diff --git a/docs/generation/gradle.properties b/docs/generation/gradle.properties
index 81f40996a4..3ce9fb1cdf 100644
--- a/docs/generation/gradle.properties
+++ b/docs/generation/gradle.properties
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
 org.gradle.parallel=true
 
 antoraVersion=2.3.4
-jsoupVersion=1.13.1
+jsoupVersion=1.14.3
 nodeVersion=14.16.0
-nodePluginVersion=3.0.1
+nodePluginVersion=3.2.1
 nuValidatorVersion=20.7.2
diff --git a/docs/generation/gradle/validateSite.gradle b/docs/generation/gradle/validateSite.gradle
index 25915018b8..e46d472bf5 100644
--- a/docs/generation/gradle/validateSite.gradle
+++ b/docs/generation/gradle/validateSite.gradle
@@ -43,42 +43,35 @@ dependencies {
   }
 }
 
-for (location in ["local", "remote"]) {
-  def capitalizedLocation = location.capitalize()
-  def buildSiteTask = "build${capitalizedLocation}Site"
-  def validateSiteTask = "validate${capitalizedLocation}Site"
-  def validateHtmlFilesTask = "validate${capitalizedLocation}HtmlFiles"
-  def configureValidateHtmlFilesTask = "configureValidate${capitalizedLocation}HtmlFiles"
-  def validateHtmlLinksTask = "validate${capitalizedLocation}HtmlLinks"
-
-  def htmlFiles
+def getHtmlFiles(def location) {
   if (location == "local") {
-        htmlFiles = fileTree("$buildDir/$location").matching {
-        include "**/*.html"
-        }
+    return fileTree("$buildDir/$location").matching {
+      include "**/*.html"
+    }
   } else {
-        // only check the currently generated docs, ignore legacy docs
-        htmlFiles = fileTree("$buildDir/$location").matching {
-        include "**/SNAPSHOT/*.html"
-        }
-  }
-
-  task(validateSiteTask) {
-    dependsOn validateHtmlFilesTask, validateHtmlLinksTask
-  }
-
-  task(configureValidateHtmlFilesTask) {
-    doLast {
-      tasks[validateHtmlFilesTask].args htmlFiles
+    // only check the currently generated docs, ignore legacy docs
+    return fileTree("$buildDir/$location").matching {
+      include "**/SNAPSHOT/*.html"
     }
   }
+}
 
-  task(validateHtmlFilesTask, type: JavaExec) {
-    dependsOn(configureValidateHtmlFilesTask, buildSiteTask)
-
-    def outputFile = file("$buildDir/report/validateHtmlFiles/result.txt")
+for (location in ["local", "remote"]) {
+  def capitalizedLocation = location.capitalize()
+  def buildSiteTask = tasks.getByPath("build${capitalizedLocation}Site")
+
+  def filterSiteHtmlFilesTask = tasks.create(name: "filter${capitalizedLocation}Site") {
+    dependsOn buildSiteTask
+    inputs.dir buildSiteTask.outputs.files.files.first()
+    outputs.files location == "local" ?
+        inputs.files.asFileTree.matching { include "**/*.html" } :
+        inputs.files.asFileTree.matching { include "**/SNAPSHOT/*.html" }
+  }
 
-    inputs.files htmlFiles
+  def validateHtmlFilesTask = tasks.create(name: "validate${capitalizedLocation}HtmlFiles", type: JavaExec) {
+    def outputFile = file("$buildDir/$location/report/validateHtmlFiles/result.txt")
+    dependsOn filterSiteHtmlFilesTask
+    // inputs.files contains jar files because of task type JavaExec, don't add filterSiteHtmlFilesTask.outputs.
     outputs.file outputFile
 
     classpath = configurations.nuValidator
@@ -91,6 +84,12 @@ for (location in ["local", "remote"]) {
     // for debugging
     // args "--verbose"
 
+    // Before execution we need to add the arguments that specify the files to check. Do this in a doFirst block
+    // so filterSiteHtmlFilesTask.outputs has been resolved, otherwise we may race and not have any value.
+    doFirst {
+      args filterSiteHtmlFilesTask.outputs.files.stream().map(f -> f.getAbsolutePath()).toList()
+    }
+
     // write a basic result file s.t. gradle can consider task up-to-date
     // writing a result file in case validation fails is not easily possible with JavaExec,
     // but also not strictly necessary
@@ -98,12 +97,10 @@ for (location in ["local", "remote"]) {
     doLast { outputFile.text = "Success." }
   }
 
-  task(validateHtmlLinksTask) {
-    dependsOn(buildSiteTask)
-
-    def outputDir = file("$buildDir/report/validateHtmlLinks")
-
-    inputs.files htmlFiles
+  def validateHtmlLinksTask = tasks.create(name: "validate${capitalizedLocation}HtmlLinks") {
+    def outputDir = file("$buildDir/$location/report/validateHtmlLinks")
+    dependsOn filterSiteHtmlFilesTask
+    inputs.files filterSiteHtmlFilesTask.outputs.files
     outputs.dir outputDir
 
     doLast {
@@ -113,7 +110,7 @@ for (location in ["local", "remote"]) {
 
       try {
         // only validate links of latest version because we can't fix links of older versions
-        for (htmlFile in htmlFiles) {
+        for (htmlFile in inputs.files) {
           if (htmlFile.toString().endsWith("404.html")) {
             continue;
           }
@@ -237,4 +234,8 @@ for (location in ["local", "remote"]) {
       }
     }
   }
+
+  tasks.create(name: "validate${capitalizedLocation}Site") {
+    dependsOn validateHtmlFilesTask, validateHtmlLinksTask
+  }
 }
diff --git a/docs/generation/gradle/wrapper/gradle-wrapper.properties b/docs/generation/gradle/wrapper/gradle-wrapper.properties
index e750102e09..00e33edef6 100644
--- a/docs/generation/gradle/wrapper/gradle-wrapper.properties
+++ b/docs/generation/gradle/wrapper/gradle-wrapper.properties
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 distributionBase=GRADLE_USER_HOME
 distributionPath=wrapper/dists
-distributionUrl=https\://services.gradle.org/distributions/gradle-7.3-bin.zip
+distributionUrl=https\://services.gradle.org/distributions/gradle-7.4.1-bin.zip
 zipStoreBase=GRADLE_USER_HOME
 zipStorePath=wrapper/dists
diff --git a/gradle/wrapper/gradle-wrapper.properties b/gradle/wrapper/gradle-wrapper.properties
index e750102e09..00e33edef6 100644
--- a/gradle/wrapper/gradle-wrapper.properties
+++ b/gradle/wrapper/gradle-wrapper.properties
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 distributionBase=GRADLE_USER_HOME
 distributionPath=wrapper/dists
-distributionUrl=https\://services.gradle.org/distributions/gradle-7.3-bin.zip
+distributionUrl=https\://services.gradle.org/distributions/gradle-7.4.1-bin.zip
 zipStoreBase=GRADLE_USER_HOME
 zipStorePath=wrapper/dists