diff --git a/.github/workflows/publish-package.yml b/.github/workflows/publish-package.yml
index 5788d32..9f8105d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/publish-package.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/publish-package.yml
@@ -32,3 +32,6 @@ jobs:
         env:
           MAVEN_USERNAME: ${{ secrets.OSSRH_USERNAME }}
           MAVEN_PASSWORD: ${{ secrets.OSSRH_TOKEN }}
+          ORG_GRADLE_PROJECT_signingKeyId: ${{ secrets.PGP_KEY_ID }}
+          ORG_GRADLE_PROJECT_signingKey: ${{ secrets.PGP_SECRET_KEY }}
+          ORG_GRADLE_PROJECT_signingPassword: ${{ secrets.PGP_PASSWORD }}
diff --git a/java/core/build.gradle b/java/core/build.gradle
index 8cfddff..506c18d 100644
--- a/java/core/build.gradle
+++ b/java/core/build.gradle
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 plugins {
     id 'brapi.schema-tools.java-conventions'
     id 'java-library'
+    id "signing"
     id 'maven-publish'
 }
 
@@ -28,4 +29,81 @@ publishing {
             }
         }
     }
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
+
+java {
+    withJavadocJar()
+    withSourcesJar()
+}
+
+// ossrh requries signing https://central.sonatype.org/pages/requirements.html
+// https://docs.gradle.org/current/userguide/signing_plugin.html
+// this only configures signing if the key is found
+// For signing you need to make signingKey and signingPassword available properties See https://docs.gradle.org/current/userguide/build_environment.html#sec:project_properties
+// The following makes the key available via the Gradle Property signingKey
+// export ORG_GRADLE_PROJECT_signingKey=`cat test-private.pgp`
+// export ORG_GRADLE_PROJECT_signingPassword="password"
+// After making the Gradle properties above available, you can try signing using
+// ./gradlew signMavenPublication
+//
+// NOTE: If you are using the legacy publishing you need to sign using the info at https://docs.gradle.org/current/userguide/signing_plugin.html#sec:signing_pom_files
+def hasSigningKey = project.hasProperty("signingKeyId") || project.hasProperty("signingKey")
+if(hasSigningKey) {
+    sign(project)
+}
+void sign(Project project) {
+    project.signing {
+        required { project.gradle.taskGraph.hasTask("publish") }
+        def signingKeyId = project.findProperty("signingKeyId")
+        def signingKey = project.findProperty("signingKey")
+        def signingPassword = project.findProperty("signingPassword")
+        if (signingKeyId) {
+            useInMemoryPgpKeys(signingKeyId, signingKey, signingPassword)
+        } else if (signingKey) {
+            useInMemoryPgpKeys(signingKey, signingPassword)
+        }
+        sign publishing.publications.maven
+    }
+}
+
+// customize the pom so it complies to Maven central requirements https://central.sonatype.org/pages/requirements.html
+// https://docs.gradle.org/current/userguide/maven_plugin.html#sec:maven_pom_generation
+project.plugins.withType(MavenPublishPlugin).all {
+    PublishingExtension publishing = project.extensions.getByType(PublishingExtension)
+    publishing.publications.withType(MavenPublication).all { mavenPublication ->
+        mavenPublication.pom {
+            name = "${project.group}:${project.name}"
+            description = name
+            url = "https://github.com/plantbreeding/brapi-schema-tools"
+            licenses {
+                license {
+                    name = "MIT License"
+                    url = "https://github.com/plantbreeding/brapi-schema-tools?tab=MIT-1-ov-file"
+                }
+            }
+            developers {
+                developer {
+                    id = "daveneti"
+                    name = "Guy Davenport"
+                    email = "guy@daveneti.com"
+                    organization = "Daveneti"
+                    organizationUrl = "http://daveneti.com"
+                    timezone = "New Zealand Standard Time"
+                }
+                developer {
+                    id = "BrapiCoordinatorSelby"
+                    name = "Peter Selby"
+                    email = "ps664@cornell.edu"
+                    organization = "BrAPI"
+                    organizationUrl = "https://brapi.org"
+                    timezone = "Eastern Standard Time"
+                }
+            }
+            scm {
+                connection = "scm:git:https://github.com/plantbreeding/brapi-schema-tools"
+                developerConnection = "scm:git:ssh://github.com/plantbreeding/brapi-schema-tools.git"
+                url = "https://github.com/plantbreeding/brapi-schema-tools"
+            }
+        }
+    }
+}