diff --git a/.github/workflows/dependency-update.yml b/.github/workflows/dependency-update.yml
index bb45d3e65..4090fce44 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/dependency-update.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/dependency-update.yml
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ jobs:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
       - name: Checkout
-        uses: actions/checkout@v3
+        uses: actions/checkout@v4
+
       - name: Submit Dependency Snapshot
         uses: advanced-security/maven-dependency-submission-action@v3
diff --git a/.github/workflows/pull-request-check.yml b/.github/workflows/pull-request-check.yml
index f8a3312fb..e037f8f4c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/pull-request-check.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/pull-request-check.yml
@@ -69,21 +69,24 @@ jobs:
           java --version
           export MAVEN_OPTS="-Xmx4096m"
           export JAVA_TOOL_OPTIONS="-Dfile.encoding=UTF8"
+          # Actual build of core SDK
           mvn -B -pl '!org.eclipse.esmf:samm-cli' clean install -Pnative -Dmaven.wagon.httpconnectionManager.ttlSeconds=60
+          # Build samm-cli executable jar and run integration tests
+          unset JAVA_TOOL_OPTIONS
+          mvn -B -pl tools/samm-cli clean verify -Dmaven.wagon.httpconnectionManager.ttlSeconds=60
         shell: bash
 
       - name: Build native image
         if: matrix.os != 'macos-13'
         run: |
           export MAVEN_OPTS="-Xmx4096m"
-          mvn -B -pl tools/samm-cli clean verify -Pnative -Dmaven.wagon.httpconnectionManager.ttlSeconds=60
+          # Build native binary and run integration tests
+          mvn -B -pl tools/samm-cli verify -Pnative -Dmaven.wagon.httpconnectionManager.ttlSeconds=60
         shell: bash
 
       - name: Build native image (Mac)
         if: matrix.os == 'macos-13'
         run: |
-          export MAVEN_OPTS="-Xmx4096m"
-          mvn -B -pl tools/samm-cli clean verify -Dmaven.wagon.httpconnectionManager.ttlSeconds=60
           bundle="samm-bundle-DEV-SNAPSHOT-$(date +%s)"
           mkdir ${bundle}
           curl -Lo jre.tar.gz https://github.com/adoptium/temurin21-binaries/releases/download/jdk-21.0.6%2B7/OpenJDK21U-jre_x64_mac_hotspot_21.0.6_7.tar.gz
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release-workflow.yml b/.github/workflows/release-workflow.yml
index 7b120954c..e18de3180 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release-workflow.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release-workflow.yml
@@ -104,9 +104,11 @@ jobs:
 
           # Actual build of core SDK
           mvn -B -pl '!org.eclipse.esmf:samm-cli' clean deploy -Pnative -Dmaven.wagon.httpconnectionManager.ttlSeconds=60 -DaltDeploymentRepository=local::default::file://nexus-staging -Psign
-          # Build of CLI
+          # Build samm-cli executable jar and run integration tests
           unset JAVA_TOOL_OPTIONS
-          mvn -B -pl tools/samm-cli clean verify -Pnative -Dmaven.wagon.httpconnectionManager.ttlSeconds=60
+          mvn -B -pl tools/samm-cli clean verify -Dmaven.wagon.httpconnectionManager.ttlSeconds=60
+          # Build native binary and run integration tests
+          mvn -B -pl tools/samm-cli verify -Pnative -Dmaven.wagon.httpconnectionManager.ttlSeconds=60
 
           # Create .tar.gz of samm-cli
           pushd tools/samm-cli/target
@@ -178,7 +180,7 @@ jobs:
           mvn versions:commit
           # Actual build of core SDK
           mvn -B -pl '!org.eclipse.esmf:samm-cli' clean install -Pnative -Dmaven.wagon.httpconnectionManager.ttlSeconds=60
-          # Build of CLI
+          # Build samm-cli executable jar and run integration tests
           unset JAVA_TOOL_OPTIONS
           mvn -B -pl tools/samm-cli clean verify -Dmaven.wagon.httpconnectionManager.ttlSeconds=60
         shell: bash
@@ -266,9 +268,11 @@ jobs:
 
