diff --git a/native-image-tests/build.sbt b/native-image-tests/build.sbt
index 58f1ff8b..39026e3e 100644
--- a/native-image-tests/build.sbt
+++ b/native-image-tests/build.sbt
@@ -19,7 +19,11 @@ fork := true
 enablePlugins(NativeImagePlugin)
 nativeImageJvm := "graalvm-community"
 nativeImageVersion := "21.0.2"
-nativeImageOptions := Seq("--no-fallback", "--verbose", "-Dakka.native-image.debug=true")
+nativeImageOptions := Seq(
+  "--no-fallback",
+  "--verbose",
+  "--initialize-at-build-time=ch.qos.logback",
+  "-Dakka.native-image.debug=true")
 
 libraryDependencies ++= Seq(
   "com.typesafe.akka" %% "akka-actor-typed" % akkaVersion,
diff --git a/native-image-tests/src/main/resources/META-INF/native-image/README.md b/native-image-tests/src/main/resources/META-INF/native-image/README.md
deleted file mode 100644
index 6a176a67..00000000
--- a/native-image-tests/src/main/resources/META-INF/native-image/README.md
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Custom config here is for logging using logback, loading keystore from classpath for TLS tests
diff --git a/native-image-tests/src/main/resources/META-INF/native-image/ch.qos.logback/logback-classic/reflect-config.json b/native-image-tests/src/main/resources/META-INF/native-image/ch.qos.logback/logback-classic/reflect-config.json
deleted file mode 100644
index 1b630ce7..00000000
--- a/native-image-tests/src/main/resources/META-INF/native-image/ch.qos.logback/logback-classic/reflect-config.json
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,65 +0,0 @@
-[
-  {
-    "name":"ch.qos.logback.classic.encoder.PatternLayoutEncoder",
-    "queryAllPublicMethods":true,
-    "methods":[{"name":"<init>","parameterTypes":[] }]
-  },
-  {
-    "name":"ch.qos.logback.classic.pattern.DateConverter",
-    "methods":[{"name":"<init>","parameterTypes":[] }]
-  },
-  {
-    "name":"ch.qos.logback.classic.pattern.LevelConverter",
-    "methods":[{"name":"<init>","parameterTypes":[] }]
-  },
-  {
-    "name":"ch.qos.logback.classic.pattern.LineSeparatorConverter",
-    "methods":[{"name":"<init>","parameterTypes":[] }]
-  },
-  {
-    "name":"ch.qos.logback.classic.pattern.LoggerConverter",
-    "methods":[{"name":"<init>","parameterTypes":[] }]
-  },
-  {
-    "name":"ch.qos.logback.classic.pattern.MDCConverter",
-    "methods":[{"name":"<init>","parameterTypes":[] }]
-  },
-  {
-    "name":"ch.qos.logback.classic.pattern.MarkerConverter",
-    "methods":[{"name":"<init>","parameterTypes":[] }]
-  },
-  {
-    "name":"ch.qos.logback.classic.pattern.MessageConverter",
-    "methods":[{"name":"<init>","parameterTypes":[] }]
-  },
-  {
-    "name":"ch.qos.logback.classic.pattern.ThreadConverter",
-    "methods":[{"name":"<init>","parameterTypes":[] }]
-  },
-  {
-    "name":"ch.qos.logback.core.ConsoleAppender",
-    "queryAllPublicMethods":true,
-    "methods":[{"name":"<init>","parameterTypes":[] }]
-  },
-  {
-    "name":"ch.qos.logback.core.OutputStreamAppender",
-    "methods":[{"name":"setEncoder","parameterTypes":["ch.qos.logback.core.encoder.Encoder"] }]
-  },
-  {
-    "name":"ch.qos.logback.core.encoder.Encoder",
-    "methods":[{"name":"valueOf","parameterTypes":["java.lang.String"] }]
-  },
-  {
-    "name":"ch.qos.logback.core.encoder.LayoutWrappingEncoder",
-    "methods":[{"name":"setParent","parameterTypes":["ch.qos.logback.core.spi.ContextAware"] }]
-  },
-  {
-    "name":"ch.qos.logback.core.pattern.PatternLayoutEncoderBase",
-    "methods":[{"name":"setPattern","parameterTypes":["java.lang.String"] }]
-  },
-  {
-    "name":"ch.qos.logback.core.spi.ContextAware",
-    "methods":[{"name":"valueOf","parameterTypes":["java.lang.String"] }]
-  }
-
-]
diff --git a/native-image-tests/src/main/resources/META-INF/native-image/com.lightbend/native-image-tests/native-image.properties b/native-image-tests/src/main/resources/META-INF/native-image/com.lightbend/native-image-tests/native-image.properties
deleted file mode 100644
index 3dea9206..00000000
--- a/native-image-tests/src/main/resources/META-INF/native-image/com.lightbend/native-image-tests/native-image.properties
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-Args = --initialize-at-build-time=org.slf4j.LoggerFactory,ch.qos.logback,org.slf4j.impl.StaticLoggerBinder,org.slf4j.MDC
diff --git a/native-image-tests/src/main/resources/META-INF/native-image/com.lightbend/native-image-tests/resource-config.json b/native-image-tests/src/main/resources/META-INF/native-image/com.lightbend/native-image-tests/resource-config.json
deleted file mode 100644
index e70119bc..00000000
--- a/native-image-tests/src/main/resources/META-INF/native-image/com.lightbend/native-image-tests/resource-config.json
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,8 +0,0 @@
-{
-  "resources":{
-    "includes":[{
-      "pattern":"\\Qlogback.xml\\E"
-    }]
-  },
-  "bundles":[]
-}
diff --git a/native-image-tests/src/main/scala/com/lightbend/DurableStateTester.scala b/native-image-tests/src/main/scala/com/lightbend/DurableStateTester.scala
index 6017f71a..b295d376 100644
--- a/native-image-tests/src/main/scala/com/lightbend/DurableStateTester.scala
+++ b/native-image-tests/src/main/scala/com/lightbend/DurableStateTester.scala
@@ -10,7 +10,6 @@ import akka.persistence.typed.PersistenceId
 import akka.persistence.typed.state.scaladsl.DurableStateBehavior
 import akka.persistence.typed.state.scaladsl.Effect
 import akka.serialization.jackson.JsonSerializable
-import com.fasterxml.jackson.annotation.JsonCreator
 
