diff --git a/.circleci/config.yml b/.circleci/config.yml
index 9d4a1d56..de80d2bd 100644
--- a/.circleci/config.yml
+++ b/.circleci/config.yml
@@ -30,6 +30,6 @@ jobs:
           name: vet
           command: go vet -mod=readonly $(go list ./...)
       - run: make test
-      - run: if [ "${CIRCLE_BRANCH}" == "master" ]; then make release && $HOME/ci-scripts/circleci/submodule-github-release $GH_RELEASE_TOKEN clientconfig; fi;
-      - run: if [ "${CIRCLE_BRANCH}" == "master" ]; then make release && $HOME/ci-scripts/circleci/submodule-github-release $GH_RELEASE_TOKEN logging/wagclientlogger; fi;
-      - run: if [ "${CIRCLE_BRANCH}" == "master" ]; then make release && $HOME/ci-scripts/circleci/github-release $GH_RELEASE_TOKEN release; fi;
+      - run: if [ "${CIRCLE_BRANCH}" == "flare-1823-2" ]; then make release && $HOME/ci-scripts/circleci/submodule-github-release --pre-release $GH_RELEASE_TOKEN clientconfig; fi;
+      - run: if [ "${CIRCLE_BRANCH}" == "flare-1823-2" ]; then make release && $HOME/ci-scripts/circleci/submodule-github-release --pre-release $GH_RELEASE_TOKEN logging/wagclientlogger; fi;
+      - run: if [ "${CIRCLE_BRANCH}" == "flare-1823-2" ]; then make release && $HOME/ci-scripts/circleci/github-release --pre-release $GH_RELEASE_TOKEN release; fi;
diff --git a/VERSION b/VERSION
index db876480..4d2d9cec 100644
--- a/VERSION
+++ b/VERSION
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+v9.9.7
+Pre-release - increase graceful shutdown handling limit
+
 v9.9.5
 Fix dynamodb codegen for paging in scan functions
 
diff --git a/samples/gen-go-basic/server/router.go b/samples/gen-go-basic/server/router.go
index 1456eef1..3748cf52 100644
--- a/samples/gen-go-basic/server/router.go
+++ b/samples/gen-go-basic/server/router.go
@@ -79,6 +79,7 @@ func (s *Server) Serve() error {
 		signal.Notify(c, os.Interrupt, os.Signal(syscall.SIGTERM))
 		sig := <-c
 		s.l.InfoD("shutdown-initiated", logger.M{"signal": sig.String()})
+		time.Sleep(65 * time.Second)
 		ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 30*time.Second)
 		defer cancel()
 		defer close(shutdown)
diff --git a/samples/gen-go-blog/server/router.go b/samples/gen-go-blog/server/router.go
index 78d0fe37..8d961caa 100644
--- a/samples/gen-go-blog/server/router.go
+++ b/samples/gen-go-blog/server/router.go
@@ -79,6 +79,7 @@ func (s *Server) Serve() error {
 		signal.Notify(c, os.Interrupt, os.Signal(syscall.SIGTERM))
 		sig := <-c
 		s.l.InfoD("shutdown-initiated", logger.M{"signal": sig.String()})
+		time.Sleep(65 * time.Second)
 		ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 30*time.Second)
 		defer cancel()
 		defer close(shutdown)
diff --git a/samples/gen-go-db-custom-path/server/router.go b/samples/gen-go-db-custom-path/server/router.go
index a79354c6..9408405c 100644
--- a/samples/gen-go-db-custom-path/server/router.go
+++ b/samples/gen-go-db-custom-path/server/router.go
@@ -79,6 +79,7 @@ func (s *Server) Serve() error {
 		signal.Notify(c, os.Interrupt, os.Signal(syscall.SIGTERM))
 		sig := <-c
 		s.l.InfoD("shutdown-initiated", logger.M{"signal": sig.String()})
+		time.Sleep(65 * time.Second)
 		ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 30*time.Second)
 		defer cancel()
 		defer close(shutdown)
diff --git a/samples/gen-go-db/server/router.go b/samples/gen-go-db/server/router.go
index d006375d..3c2f916a 100644
--- a/samples/gen-go-db/server/router.go
+++ b/samples/gen-go-db/server/router.go
@@ -79,6 +79,7 @@ func (s *Server) Serve() error {
 		signal.Notify(c, os.Interrupt, os.Signal(syscall.SIGTERM))
 		sig := <-c
 		s.l.InfoD("shutdown-initiated", logger.M{"signal": sig.String()})
+		time.Sleep(65 * time.Second)
 		ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 30*time.Second)
 		defer cancel()
 		defer close(shutdown)
diff --git a/samples/gen-go-deprecated/server/router.go b/samples/gen-go-deprecated/server/router.go
index 10047c1f..56e45632 100644
--- a/samples/gen-go-deprecated/server/router.go
+++ b/samples/gen-go-deprecated/server/router.go
@@ -79,6 +79,7 @@ func (s *Server) Serve() error {