           # Actual build of core SDK
           mvn -B -pl '!org.eclipse.esmf:samm-cli' clean install -Pnative -Dmaven.wagon.httpconnectionManager.ttlSeconds=60
-          # Build of CLI
+          # Build samm-cli executable jar and run integration tests
           unset JAVA_TOOL_OPTIONS
-          mvn -B -pl tools/samm-cli clean verify -Pnative -Dmaven.wagon.httpconnectionManager.ttlSeconds=60
+          mvn -B -pl tools/samm-cli clean verify -Dmaven.wagon.httpconnectionManager.ttlSeconds=60
+          # Build native binary and run integration tests
+          mvn -B -pl tools/samm-cli verify -Pnative -Dmaven.wagon.httpconnectionManager.ttlSeconds=60
         shell: bash
 
       - name: Upload Windows binary
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 1b3e25754..41077ba20 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -58,14 +58,13 @@ Building the SDK requires a Java 21-compatible [GraalVM JDK](https://www.graalvm
 
 To build the SDK core components, run the following command:
 ```bash
-mvn -pl '!org.eclipse.esmf:samm-cli' clean install
+mvn -pl '!org.eclipse.esmf:samm-cli' clean install -Pnative
 ```
 
 To also build SDK core components and the CLI tool, run the above command, followed by:
 ```bash
-cd tools/samm-cli
-mvn -B clean verify
-mvn -B verify -Pnative
+mvn -pl org.eclipse.esmf:samm-cli clean verify
+mvn -pl org.eclipse.esmf:samm-cli verify -Pnative
 ```
 
 We are always looking forward to your contributions. For more details on how to contribute just take
diff --git a/tools/samm-cli/pom.xml b/tools/samm-cli/pom.xml
index 6ff7889f0..d440f733a 100644
--- a/tools/samm-cli/pom.xml
+++ b/tools/samm-cli/pom.xml
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@
       <main-class>org.eclipse.esmf.SammCli</main-class>
       <binary-name>samm</binary-name>
       <skip.maven.surefire>false</skip.maven.surefire>
-      <skip.maven.failsafe>true</skip.maven.failsafe>
+      <skip.maven.failsafe>false</skip.maven.failsafe>
       <skip.maven.surefire.report.plugin>false</skip.maven.surefire.report.plugin>
       <skip.maven.shade>false</skip.maven.shade>
    </properties>
@@ -203,6 +203,106 @@
             </configuration>
          </plugin>
 