 import scala.concurrent.duration.DurationInt
 
@@ -18,12 +17,11 @@ object DurableStateCounter {
   sealed trait Command extends JsonSerializable
   final case class Increase(amount: Int, replyTo: ActorRef[Increased]) extends Command
 
-  // FIXME why doesn't @JsonCreator work as usual? is it something missing from the jackson feature?
-  final case class GetState @JsonCreator() (replyTo: ActorRef[State]) extends Command
+  final case class GetState(replyTo: ActorRef[State]) extends Command
 
-  final case class Increased @JsonCreator() (newValue: Int) extends JsonSerializable
+  final case class Increased(newValue: Int) extends JsonSerializable
 
-  final case class State @JsonCreator() (value: Int) extends JsonSerializable
+  final case class State(value: Int) extends JsonSerializable
   def apply(id: String): Behavior[Command] =
     DurableStateBehavior[Command, State](
       PersistenceId("DSCounter", id),
diff --git a/native-image-tests/src/main/scala/com/lightbend/EsbTester.scala b/native-image-tests/src/main/scala/com/lightbend/EsbTester.scala
index 59bab439..37d3acfc 100644
--- a/native-image-tests/src/main/scala/com/lightbend/EsbTester.scala
+++ b/native-image-tests/src/main/scala/com/lightbend/EsbTester.scala
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@ import akka.persistence.typed.PersistenceId
 import akka.persistence.typed.scaladsl.Effect
 import akka.persistence.typed.scaladsl.EventSourcedBehavior
 import akka.serialization.jackson.JsonSerializable
-import com.fasterxml.jackson.annotation.JsonCreator
 
 import scala.concurrent.duration.DurationInt
 
@@ -19,14 +18,14 @@ object EventSourcedCounter {
   sealed trait Command extends JsonSerializable
 
   final case class Increase(amount: Int, replyTo: ActorRef[StatusReply[Increased]]) extends Command
-  final case class GetValue @JsonCreator() (replyTo: ActorRef[StatusReply[GetValueResponse]]) extends Command
+  final case class GetValue(replyTo: ActorRef[StatusReply[GetValueResponse]]) extends Command
   final case class GetValueResponse(value: Int)
 
   sealed trait Event extends JsonSerializable
 
-  final case class Increased @JsonCreator() (amount: Int) extends Event
+  final case class Increased(amount: Int) extends Event
 
-  final case class State @JsonCreator() (value: Int) extends JsonSerializable
+  final case class State(value: Int) extends JsonSerializable
 
   def apply(id: String): Behavior[Command] = EventSourcedBehavior[Command, Event, State](
     PersistenceId("EventSourcedHelloWorld", id),