 		signal.Notify(c, os.Interrupt, os.Signal(syscall.SIGTERM))
 		sig := <-c
 		s.l.InfoD("shutdown-initiated", logger.M{"signal": sig.String()})
+		time.Sleep(65 * time.Second)
 		ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 30*time.Second)
 		defer cancel()
 		defer close(shutdown)
diff --git a/samples/gen-go-errors/server/router.go b/samples/gen-go-errors/server/router.go
index a2f8b7fe..ddf15472 100644
--- a/samples/gen-go-errors/server/router.go
+++ b/samples/gen-go-errors/server/router.go
@@ -79,6 +79,7 @@ func (s *Server) Serve() error {
 		signal.Notify(c, os.Interrupt, os.Signal(syscall.SIGTERM))
 		sig := <-c
 		s.l.InfoD("shutdown-initiated", logger.M{"signal": sig.String()})
+		time.Sleep(65 * time.Second)
 		ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 30*time.Second)
 		defer cancel()
 		defer close(shutdown)
diff --git a/samples/gen-go-nils/server/router.go b/samples/gen-go-nils/server/router.go
index be3a37fb..528b7684 100644
--- a/samples/gen-go-nils/server/router.go
+++ b/samples/gen-go-nils/server/router.go
@@ -79,6 +79,7 @@ func (s *Server) Serve() error {
 		signal.Notify(c, os.Interrupt, os.Signal(syscall.SIGTERM))
 		sig := <-c
 		s.l.InfoD("shutdown-initiated", logger.M{"signal": sig.String()})
+		time.Sleep(65 * time.Second)
 		ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 30*time.Second)
 		defer cancel()
 		defer close(shutdown)
diff --git a/samples/gen-go-strings/server/router.go b/samples/gen-go-strings/server/router.go
index 9cfeb253..db799cf2 100644
--- a/samples/gen-go-strings/server/router.go
+++ b/samples/gen-go-strings/server/router.go
@@ -79,6 +79,7 @@ func (s *Server) Serve() error {
 		signal.Notify(c, os.Interrupt, os.Signal(syscall.SIGTERM))
 		sig := <-c
 		s.l.InfoD("shutdown-initiated", logger.M{"signal": sig.String()})
+		time.Sleep(65 * time.Second)
 		ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 30*time.Second)
 		defer cancel()
 		defer close(shutdown)
diff --git a/samples/go.mod b/samples/go.mod
index 9a160b54..aba7df7f 100644
--- a/samples/go.mod
+++ b/samples/go.mod
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ require (
 	github.com/gorilla/handlers v1.5.1
 	github.com/gorilla/mux v1.8.0
 	github.com/kardianos/osext v0.0.0-20190222173326-2bc1f35cddc0
-	github.com/stretchr/testify v1.8.2
+	github.com/stretchr/testify v1.11.1
 	go.opentelemetry.io/contrib/instrumentation/github.com/gorilla/mux/otelmux v0.34.0
 	go.opentelemetry.io/otel v1.10.0
 	go.opentelemetry.io/otel/exporters/otlp/otlptrace v1.10.0
diff --git a/samples/go.sum b/samples/go.sum
index 1e068389..f58977a5 100644
--- a/samples/go.sum
+++ b/samples/go.sum
@@ -340,8 +340,8 @@ github.com/stretchr/testify v1.7.0/go.mod h1:6Fq8oRcR53rry900zMqJjRRixrwX3KX962/
 github.com/stretchr/testify v1.7.1/go.mod h1:6Fq8oRcR53rry900zMqJjRRixrwX3KX962/h/Wwjteg=
 github.com/stretchr/testify v1.8.0/go.mod h1:yNjHg4UonilssWZ8iaSj1OCr/vHnekPRkoO+kdMU+MU=
 github.com/stretchr/testify v1.8.1/go.mod h1:w2LPCIKwWwSfY2zedu0+kehJoqGctiVI29o6fzry7u4=
-github.com/stretchr/testify v1.8.2 h1:+h33VjcLVPDHtOdpUCuF+7gSuG3yGIftsP1YvFihtJ8=
-github.com/stretchr/testify v1.8.2/go.mod h1:w2LPCIKwWwSfY2zedu0+kehJoqGctiVI29o6fzry7u4=
+github.com/stretchr/testify v1.11.1 h1:7s2iGBzp5EwR7/aIZr8ao5+dra3wiQyKjjFuvgVKu7U=
+github.com/stretchr/testify v1.11.1/go.mod h1:wZwfW3scLgRK+23gO65QZefKpKQRnfz6sD981Nm4B6U=
 github.com/tidwall/pretty v1.0.0/go.mod h1:XNkn88O1ChpSDQmQeStsy+sBenx6DDtFZJxhVysOjyk=
 github.com/tidwall/pretty v1.2.0 h1:RWIZEg2iJ8/g6fDDYzMpobmaoGh5OLl4AXtGUGPcqCs=
 github.com/tidwall/pretty v1.2.0/go.mod h1:ITEVvHYasfjBbM0u2Pg8T2nJnzm8xPwvNhhsoaGGjNU=
diff --git a/server/router.go b/server/router.go
index e0000787..2992b0bb 100644
--- a/server/router.go
+++ b/server/router.go
@@ -63,6 +63,7 @@ func (s *Server) Serve() error {
 		signal.Notify(c, os.Interrupt, os.Signal(syscall.SIGTERM))
 		sig := <-c
 		s.l.InfoD("shutdown-initiated", logger.M{"signal": sig.String()})
+		time.Sleep( 65 * time.Second)
 		ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), 30*time.Second)
 		defer cancel()
 		defer close(shutdown)