diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/constants.js b/app/assets/javascripts/constants.js
index f43a2d5d8ff..631968ff531 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/constants.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/constants.js
@@ -3,3 +3,5 @@ export const getModifierKey = (removeSuffix = false) => {
   const winKey = `Ctrl${removeSuffix ? '' : '+'}`;
   return window.gl?.client?.isMac ? '⌘' : winKey;
 };
+
+export const PRELOAD_THROTTLE_TIMEOUT_MS = 4000;
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/gl_form.js b/app/assets/javascripts/gl_form.js
index f4008fe3cc9..ed2d1dbb7d2 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/gl_form.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/gl_form.js
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import GfmAutoComplete, { defaultAutocompleteConfig } from 'ee_else_ce/gfm_auto_
 import { disableButtonIfEmptyField } from '~/lib/utils/common_utils';
 import dropzoneInput from './dropzone_input';
 import { addMarkdownListeners, removeMarkdownListeners } from './lib/utils/text_markdown';
+import { PRELOAD_THROTTLE_TIMEOUT_MS } from './constants';
 
 export default class GLForm {
   /**
@@ -17,10 +18,11 @@ export default class GLForm {
    *                                By default, the backend embeds these in the global object gl.GfmAutocomplete.dataSources.
    *                                Use this param to override them.
    */
-  constructor(form, enableGFM = {}, forceNew = false, gfmDataSources = {}) {
+  constructor(form, enableGFM = {}, forceNew = false, gfmDataSources = {}, preloadMembers = false) {
     this.form = form;
     this.textarea = this.form.find('textarea.js-gfm-input');
     this.enableGFM = { ...defaultAutocompleteConfig, ...enableGFM };
+    this.preloadMembers = preloadMembers;
 
     // Disable autocomplete for keywords which do not have dataSources available
     let dataSources = (gl.GfmAutoComplete && gl.GfmAutoComplete.dataSources) || {};
@@ -68,6 +70,21 @@ export default class GLForm {
       );
       this.autoComplete = new GfmAutoComplete(dataSources);
       this.autoComplete.setup(this.form.find('.js-gfm-input'), this.enableGFM);
+
+      if (this.preloadMembers && dataSources?.members) {
+        // for now the preload is only implemented for the members
+        // timeout helping to trottle the preloads in the case content_editor
+        // is set as main comment editor and support for rspec tests
+        // https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/427437
+
+        requestIdleCallback(() =>
+          setTimeout(
+            () => this.autoComplete?.fetchData($('.js-gfm-input'), '@'),
+            PRELOAD_THROTTLE_TIMEOUT_MS,
+          ),
+        );
+      }
+
       this.formDropzone = dropzoneInput(this.form, { parallelUploads: 1 });
 
       if (this.form.is(':not(.js-no-autosize)')) {
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/mr_notes/init_notes.js b/app/assets/javascripts/mr_notes/init_notes.js
index 265e2a2f880..c9e56a6161f 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/mr_notes/init_notes.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/mr_notes/init_notes.js
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import discussionNavigator from '../notes/components/discussion_navigator.vue';
 import NotesApp from '../notes/components/notes_app.vue';
 import { getNotesFilterData } from '../notes/utils/get_notes_filter_data';
 import initWidget from '../vue_merge_request_widget';
+import { MERGE_REQUEST_NOTEABLE_TYPE } from '../notes/constants';
 
 export default () => {
   requestIdleCallback(
@@ -45,6 +46,9 @@ export default () => {
       newCommentTemplatePath: notesDataset.newCommentTemplatePath,
       mrFilter: true,
       newCustomEmojiPath: notesDataset.newCustomEmojiPath,
+      preloadMembers:
+        notesDataset?.noteableType === MERGE_REQUEST_NOTEABLE_TYPE &&
+        gon?.features?.preloadAutocompleteMembersIssuesMrs,
     },
     data() {
       const noteableData = JSON.parse(notesDataset.noteableData);
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/notes/index.js b/app/assets/javascripts/notes/index.js
index f9fbe6659ee..cc9a3d87939 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/notes/index.js
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/notes/index.js
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import { getLocationHash } from '~/lib/utils/url_utility';
 import NotesApp from './components/notes_app.vue';
 import { store } from './stores';
 import { getNotesFilterData } from './utils/get_notes_filter_data';
+import { ISSUE_NOTEABLE_TYPE } from './constants';
 
