diff --git a/RELEASES.md b/RELEASES.md
index 881f7c9b5..06d94af6b 100644
--- a/RELEASES.md
+++ b/RELEASES.md
@@ -25,6 +25,21 @@ Our release process is as follows:
    the root `Cargo.toml` as well, and push these changes to the release PR.
    - If you released a new version of `ibc-derive` in step 3, make sure to
         update that dependency.
+   - Verify that there is no dev-dependency among the workspace crates,
+     except `ibc-testkit`. This is important, as `cargo-release` ignores
+     dev-dependency edges. You may use `cargo-depgraph`:
+      ```sh
+      cargo depgraph --all-features --workspace-only --dev-deps | dot -Tpng > graph.png
+      ```
+     The command will generate a graph similar to this:
+     ![alt test](docs/dev-deps-graph.png)
+     The blue lines indicate dev dependencies; there should only be one blue line
+     referring to the `ibc-testkit` dependency. So the above example would result
+     in an unsuccessful release.
+   - In order to resolve such a situation, the dev dependencies other than `ibc-testkit`
+     can be manually released to crates.io first so that the subsequent crates that
+     depend on them can then be released via the release process. For instructions
+     on how to release a crate on crates.io, refer [here](https://doc.rust-lang.org/cargo/reference/publishing.html).
 5. Run `cargo doc -p ibc --all-features --open` locally to double-check that all
    the documentation compiles and seems up-to-date and coherent. Fix any
    potential issues here and push them to the release PR.
@@ -41,7 +56,9 @@ Our release process is as follows:
     1. In case of intermittent problems with the registry, try `cargo release`
       locally to publish any missing crates from this release. This step
       requires the appropriate privileges to push crates to [crates.io].
-    2. In case the problems arise from the source files, fix them, bump a new
+    2. If there is any new crate published locally, add
+      [ibcbot](https://crates.io/users/ibcbot) to its owners list.
+    3. In case problems arise from the source files, fix them, bump a new
       patch version (e.g. `v0.48.1`) and repeat the process with its
       corresponding new tag.
 10. Once the tag is pushed, wait for the CI bot to create a GitHub release,
diff --git a/docs/dev-deps-graph.png b/docs/dev-deps-graph.png
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7386f9cf2
Binary files /dev/null and b/docs/dev-deps-graph.png differ
diff --git a/ibc-clients/ics07-tendermint/cw-contract/Cargo.toml b/ibc-clients/ics07-tendermint/cw-contract/Cargo.toml
index 34eb32812..49b4f06c8 100644
--- a/ibc-clients/ics07-tendermint/cw-contract/Cargo.toml
+++ b/ibc-clients/ics07-tendermint/cw-contract/Cargo.toml
@@ -24,14 +24,6 @@ ibc-client-tendermint = { workspace = true }
 # cosmwasm dependencies
 cosmwasm-std          = { workspace = true }
 
-[dev-dependencies]
-cosmwasm-vm           = { workspace = true }
-hex                   = { version = "0.4.2" }
-ibc-testkit           = { workspace = true }
-ibc-client-tendermint = { workspace = true }
-tendermint            = { workspace = true }
-tendermint-testgen    = { workspace = true }
-
 [features]
 default = ["std"]
 std = [
diff --git a/ibc-clients/ics07-tendermint/cw-contract/src/lib.rs b/ibc-clients/ics07-tendermint/cw-contract/src/lib.rs
index cbed3ebe5..4a4a642f0 100644
--- a/ibc-clients/ics07-tendermint/cw-contract/src/lib.rs
+++ b/ibc-clients/ics07-tendermint/cw-contract/src/lib.rs
@@ -13,6 +13,3 @@
 
 pub mod client_type;
 pub mod entrypoint;
-
-#[cfg(test)]
-pub mod tests;
diff --git a/ibc-testkit/Cargo.toml b/ibc-testkit/Cargo.toml
index 55546cf8c..2d4e5bc0d 100644
--- a/ibc-testkit/Cargo.toml
+++ b/ibc-testkit/Cargo.toml
@@ -29,18 +29,23 @@ tracing           = { version = "0.1.40", default-features = false }
 typed-builder     = { version = "0.18.0" }
 
 # ibc dependencies
-ibc       = { workspace = true, features = ["std"] }
-ibc-proto = { workspace = true }
+ibc                      = { workspace = true, features = ["std"] }
+ibc-proto                = { workspace = true }
+ibc-client-cw            = { workspace = true }
+ibc-client-tendermint-cw = { workspace = true }
 
 # cosmos dependencies
 tendermint         = { workspace = true }
 tendermint-testgen = { workspace = true }
 
 [dev-dependencies]
-env_logger         = "0.11.0"
-rstest             = { workspace = true }
+env_logger         = { version = "0.11.0" }
 tracing-subscriber = { version = "0.3.17", features = ["fmt", "env-filter", "json"] }
 test-log           = { version = "0.2.13", features = ["trace"] }
+hex                = { version = "0.4.2" }
+rstest             = { workspace = true }
+cosmwasm-vm        = { workspace = true }
+cosmwasm-std       = { workspace = true }
 
