diff --git a/asciidoc/release-notes.adoc b/asciidoc/release-notes.adoc
index 2d686c0a..d558aacc 100644
--- a/asciidoc/release-notes.adoc
+++ b/asciidoc/release-notes.adoc
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
 
 = Ivy Release Announcement
 
-XXXX Date XXXX - The Apache Ivy project is pleased to announce its 2.5.3 release.
+December 21 2024 - The Apache Ivy project is pleased to announce its 2.5.3 release.
 
 == What is Ivy?
 Apache Ivy is a tool for managing (recording, tracking, resolving and reporting) project dependencies, characterized by flexibility,
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ More information about the project can be found on the website link:https://ant.
 
 == Key features in this release
 
-Key features of this 2.5.3 release are:
+This 2.5.3 release is a bugfix release, no new features have been added.
 
 == List of Changes in this Release
 
diff --git a/build-release.xml b/build-release.xml
index e84fda58..04d60181 100644
--- a/build-release.xml
+++ b/build-release.xml
@@ -493,8 +493,10 @@
         <rat:report xmlns:rat="antlib:org.apache.rat.anttasks" reportFile="${rat.report.dir}/rat-report.txt">
             <fileset dir="${basedir}">
                 <exclude name=".classpath"/>
+                <exclude name="*.iml"/>
                 <exclude name="ReleaseInstructions"/>
                 <exclude name=".ivy2/**/*"/>
+                <exclude name=".idea/**/*"/>
                 <exclude name="build/**/*"/>
                 <exclude name="bin/**/*"/>
                 <exclude name="**/*.md5"/>
diff --git a/test/java/org/apache/ivy/ant/ivysettings-include-twice.xml b/test/java/org/apache/ivy/ant/ivysettings-include-twice.xml
index 0a8a6869..515f9956 100644
--- a/test/java/org/apache/ivy/ant/ivysettings-include-twice.xml
+++ b/test/java/org/apache/ivy/ant/ivysettings-include-twice.xml
@@ -17,6 +17,6 @@
    under the License.    
 -->
 <ivysettings>
-	<include url="file:${ivy.settings.dir}/ivysettings-props.xml"/>
-	<include url="file:${ivy.settings.dir}/ivysettings-test.xml"/>
+	<include url="${ivy.settings.dir.url}/ivysettings-props.xml"/>
+	<include url="${ivy.settings.dir.url}/ivysettings-test.xml"/>
 </ivysettings>
diff --git a/test/repositories/ivysettings-caches-use-origin.xml b/test/repositories/ivysettings-caches-use-origin.xml
index 3ca9ead9..6cd91a1c 100644
--- a/test/repositories/ivysettings-caches-use-origin.xml
+++ b/test/repositories/ivysettings-caches-use-origin.xml
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
 	<caches defaultCacheDir="${cache.dir}"/>
 	<resolvers>
 		<chain name="test">
-			<ibiblio name="m2-local" m2compatible="true" useMavenMetadata="true" root="file:${ivy.settings.dir}/m2" />
+			<ibiblio name="m2-local" m2compatible="true" useMavenMetadata="true" root="${ivy.settings.dir.url}/m2" />
 		</chain>
 	</resolvers>
 </ivysettings>
diff --git a/test/repositories/ivysettings-with-nio.xml b/test/repositories/ivysettings-with-nio.xml
index 8e2e8de9..cc329c51 100644
--- a/test/repositories/ivysettings-with-nio.xml
+++ b/test/repositories/ivysettings-with-nio.xml
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@
 				</filesystem>
 			</dual>
 			<ibiblio name="m2" m2compatible="true" useMavenMetadata="true" 
-			         root="file:${ivy.settings.dir}/m2" />
+			         root="${ivy.settings.dir.url}/m2" />
 		</chain>
 		<filesystem name="install">
 			<ivy pattern="${ivy.basedir}/build/test/install/[organisation]/[module]/[artifact]-[revision].[ext]"/>
diff --git a/test/repositories/ivysettings.xml b/test/repositories/ivysettings.xml
index 03e6b2ef..87b99887 100644
--- a/test/repositories/ivysettings.xml
+++ b/test/repositories/ivysettings.xml
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@
 				</filesystem>
 			</dual>
 			<ibiblio name="m2" m2compatible="true" useMavenMetadata="true" 
-			         root="file:${ivy.settings.dir}/m2" />
+			         root="${ivy.settings.dir.url}/m2" />
 		</chain>
 		<filesystem name="install">
 			<ivy pattern="${ivy.basedir}/build/test/install/[organisation]/[module]/[artifact]-[revision].[ext]"/>