diff --git a/.ci_support/linux_64_.yaml b/.ci_support/linux_64_.yaml
index 423f9bbd..519a088f 100644
--- a/.ci_support/linux_64_.yaml
+++ b/.ci_support/linux_64_.yaml
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ docker_image:
 libabseil:
 - '20230802'
 libprotobuf:
-- 4.24.4
+- 4.25.1
 openssl:
 - '3'
 pin_run_as_build:
diff --git a/.ci_support/linux_aarch64_.yaml b/.ci_support/linux_aarch64_.yaml
index cb4aa997..df86dd6f 100644
--- a/.ci_support/linux_aarch64_.yaml
+++ b/.ci_support/linux_aarch64_.yaml
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ docker_image:
 libabseil:
 - '20230802'
 libprotobuf:
-- 4.24.4
+- 4.25.1
 openssl:
 - '3'
 pin_run_as_build:
diff --git a/.ci_support/linux_ppc64le_.yaml b/.ci_support/linux_ppc64le_.yaml
index eec7bd7d..671253e6 100644
--- a/.ci_support/linux_ppc64le_.yaml
+++ b/.ci_support/linux_ppc64le_.yaml
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ docker_image:
 libabseil:
 - '20230802'
 libprotobuf:
-- 4.24.4
+- 4.25.1
 openssl:
 - '3'
 pin_run_as_build:
diff --git a/.ci_support/osx_64_.yaml b/.ci_support/osx_64_.yaml
index 031d9ace..9b94021f 100644
--- a/.ci_support/osx_64_.yaml
+++ b/.ci_support/osx_64_.yaml
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ cxx_compiler_version:
 libabseil:
 - '20230802'
 libprotobuf:
-- 4.24.4
+- 4.25.1
 macos_machine:
 - x86_64-apple-darwin13.4.0
 openssl:
diff --git a/.ci_support/osx_arm64_.yaml b/.ci_support/osx_arm64_.yaml
index e2694655..ea37def1 100644
--- a/.ci_support/osx_arm64_.yaml
+++ b/.ci_support/osx_arm64_.yaml
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ cxx_compiler_version:
 libabseil:
 - '20230802'
 libprotobuf:
-- 4.24.4
+- 4.25.1
 macos_machine:
 - arm64-apple-darwin20.0.0
 openssl:
diff --git a/.ci_support/win_64_.yaml b/.ci_support/win_64_.yaml
index ea92889a..0abfc407 100644
--- a/.ci_support/win_64_.yaml
+++ b/.ci_support/win_64_.yaml
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ cxx_compiler:
 libabseil:
 - '20230802'
 libprotobuf:
-- 4.24.4
+- 4.25.1
 openssl:
 - '3'
 pin_run_as_build:
diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index c89ecb7d..179afe55 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,3 +1,24 @@
-*.pyc
+# User content belongs under recipe/.
+# Feedstock configuration goes in `conda-forge.yml`
+# Everything else is managed by the conda-smithy rerender process.
+# Please do not modify
+
+# Ignore all files and folders in root
+*
+!/conda-forge.yml
+
+# Don't ignore any files/folders if the parent folder is 'un-ignored'
+# This also avoids warnings when adding an already-checked file with an ignored parent.
+!/**/
+# Don't ignore any files/folders recursively in the following folders
+!/recipe/**
+!/.ci_support/**
 
-build_artifacts
+# Since we ignore files/folders recursively, any folders inside
+# build_artifacts gets ignored which trips some build systems.
+# To avoid that we 'un-ignore' all files/folders recursively
+# and only ignore the root build_artifacts folder.
+!/build_artifacts/**
+/build_artifacts
+
+*.pyc
diff --git a/.scripts/build_steps.sh b/.scripts/build_steps.sh
index eba1dfdb..beda247e 100755
--- a/.scripts/build_steps.sh
+++ b/.scripts/build_steps.sh
@@ -57,12 +57,6 @@ if [[ -f "${FEEDSTOCK_ROOT}/LICENSE.txt" ]]; then
   cp "${FEEDSTOCK_ROOT}/LICENSE.txt" "${RECIPE_ROOT}/recipe-scripts-license.txt"
 fi
 
-if [[ "${sha:-}" == "" ]]; then
-  pushd ${FEEDSTOCK_ROOT}
-  sha=$(git rev-parse HEAD)
-  popd
-fi
-
 if [[ "${BUILD_WITH_CONDA_DEBUG:-0}" == 1 ]]; then
     if [[ "x${BUILD_OUTPUT_ID:-}" != "x" ]]; then
         EXTRA_CB_OPTIONS="${EXTRA_CB_OPTIONS:-} --output-id ${BUILD_OUTPUT_ID}"
diff --git a/.scripts/run_docker_build.sh b/.scripts/run_docker_build.sh
index b70ef014..00f377a8 100755
--- a/.scripts/run_docker_build.sh
+++ b/.scripts/run_docker_build.sh
@@ -21,6 +21,12 @@ if [ -z ${FEEDSTOCK_NAME} ]; then
     export FEEDSTOCK_NAME=$(basename ${FEEDSTOCK_ROOT})
 fi
 
+if [[ "${sha:-}" == "" ]]; then
+  pushd "${FEEDSTOCK_ROOT}"
+  sha=$(git rev-parse HEAD)
+  popd
+fi
+
 docker info
 
 # In order for the conda-build process in the container to write to the mounted
diff --git a/.scripts/run_win_build.bat b/.scripts/run_win_build.bat
index 7d2fdd6b..48734de9 100755
--- a/.scripts/run_win_build.bat
+++ b/.scripts/run_win_build.bat
@@ -42,7 +42,9 @@ if EXIST LICENSE.txt (
     copy LICENSE.txt "recipe\\recipe-scripts-license.txt"
 )
 if NOT [%HOST_PLATFORM%] == [%BUILD_PLATFORM%] (
-    set "EXTRA_CB_OPTIONS=%EXTRA_CB_OPTIONS% --no-test"
+    if [%CROSSCOMPILING_EMULATOR%] == [] (
+        set "EXTRA_CB_OPTIONS=%EXTRA_CB_OPTIONS% --no-test"
+    )
 )
 
 if NOT [%flow_run_id%] == [] (