diff --git a/Dockerfile b/Dockerfile
index ae5edace42519..98a5dfe13c9ae 100644
--- a/Dockerfile
+++ b/Dockerfile
@@ -153,6 +153,7 @@ RUN --mount=type=cache,target=/root/.cache \
     source .venv/bin/activate && \
     python -m localstack.cli.lpm install \
       lambda-runtime \
+      jpype-jsonata \
       dynamodb-local && \
     chown -R localstack:localstack /usr/lib/localstack && \
     chmod -R 777 /usr/lib/localstack
diff --git a/localstack-core/localstack/dev/run/__main__.py b/localstack-core/localstack/dev/run/__main__.py
index 610c77e4fac09..39ab236c9e3c2 100644
--- a/localstack-core/localstack/dev/run/__main__.py
+++ b/localstack-core/localstack/dev/run/__main__.py
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@
     type=str,
     required=False,
     help="Overwrite the container image to be used (defaults to localstack/localstack or "
-    "localstack/localstack-pro.",
+    "localstack/localstack-pro).",
 )
 @click.option(
     "--volume-dir",
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@
     "--mount-source/--no-mount-source",
     is_flag=True,
     default=True,
-    help="Mount source files from localstack, localstack-ext, and moto into the container.",
+    help="Mount source files from localstack and localstack-ext. Use --local-packages for optional dependencies such as moto.",
 )
 @click.option(
     "--mount-dependencies/--no-mount-dependencies",
diff --git a/localstack-core/localstack/services/stepfunctions/asl/jsonata/jsonata.py b/localstack-core/localstack/services/stepfunctions/asl/jsonata/jsonata.py
index bf1ad25843035..459dba2ed80b2 100644
--- a/localstack-core/localstack/services/stepfunctions/asl/jsonata/jsonata.py
+++ b/localstack-core/localstack/services/stepfunctions/asl/jsonata/jsonata.py
@@ -8,8 +8,8 @@
 import jpype
 import jpype.imports
 
-from localstack.services.stepfunctions.asl.jsonata.packages import jsonata_package
 from localstack.services.stepfunctions.asl.utils.encoding import to_json_str
+from localstack.services.stepfunctions.packages import jpype_jsonata_package
 from localstack.utils.objects import singleton_factory
 
 JSONataExpression = str
@@ -40,17 +40,19 @@ class _JSONataJVMBridge:
     _java_JSONATA: "com.dashjoin.jsonata.Jsonata.jsonata"  # noqa
 
     def __init__(self):
-        installer = jsonata_package.get_installer()
+        installer = jpype_jsonata_package.get_installer()
         installer.install()
 
         from jpype import config as jpype_config
 
         jpype_config.destroy_jvm = False
 
+        # Limitation: We can only start one JVM instance within LocalStack and using JPype for another purpose
+        # (e.g., event-ruler) fails unless we change the way we load/reload the classpath.
         jvm_path = installer.get_java_lib_path()
         jsonata_libs_path = Path(installer.get_installed_dir())
-        event_ruler_libs_pattern = jsonata_libs_path.joinpath("*")
-        jpype.startJVM(jvm_path, classpath=[event_ruler_libs_pattern], interrupt=False)
+        jsonata_libs_pattern = jsonata_libs_path.joinpath("*")
+        jpype.startJVM(jvm_path, classpath=[jsonata_libs_pattern], interrupt=False)
 
         from com.fasterxml.jackson.databind import ObjectMapper  # noqa
         from com.dashjoin.jsonata.Jsonata import jsonata  # noqa
diff --git a/localstack-core/localstack/services/stepfunctions/asl/jsonata/packages.py b/localstack-core/localstack/services/stepfunctions/packages.py
similarity index 70%
rename from localstack-core/localstack/services/stepfunctions/asl/jsonata/packages.py
rename to localstack-core/localstack/services/stepfunctions/packages.py
index 277959f9143fa..b96f7a8d775f0 100644
--- a/localstack-core/localstack/services/stepfunctions/asl/jsonata/packages.py
+++ b/localstack-core/localstack/services/stepfunctions/packages.py
@@ -12,6 +12,9 @@ class JSONataPackage(Package):
     def __init__(self):
         super().__init__("JSONataLibs", JSONATA_DEFAULT_VERSION)
 
+        # Match the dynamodb-local JRE version to reduce the LocalStack image size by sharing the same JRE version
+        self.java_version = "21"
+
     def get_versions(self) -> list[str]:
         return list(JSONATA_JACKSON_VERSION_STORE.keys())
 
@@ -24,10 +27,13 @@ def __init__(self, version: str):
         jackson_version = JSONATA_JACKSON_VERSION_STORE[version]
         super().__init__(
             f"pkg:maven/com.dashjoin/jsonata@{version}",
+            # jackson-databind is imported in jsonata.py as "from com.fasterxml.jackson.databind import ObjectMapper"
+            # jackson-annotations and jackson-core are dependencies of jackson-databind:
+            # https://central.sonatype.com/artifact/com.fasterxml.jackson.core/jackson-databind/dependencies
             f"pkg:maven/com.fasterxml.jackson.core/jackson-core@{jackson_version}",
             f"pkg:maven/com.fasterxml.jackson.core/jackson-annotations@{jackson_version}",
             f"pkg:maven/com.fasterxml.jackson.core/jackson-databind@{jackson_version}",
         )
 
 
-jsonata_package = JSONataPackage()
+jpype_jsonata_package = JSONataPackage()
diff --git a/localstack-core/localstack/services/stepfunctions/plugins.py b/localstack-core/localstack/services/stepfunctions/plugins.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..b407ee2875396
--- /dev/null
+++ b/localstack-core/localstack/services/stepfunctions/plugins.py
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+from localstack.packages import Package, package
+
+
+@package(name="jpype-jsonata")
+def jpype_jsonata_package() -> Package:
+    """The Java-based jsonata library uses JPype and depends on a JVM installation."""
+    from localstack.services.stepfunctions.packages import jpype_jsonata_package
+
+    return jpype_jsonata_package