diff --git a/.github/release.yml b/.github/release.yml
index 02026d3cd..59288ddb4 100644
--- a/.github/release.yml
+++ b/.github/release.yml
@@ -12,6 +12,9 @@ changelog:
     - title: Refactoring
       labels:
         - refactoring
+    - title: Dependencies
+      labels:
+        - dependencies
     - title: Other changes
       labels:
         - "*"
diff --git a/app/src/main/assets/logging.properties b/app/src/main/assets/logging.properties
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c9e100fb5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/src/main/assets/logging.properties
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+
+# reduce verbose of some otherwise annoying ical4j messages
+net.fortuna.ical4j.data.level = INFO
+net.fortuna.ical4j.model.Recur.level = INFO
diff --git a/app/src/main/kotlin/at/bitfire/davdroid/log/LogManager.kt b/app/src/main/kotlin/at/bitfire/davdroid/log/LogManager.kt
index 04967def4..312c5c8c1 100644
--- a/app/src/main/kotlin/at/bitfire/davdroid/log/LogManager.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/kotlin/at/bitfire/davdroid/log/LogManager.kt
@@ -13,7 +13,6 @@ import kotlinx.coroutines.CoroutineScope
 import kotlinx.coroutines.Dispatchers
 import kotlinx.coroutines.cancel
 import kotlinx.coroutines.launch
-import java.io.Closeable
 import java.util.logging.Level
 import java.util.logging.Logger
 import javax.inject.Inject
@@ -71,18 +70,18 @@ class LogManager @Inject constructor(
         val logVerbose = logToFile || BuildConfig.DEBUG || Log.isLoggable(logger.name, Log.DEBUG)
         logger.info("Verbose logging = $logVerbose; log to file = $logToFile")
 
-        // root logger: remove all existing handlers
-        val rootLogger = Logger.getLogger("")
-        for (handler in rootLogger.handlers) {
-            rootLogger.removeHandler(handler)
-            if (handler is Closeable)     // gracefully close previous verbose-logging handlers
-                handler.close()
+        // reset existing loggers and initialize from assets/logging.properties
+        context.assets.open("logging.properties").use {
+            val javaLogManager = java.util.logging.LogManager.getLogManager()
+            javaLogManager.readConfiguration(it)
         }
 
-        // set log level and always log to logcat
+        // root logger: set default log level and always log to logcat
+        val rootLogger = Logger.getLogger("")
         rootLogger.level = if (logVerbose) Level.ALL else Level.INFO
         rootLogger.addHandler(LogcatHandler())
 
+        // log to file, if requested
         if (logToFile)
             rootLogger.addHandler(logFileHandler.get())
     }
diff --git a/app/src/main/kotlin/at/bitfire/davdroid/resource/LocalTask.kt b/app/src/main/kotlin/at/bitfire/davdroid/resource/LocalTask.kt
index 93c2ce55a..dc8099e56 100644
--- a/app/src/main/kotlin/at/bitfire/davdroid/resource/LocalTask.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/kotlin/at/bitfire/davdroid/resource/LocalTask.kt
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@ import at.bitfire.ical4android.BatchOperation
 import at.bitfire.ical4android.DmfsTask
 import at.bitfire.ical4android.DmfsTaskFactory
 import at.bitfire.ical4android.DmfsTaskList
-import at.bitfire.ical4android.Ical4Android
 import at.bitfire.ical4android.Task
 import org.dmfs.tasks.contract.TaskContract.Tasks
 import java.util.UUID
@@ -79,7 +78,7 @@ class LocalTask: DmfsTask, LocalResource<Task> {
 
     override fun clearDirty(fileName: String?, eTag: String?, scheduleTag: String?) {
         if (scheduleTag != null)
-            Ical4Android.log.fine("Schedule-Tag for tasks not supported yet, won't save")
+            logger.fine("Schedule-Tag for tasks not supported yet, won't save")
 
         val values = ContentValues(4)
         if (fileName != null)
diff --git a/gradle/libs.versions.toml b/gradle/libs.versions.toml
index c6da885eb..2d5376de7 100644
--- a/gradle/libs.versions.toml
+++ b/gradle/libs.versions.toml
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ androidx-test-junit = "1.2.1"
 androidx-work = "2.9.0"
 bitfire-cert4android = "f1cc9b9ca3"
 bitfire-dav4jvm = "2b414984a8"
-bitfire-ical4android = "505f74771e"
+bitfire-ical4android = "a36ee480aa"
 bitfire-vcard4android = "d5415f20b7"
 compose-accompanist = "0.34.0"
 compose-bom = "2024.06.00"