 export default ({ editorAiActions = [] } = {}) => {
   const el = document.getElementById('js-vue-notes');
@@ -63,6 +64,9 @@ export default ({ editorAiActions = [] } = {}) => {
       resourceGlobalId: convertToGraphQLId(noteableData.noteableType, noteableData.id),
       editorAiActions: editorAiActions.map((factory) => factory(noteableData)),
       newCustomEmojiPath: notesDataset.newCustomEmojiPath,
+      preloadMembers:
+        notesDataset.noteableType === ISSUE_NOTEABLE_TYPE &&
+        gon?.features?.preloadAutocompleteMembersIssuesMrs,
     },
     data() {
       return {
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/vue_shared/components/markdown/field.vue b/app/assets/javascripts/vue_shared/components/markdown/field.vue
index e80f5c7f092..034d591b6ca 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/vue_shared/components/markdown/field.vue
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/vue_shared/components/markdown/field.vue
@@ -33,6 +33,13 @@ export default {
     GlTooltip: GlTooltipDirective,
   },
   mixins: [glFeatureFlagsMixin()],
+  inject: {
+    preloadMembers: {
+      type: Boolean,
+      required: false,
+      default: false,
+    },
+  },
   props: {
     /**
      * This prop should be bound to the value of the `<textarea>` element
@@ -278,6 +285,7 @@ export default {
       },
       true,
       this.autocompleteDataSources,
+      this.preloadMembers,
     );
 
     markdownEditorEventHub.$emit(MARKDOWN_EDITOR_READY_EVENT);
diff --git a/app/controllers/projects/issues_controller.rb b/app/controllers/projects/issues_controller.rb
index c1de24f300b..754d4576aae 100644
--- a/app/controllers/projects/issues_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/projects/issues_controller.rb
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@ class Projects::IssuesController < Projects::ApplicationController
     push_force_frontend_feature_flag(:linked_work_items, project.linked_work_items_feature_flag_enabled?)
     push_frontend_feature_flag(:notifications_todos_buttons, current_user)
     push_frontend_feature_flag(:mention_autocomplete_backend_filtering, project)
+    push_frontend_feature_flag(:preload_autocomplete_members_issues_mrs, current_user)
   end
 
   around_action :allow_gitaly_ref_name_caching, only: [:discussions]
diff --git a/app/controllers/projects/merge_requests_controller.rb b/app/controllers/projects/merge_requests_controller.rb
index c937c1e83b6..26075613870 100644
--- a/app/controllers/projects/merge_requests_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/projects/merge_requests_controller.rb
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ class Projects::MergeRequestsController < Projects::MergeRequests::ApplicationCo
     push_frontend_feature_flag(:mention_autocomplete_backend_filtering, project)
     push_frontend_feature_flag(:pinned_file, project)
     push_frontend_feature_flag(:merge_request_diff_generated_subscription, project)
+    push_frontend_feature_flag(:preload_autocomplete_members_issues_mrs, current_user)
   end
 
   around_action :allow_gitaly_ref_name_caching, only: [:index, :show, :diffs, :discussions]
diff --git a/config/feature_flags/development/preload_autocomplete_members_issues_mrs.yml b/config/feature_flags/development/preload_autocomplete_members_issues_mrs.yml
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..e1789dccaa1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/config/feature_flags/development/preload_autocomplete_members_issues_mrs.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+---
+name: preload_autocomplete_members_issues_mrs
+introduced_by_url: https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/merge_requests/139085
+rollout_issue_url: https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/435698
+milestone: '16.8'
+type: development
+group: group::global search
+default_enabled: false
diff --git a/db/docs/ci_group_variables.yml b/db/docs/ci_group_variables.yml
index 6cea3df07d4..52851baa67c 100644
--- a/db/docs/ci_group_variables.yml
+++ b/db/docs/ci_group_variables.yml
@@ -8,3 +8,5 @@ description: TODO
 introduced_by_url: https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/commit/5b0954759cc24bdba97be89bb117c5440174f859
 milestone: '9.4'
 gitlab_schema: gitlab_ci
+sharding_key:
+  group_id: namespaces
diff --git a/db/docs/ci_secure_files.yml b/db/docs/ci_secure_files.yml
index c88b500b62d..e68ba5f6e68 100644
--- a/db/docs/ci_secure_files.yml
+++ b/db/docs/ci_secure_files.yml
@@ -8,3 +8,5 @@ description: TODO
 introduced_by_url: https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/merge_requests/77886
 milestone: '14.7'
 gitlab_schema: gitlab_ci
+sharding_key:
+  project_id: projects
diff --git a/db/docs/ci_variables.yml b/db/docs/ci_variables.yml
index 7440b886ab8..0c4d94817e3 100644
--- a/db/docs/ci_variables.yml
+++ b/db/docs/ci_variables.yml
@@ -8,3 +8,5 @@ description: TODO
 introduced_by_url: https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/commit/046b28312704f3131e72dcd2dbdacc5264d4aa62
 milestone: '8.0'
 gitlab_schema: gitlab_ci
+sharding_key:
+  project_id: projects
diff --git a/db/schema_migrations/20240123155252 b/db/schema_migrations/20240123155252
index 869d077b22a..6ae7cf4cecf 100644
--- a/db/schema_migrations/20240123155252
+++ b/db/schema_migrations/20240123155252
@@ -1 +1 @@
-1383d7d49981bdb5fa5eeb54dd83520f4bd2de1e8f0cc227c1397d0bc48a66f4
\ No newline at end of file
+f6e40be8eac5b255458e32b33755b9404ede064add99f0f13998647eea1dfbb7
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/doc/administration/backup_restore/backup_gitlab.md b/doc/administration/backup_restore/backup_gitlab.md
index ac04709f8b2..973157f8e83 100644
--- a/doc/administration/backup_restore/backup_gitlab.md
+++ b/doc/administration/backup_restore/backup_gitlab.md
@@ -178,12 +178,13 @@ including:
 - Snippets
 - [Group wikis](../../user/project/wiki/group.md)
 - Project-level Secure Files ([introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/merge_requests/121142) in GitLab 16.1)
+- Merge request diffs (Helm chart installation only)
 
