diff --git a/.buildkite/pipeline.yml b/.buildkite/pipeline.yml
index acf3c0827..9b6c243a9 100644
--- a/.buildkite/pipeline.yml
+++ b/.buildkite/pipeline.yml
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # Nodes with values to reuse in the pipeline.
 common_params:
   plugins: &common_plugins
-    - automattic/a8c-ci-toolkit#2.13.0
+    - automattic/a8c-ci-toolkit#3.0.1
   # Common environment values to use with the `env` key.
   env: &common_env
     IMAGE_ID: xcode-15.0.1
@@ -24,12 +24,7 @@ steps:
   - label: "🔬 Validate Podspecs"
     key: "validate"
     command: |
-      # validate_podspec
-      echo '+++ ⚠️ validate_podspec was bypassed ⚠️'
-      # post a message in the logs
-      cat .buildkite/validate_podspec_annotation.md
-      # and also as an annotation
-      cat .buildkite/validate_podspec_annotation.md | buildkite-agent annotate --style 'warning'
+      validate_podspec --patch-cocoapods
     env: *common_env
     plugins: *common_plugins
     agents:
diff --git a/.buildkite/validate_podspec_annotation.md b/.buildkite/validate_podspec_annotation.md
deleted file mode 100644
index df2ebebd7..000000000
--- a/.buildkite/validate_podspec_annotation.md
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,8 +0,0 @@
-**`validate_podspec` was bypassed!**
-
-As of Xcode 14.3, libraries with deployment target below iOS 11 (iOS 12 in Xcode 15) fail to build out of the box.
-The reason is a missing file, `/Applications/Xcode.app/Contents/Developer/Toolchains/XcodeDefault.xctoolchain/usr/lib/arc/libarclite_iphonesimulator.a`, more info [here](https://stackoverflow.com/questions/75574268/missing-file-libarclite-iphoneos-a-xcode-14-3).
-
-Client apps can work around this with a post install hook that updates the dependency deployment target, but libraries do not have this option.
-
-In the interest of using up to date CI (i.e. not waste time downloading old images) we bypass validation until CocoaPods fixes the root issue.