs:
       VERSION: ${{ steps.set-version.outputs.VERSION }}
     steps:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/pypi-build-artifacts.yml b/.github/workflows/pypi-build-artifacts.yml
index 1d2717cf4c..dc1d35d126 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/pypi-build-artifacts.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/pypi-build-artifacts.yml
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ jobs:
           path: ./wheelhouse/*
 
   pypi-merge-artifacts:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    runs-on: ubuntu-slim
     needs:
       - pypi-build-artifacts
     steps:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/python-release-docs.yml b/.github/workflows/python-release-docs.yml
index d69fb638e5..0f9343f11a 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/python-release-docs.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/python-release-docs.yml
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ concurrency:
 
 jobs:
   docs:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    runs-on: ubuntu-slim
     permissions:
       contents: write
 
diff --git a/.github/workflows/python-release.yml b/.github/workflows/python-release.yml
index d409757251..47b324ce9b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/python-release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/python-release.yml
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ permissions:
 
 jobs:
   validate-inputs:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    runs-on: ubuntu-slim
     outputs:
       VERSION: ${{ steps.validate-inputs.outputs.VERSION }} # e.g. 0.8.0
       RC: ${{ steps.validate-inputs.outputs.RC }} # e.g. 1
@@ -96,7 +96,7 @@ jobs:
           STEPS_VALIDATE_INPUTS_OUTPUTS_RC: ${{ steps.validate-inputs.outputs.RC }}
 
   validate-library-version:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    runs-on: ubuntu-slim
     needs:
       - validate-inputs
     steps:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/stale.yml b/.github/workflows/stale.yml
index 6e5560b535..54e88b0928 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/stale.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/stale.yml
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ permissions:
 jobs:
   stale:
     if: github.repository_owner == 'apache'
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    runs-on: ubuntu-slim
     steps:
       - uses: actions/stale@4391f3da665fdf50b6810c1a66712fb9ba21aa93 # v11.0.0
         with:
diff --git a/.github/workflows/svn-build-artifacts.yml b/.github/workflows/svn-build-artifacts.yml
index 7031343409..1b275369b6 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/svn-build-artifacts.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/svn-build-artifacts.yml
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ jobs:
           path: ./wheelhouse/*
 
   svn-merge-artifacts:
-    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    runs-on: ubuntu-slim
     needs:
       - svn-build-artifacts
     steps:
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index c1fa3ca8e3..9f0282c65b 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -165,10 +165,10 @@ test-notebook: ## Run notebook tests (pyiceberg_example and spark_integration_ex
 ##@ Documentation
 
 docs-serve: ## Serve local docs preview (hot reload)
-	uv run $(PYTHON_ARG) --group docs mkdocs serve -f mkdocs/mkdocs.yml --livereload
+	uv run $(PYTHON_ARG) --no-default-groups --group docs mkdocs serve -f mkdocs/mkdocs.yml --livereload
 
 docs-build: ## Build the static documentation site
-	uv run $(PYTHON_ARG) --group docs mkdocs build -f mkdocs/mkdocs.yml --strict
+	uv run $(PYTHON_ARG) --no-default-groups --group docs mkdocs build -f mkdocs/mkdocs.yml --strict
 
 # ========================
 # Experimentation