+         <!-- Build fat jar -->
+         <plugin>
+            <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
+            <artifactId>maven-shade-plugin</artifactId>
+            <executions>
+               <execution>
+                  <id>default-shade</id>
+                  <phase>package</phase>
+                  <goals>
+                     <goal>shade</goal>
+                  </goals>
+                  <configuration>
+                     <createDependencyReducedPom>false</createDependencyReducedPom>
+                     <createSourcesJar>false</createSourcesJar>
+                     <skip>${skip.maven.shade}</skip>
+                     <transformers>
+                        <transformer implementation="org.apache.maven.plugins.shade.resource.ManifestResourceTransformer">
+                           <manifestEntries>
+                              <Main-Class>${main-class}</Main-Class>
+                           </manifestEntries>
+                        </transformer>
+                        <transformer implementation="org.apache.maven.plugins.shade.resource.ServicesResourceTransformer"/>
+                     </transformers>
+                     <artifactSet>
+                        <excludes>
+                           <!-- Duplicate annotations that are already contained in javax.annotation-api -->
+                           <exclude>javax.annotation:jsr250-api</exclude>
+                        </excludes>
+                     </artifactSet>
+                     <filters>
+                        <!-- Required to prevent overlapping resources -->
+                        <filter>
+                           <artifact>*:*</artifact>
+                           <excludes>
+                              <exclude>module-info.class</exclude>
+                              <exclude>META-INF/*</exclude>
+                              <exclude>META-INF/sisu/javax.inject.Named</exclude>
+                              <exclude>META-INF/plexus/components.xml</exclude>
+                              <exclude>META-INF.versions*/**</exclude>
+                              <exclude>META-INF/versions*/**</exclude>
+                              <exclude>META-INF/maven/**</exclude>
+                              <exclude>plugin.xml</exclude>
+                              <exclude>about.html</exclude>
+                           </excludes>
+                        </filter>
+                        <!-- Required to override the excludes above -->
+                        <filter>
+                           <artifact>${project.groupId}:${project.artifactId}</artifact>
+                           <excludeDefaults>false</excludeDefaults>
+                           <includes>
+                              <include>**</include>
+                              <include>META-INF/**</include>
+                              <include>git.properties</include>
+                           </includes>
+                           <excludes>
+                              <!-- Explicitly exclude build-time-only code from jar -->
+                              <exclude>org/eclipse/esmf/buildtime/**</exclude>
+                           </excludes>
+                        </filter>
+                        <!-- Clashes with the files from xml-apis-ext -->
+                        <filter>
+                           <artifact>xml-apis:xml-apis</artifact>
+                           <excludes>
+                              <exclude>license/**</exclude>
+                           </excludes>
+                        </filter>
+                        <!-- Clashes with the same file from batik-rasterizer -->
+                        <filter>
+                           <artifact>org.apache.xmlgraphics:batik-svgrasterizer</artifact>
+                           <excludes>
+                              <exclude>org/apache/batik/apps/rasterizer/resources/rasterizer.policy</exclude>
+                           </excludes>
+                        </filter>
+                        <!-- These configs add lots of spurious GraalVM configuration -->
+                        <filter>
+                           <artifact>org.jboss.forge.roaster:roaster-jdt</artifact>
+                           <excludes>
+                              <exclude>META-INF/native-image/**</exclude>
+                           </excludes>
+                        </filter>
+                        <!-- Required to have Model Instantiators available -->
+                        <filter>
+                           <artifact>org.eclipse.esmf:esmf-aspect-meta-model-java</artifact>
+                           <includes>
+                              <include>**</include>
+                           </includes>
+                        </filter>
+                        <!-- Prevent overlapping classes from javax modules -->
+                        <filter>
+                           <artifact>jakarta.activation:jakarta.activation-api</artifact>
+                           <excludes>
+                              <exclude>**</exclude>
+                           </excludes>
+                        </filter>
+                     </filters>
+                  </configuration>
+               </execution>
+            </executions>
+         </plugin>
+
          <plugin>
             <groupId>pl.project13.maven</groupId>
             <artifactId>git-commit-id-plugin</artifactId>
@@ -385,11 +485,24 @@
             <packaging-type>native</packaging-type>
             <skip.maven.surefire>true</skip.maven.surefire>
             <skip.maven.failsafe>false</skip.maven.failsafe>
+            <skip.maven.shade>true</skip.maven.shade>
             <maven.source.skip>false</maven.source.skip>
          </properties>
 
          <build>
             <plugins>
+               <!-- When building native, skip build the jar -->
+               <plugin>
+                  <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
+                  <artifactId>maven-jar-plugin</artifactId>
+                  <executions>
+                     <execution>
+                        <id>default-jar</id>
+                        <phase>none</phase>
+                     </execution>
+                  </executions>
+               </plugin>
+
                <plugin>
                   <groupId>org.graalvm.buildtools</groupId>
                   <artifactId>native-maven-plugin</artifactId>
@@ -400,7 +513,7 @@
                         <goals>
                            <goal>compile</goal>
                         </goals>
-                        <phase>package</phase>
+                        <phase>prepare-package</phase>
                      </execution>
                   </executions>
                   <configuration>