diff --git a/.github/renovate.json b/.github/renovate.json
index 05657543aa15..5dec65b696db 100644
--- a/.github/renovate.json
+++ b/.github/renovate.json
@@ -52,6 +52,17 @@
       "matchStrings": ["RECOMMENDED_VERSION = \"(?<currentValue>[\\d.]+)\""],
       "depNameTemplate": "ghcr.io/alexxit/go2rtc",
       "datasourceTemplate": "docker"
+    },
+    {
+      "customType": "regex",
+      "description": "Update the newest MariaDB entry (the latest LTS) in the CI database test matrix",
+      "managerFilePatterns": ["/^\\.github/workflows/ci\\.yaml$/"],
+      "matchStrings": [
+        "MARIADB_VERSIONS: \".*'mariadb:(?<currentValue>\\d+\\.\\d+\\.\\d+)','mysql:"
+      ],
+      "depNameTemplate": "mariadb",
+      "datasourceTemplate": "docker",
+      "versioningTemplate": "docker"
     }
   ],
 
@@ -242,6 +253,21 @@
       "minimumReleaseAge": null,
       "labels": ["dependency"]
     },
+    {
+      "description": "Latest MariaDB LTS tested in CI (allowlisted). Since MariaDB 12, only the x.3 series are LTS.",
+      "matchManagers": ["custom.regex"],
+      "matchPackageNames": ["mariadb"],
+      "allowedVersions": "/^\\d+\\.3\\.\\d+$/",
+      "enabled": true,
+      "labels": ["dependency"]
+    },
+    {
+      "description": "Only open a MariaDB PR for a new LTS series, not for its patch releases",
+      "matchManagers": ["custom.regex"],
+      "matchPackageNames": ["mariadb"],
+      "matchUpdateTypes": ["patch"],
+      "enabled": false
+    },
     {
       "description": "Group ruff pre-commit hook with its PyPI twin into one PR",
       "matchPackageNames": ["astral-sh/ruff-pre-commit", "ruff"],
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yaml b/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
index 6b1267f19b1f..cf5e750ba55c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yaml
@@ -46,7 +46,8 @@ env:
   # - 10.11.2 is the oldest supported long term version (as of September 2026)
   # - 11.4.9 is used in Alpine 3.23 (used in latest HA base images as of April 2026)
   # - 11.8.8 is used in Alpine 3.24 (used in latest HA base images as of July 2026)
-  # - 12.3.3 is the latest supported long term version (as of September 2026)
+  # - 12.3.3 is the latest supported long term version (as of September 2026),
+  #   the last mariadb entry is bumped by Renovate when a new LTS is released
   # mysql 8.0.32 does not always behave the same as MariaDB
   # and some queries that work on MariaDB do not work on MySQL
   MARIADB_VERSIONS: "['mariadb:10.3.32','mariadb:10.6.10','mariadb:10.11.2','mariadb:11.4.9','mariadb:11.8.8','mariadb:12.3.3','mysql:8.0.32']"