 [features]
 default = ["std"]
diff --git a/ibc-testkit/src/testapp/ibc/clients/mock/client_state.rs b/ibc-testkit/src/testapp/ibc/clients/mock/client_state.rs
index 05ff95440..c46c81343 100644
--- a/ibc-testkit/src/testapp/ibc/clients/mock/client_state.rs
+++ b/ibc-testkit/src/testapp/ibc/clients/mock/client_state.rs
@@ -492,3 +492,22 @@ impl From<MockConsensusState> for MockClientState {
         Self::new(cs.header)
     }
 }
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod test {
+    #[cfg(feature = "serde")]
+    #[test]
+    fn test_any_client_state_to_json() {
+        use ibc::primitives::proto::Any;
+
+        use super::{MockClientState, MockHeader};
+
+        let client_state = MockClientState::new(MockHeader::default());
+        let expected = r#"{"typeUrl":"/ibc.mock.ClientState","value":"CgQKAhABEIDIr6Al"}"#;
+        let json = serde_json::to_string(&Any::from(client_state)).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(json, expected);
+
+        let proto_any = serde_json::from_str::<Any>(expected).unwrap();
+        assert_eq!(proto_any, Any::from(client_state));
+    }
+}
diff --git a/ibc-clients/ics07-tendermint/cw-contract/src/tests/fixture.rs b/ibc-testkit/tests/cosmwasm/fixture.rs
similarity index 94%
rename from ibc-clients/ics07-tendermint/cw-contract/src/tests/fixture.rs
rename to ibc-testkit/tests/cosmwasm/fixture.rs
index 8961f10f1..946f9ac66 100644
--- a/ibc-clients/ics07-tendermint/cw-contract/src/tests/fixture.rs
+++ b/ibc-testkit/tests/cosmwasm/fixture.rs
@@ -1,24 +1,24 @@
 use std::time::Duration;
 
 use cosmwasm_std::{from_json, Deps, DepsMut, Empty, Response, StdError, StdResult};
+use ibc::clients::tendermint::client_state::ClientState as TmClientState;
+use ibc::clients::tendermint::consensus_state::ConsensusState as TmConsensusState;
+use ibc::clients::tendermint::types::Header;
+use ibc::core::client::types::{Height, Status};
+use ibc::core::host::types::identifiers::ChainId;
+use ibc::core::primitives::Timestamp;
 use ibc_client_cw::types::{
     CheckForMisbehaviourMsgRaw, ContractError, ExportMetadataMsg, GenesisMetadata, InstantiateMsg,
     MigrationPrefix, QueryMsg, QueryResponse, StatusMsg, UpdateStateMsgRaw,
     UpdateStateOnMisbehaviourMsgRaw, VerifyClientMessageRaw,
 };
 use ibc_client_cw::utils::AnyCodec;
-use ibc_client_tendermint::client_state::ClientState as TmClientState;
-use ibc_client_tendermint::consensus_state::ConsensusState as TmConsensusState;
-use ibc_client_tendermint::types::Header;
-use ibc_core::client::types::{Height, Status};
-use ibc_core::host::types::identifiers::ChainId;
-use ibc_core::primitives::Timestamp;
+use ibc_client_tendermint_cw::entrypoint::TendermintContext;
 use ibc_testkit::fixtures::clients::tendermint::ClientStateConfig;
 use tendermint::Time;
 use tendermint_testgen::{Generator, Validator};
 
 use super::helper::{dummy_checksum, dummy_sov_consensus_state, mock_env_with_timestamp_now};
-use crate::entrypoint::TendermintContext;
 
 /// Test fixture
 #[derive(Clone, Debug)]
diff --git a/ibc-clients/ics07-tendermint/cw-contract/src/tests/helper.rs b/ibc-testkit/tests/cosmwasm/helper.rs
similarity index 91%
rename from ibc-clients/ics07-tendermint/cw-contract/src/tests/helper.rs
rename to ibc-testkit/tests/cosmwasm/helper.rs
index 45b5137b0..666a7e83f 100644
--- a/ibc-clients/ics07-tendermint/cw-contract/src/tests/helper.rs
+++ b/ibc-testkit/tests/cosmwasm/helper.rs
@@ -2,8 +2,8 @@ use std::str::FromStr;
 
 use cosmwasm_std::testing::{mock_env, mock_info};
 use cosmwasm_std::{coins, Env, MessageInfo, Timestamp as CwTimestamp};
-use ibc_client_tendermint::types::ConsensusState;
-use ibc_core::primitives::Timestamp as IbcTimestamp;
+use ibc::clients::tendermint::types::ConsensusState;
+use ibc::core::primitives::Timestamp as IbcTimestamp;
 use tendermint::Hash;
 
 pub fn dummy_msg_info() -> MessageInfo {
diff --git a/ibc-clients/ics07-tendermint/cw-contract/src/tests/mod.rs b/ibc-testkit/tests/cosmwasm/mod.rs
similarity index 96%
rename from ibc-clients/ics07-tendermint/cw-contract/src/tests/mod.rs
rename to ibc-testkit/tests/cosmwasm/mod.rs
index 9c302f1f2..413981236 100644
--- a/ibc-clients/ics07-tendermint/cw-contract/src/tests/mod.rs
+++ b/ibc-testkit/tests/cosmwasm/mod.rs
@@ -5,13 +5,12 @@ use std::time::Duration;
 
 use cosmwasm_std::from_json;
 use cosmwasm_std::testing::{mock_dependencies, mock_env};
+use fixture::Fixture;
+use ibc::core::client::types::{Height, Status};
 use ibc_client_cw::types::{
     ContractResult, MigrateClientStoreMsg, MigrationPrefix, VerifyClientMessageRaw,
 };
-use ibc_core::client::types::{Height, Status};
-
-use crate::entrypoint::sudo;
-use crate::tests::fixture::Fixture;
+use ibc_client_tendermint_cw::entrypoint::sudo;
 
 #[test]
 fn test_cw_create_client_ok() {
diff --git a/ibc-testkit/tests/mod.rs b/ibc-testkit/tests/mod.rs
index 1f32c1d98..8b6f6bf3e 100644
--- a/ibc-testkit/tests/mod.rs
+++ b/ibc-testkit/tests/mod.rs
@@ -8,3 +8,4 @@
 )]
 pub mod applications;
 pub mod core;
+pub mod cosmwasm;