diff --git a/.github/workflows/staleness_check.yml b/.github/workflows/staleness_check.yml
index b8dd978da7..fb5ec5888f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/staleness_check.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/staleness_check.yml
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ jobs:
         # tests along with user changes.  Any stale files will be automatically fixed in a follow-up
         # commit.
         run: |
+          set -ex
           if [[ -z $COMMIT_TRIGGERED_RUN || -z $MAIN_RUN ]]; then
             bazel query 'attr(tags, "staleness_test", //...)' | xargs bazel test $BAZEL_FLAGS
           else
diff --git a/.github/workflows/test_cpp.yml b/.github/workflows/test_cpp.yml
index 9054e566ea..81d346d4e9 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/test_cpp.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/test_cpp.yml
@@ -316,8 +316,8 @@ jobs:
             # for Apple Silicon to detect issues there.
             bazel: build --cpu=darwin_arm64 //src/...
           - name: Windows
-            os: windows-2019
-            cache_key: windows-2019
+            os: windows-2022
+            cache_key: windows-2022
             bazel: test //src/...  @com_google_protobuf_examples//... --test_tag_filters=-conformance --build_tag_filters=-conformance
     name: ${{ matrix.name }} Bazel
     runs-on: ${{ matrix.os }}
@@ -342,39 +342,41 @@ jobs:
             os: macos-12
             flags: -DCMAKE_CXX_STANDARD=14
           - name: Windows CMake
-            os: windows-2019
+            os: windows-2022
             flags: >-
               -G Ninja -Dprotobuf_WITH_ZLIB=OFF -Dprotobuf_BUILD_CONFORMANCE=OFF
               -Dprotobuf_BUILD_SHARED_LIBS=OFF
               -Dprotobuf_BUILD_EXAMPLES=ON
-            vsversion: '2019'
-          - name: Windows CMake 2022
-            os: windows-2022
+            vsversion: '2022'
+          - name: Windows CMake 2019
+            os: windows-2019
             flags: >-
               -G Ninja -Dprotobuf_WITH_ZLIB=OFF -Dprotobuf_BUILD_CONFORMANCE=OFF
               -Dprotobuf_BUILD_SHARED_LIBS=OFF
               -Dprotobuf_BUILD_EXAMPLES=ON
-            vsversion: '2022'
+            vsversion: '2019'
+            # windows-2019 has python3.7 installed, which is incompatible with the latest gcloud
+            python-version: '3.8'
           - name: Windows CMake 32-bit
-            os: windows-2019
+            os: windows-2022
             flags: >-
               -G Ninja -Dprotobuf_WITH_ZLIB=OFF -Dprotobuf_BUILD_CONFORMANCE=OFF
-            vsversion: '2019'
+            vsversion: '2022'
             windows-arch: 'win32'
           - name: Windows CMake Shared
-            os: windows-2019
+            os: windows-2022
             flags: >-
               -G Ninja -Dprotobuf_WITH_ZLIB=OFF -Dprotobuf_BUILD_CONFORMANCE=OFF
               -Dprotobuf_BUILD_SHARED_LIBS=ON
-            vsversion: '2019'
+            vsversion: '2022'
           - name: Windows CMake Install
-            os: windows-2019
+            os: windows-2022
             install-flags: -G Ninja -Dprotobuf_WITH_ZLIB=OFF -Dprotobuf_BUILD_CONFORMANCE=OFF -Dprotobuf_BUILD_TESTS=OFF
             flags: >-
               -G Ninja -Dprotobuf_WITH_ZLIB=OFF -Dprotobuf_BUILD_CONFORMANCE=OFF
               -Dprotobuf_REMOVE_INSTALLED_HEADERS=ON
               -Dprotobuf_BUILD_PROTOBUF_BINARIES=OFF
-            vsversion: '2019'
+            vsversion: '2022'
     name: ${{ matrix.name }}
     runs-on: ${{ matrix.os }}
     steps:
@@ -384,6 +386,17 @@ jobs:
           ref: ${{ inputs.safe-checkout }}
           submodules: recursive
 
+      # Workaround for incompatibility between gcloud and windows-2019 runners.
+      - name: Install Python
+        if: ${{ matrix.python-version }}
+        uses: actions/setup-python@61a6322f88396a6271a6ee3565807d608ecaddd1 # v4.7.0
+        with:
+          python-version: ${{ matrix.python-version }}
+      - name: Use custom python for gcloud
+        if: ${{ matrix.python-version }}
+        run: echo "CLOUDSDK_PYTHON=${Python3_ROOT_DIR}\\python3" >> $GITHUB_ENV
+        shell: bash
+
       - name: Setup ccache
         uses: protocolbuffers/protobuf-ci/ccache@v2
         with:
diff --git a/pkg/cc_dist_library.bzl b/pkg/cc_dist_library.bzl
index 42553ca3f8..9fc2c414e6 100644
--- a/pkg/cc_dist_library.bzl
+++ b/pkg/cc_dist_library.bzl
@@ -170,12 +170,12 @@ def _cc_file_list_aspect_impl(target, ctx):
 
     return [CcFileList(
         hdrs = _get_transitive_sources(
-            _flatten_target_files(rule_attr.hdrs).to_list(),
+            _flatten_target_files(getattr(rule_attr, "hdrs", [])).to_list(),
             "hdrs",
             rule_attr.deps,
         ),
         textual_hdrs = _get_transitive_sources(
-            _flatten_target_files(rule_attr.textual_hdrs).to_list(),
+            _flatten_target_files(getattr(rule_attr, "textual_hdrs", [])).to_list(),
             "textual_hdrs",
             rule_attr.deps,
         ),