 Backups do not include:
 
-- [Mattermost data](https://docs.mattermost.com/administration/config-settings.html#file-storage)
+- [Mattermost data](../../integration/mattermost/index.md#back-up-gitlab-mattermost)
 - Redis (and thus Sidekiq jobs)
-- [Object storage](#object-storage)
+- [Object storage](#object-storage) on Linux package (Omnibus) / Docker / Self-compiled installations
 
 WARNING:
 GitLab does not back up any configuration files (`/etc/gitlab`), TLS keys and certificates, or system
@@ -208,7 +209,7 @@ system. If you installed GitLab:
 ### Backup command
 
 WARNING:
-The backup command does not back up items in [object storage](#object-storage).
+The backup command does not back up items in [object storage](#object-storage) on Linux package (Omnibus) / Docker / Self-compiled installations.
 
 WARNING:
 The backup command requires [additional parameters](#back-up-and-restore-for-installations-using-pgbouncer) when
@@ -239,8 +240,6 @@ Run the backup task by using `kubectl` to run the `backup-utility` script on the
 
 Run the backup from the host.
 
-- GitLab 12.2 or later:
-
 ```shell
 docker exec -t <container name> gitlab-backup create
 ```
@@ -439,28 +438,45 @@ on all distributions. To verify that it's available in your distribution, run
 sudo gitlab-backup create BACKUP=dump GZIP_RSYNCABLE=yes
 ```
 
-#### Excluding specific directories from the backup
+#### Excluding specific data from the backup
 
-You can exclude specific directories from the backup by adding the environment variable `SKIP`, whose values are a comma-separated list of the following options:
+Depending on your installation type, slightly different components can be skipped on backup creation.
+
+::Tabs
+
+:::Tab Title Linux package (Omnibus) / Docker / Self-compiled
+
+<!-- source: https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/blob/31c3df7ebb65768208772da3e20d32688a6c90ef/lib/backup/manager.rb#L126 -->
 
 - `db` (database)
+- `repositories` (Git repositories data, including wikis)
 - `uploads` (attachments)
 - `builds` (CI job output logs)
 - `artifacts` (CI job artifacts)
+- `pages` (Pages content)
 - `lfs` (LFS objects)
 - `terraform_state` (Terraform states)
 - `registry` (Container registry images)
-- `pages` (Pages content)
-- `repositories` (Git repositories data)
 - `packages` (Packages)
 - `ci_secure_files` (Project-level Secure Files)
 
-NOTE:
-When [backing up and restoring Helm Charts](https://docs.gitlab.com/charts/architecture/backup-restore.html), there is an additional option `packages`, which refers to any packages managed by the GitLab [package registry](../../user/packages/package_registry/index.md).
-For more information see [command line arguments](https://docs.gitlab.com/charts/architecture/backup-restore.html#command-line-arguments).
+:::TabTitle Helm chart (Kubernetes)
 
-All wikis are backed up as part of the `repositories` group. Non-existent
-wikis are skipped during a backup.
+<!-- source: https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/build/CNG/-/blob/068e146db915efcd875414e04403410b71a2e70c/gitlab-toolbox/scripts/bin/backup-utility#L19 -->
+
+- `db` (database)
+- `repositories` (Git repositories data, including wikis)
+- `uploads` (attachments)
+- `artifacts` (CI job artifacts and output logs)
+- `pages` (Pages content)
+- `lfs` (LFS objects)
+- `terraform_state` (Terraform states)
+- `registry` (Container registry images)
+- `packages` (Package registry)
+- `ci_secure_files` (Project-level Secure Files)
+- `external_diffs` (Merge request diffs)
+
+::EndTabs
 
 ::Tabs
 
@@ -470,6 +486,10 @@ wikis are skipped during a backup.
 sudo gitlab-backup create SKIP=db,uploads
 ```
 
+:::TabTitle Helm chart (Kubernetes)
+
+See [Skipping components](https://docs.gitlab.com/charts/backup-restore/backup.html#skipping-components) in charts backup documentation.
+
 :::TabTitle Self-compiled
 
 ```shell
@@ -1341,7 +1361,7 @@ If you have a specific reason to change the path, it can be configured in the Li
 
 Because every deployment may have different capabilities, you should first review [what data needs to be backed up](#what-data-needs-to-be-backed-up) to better understand if, and how, you can leverage them.
 
-For example, if you use Amazon RDS, you might choose to use its built-in backup and restore features to handle your GitLab [PostgreSQL data](#postgresql-databases), and [exclude PostgreSQL data](#excluding-specific-directories-from-the-backup) when using the [backup command](#backup-command).
+For example, if you use Amazon RDS, you might choose to use its built-in backup and restore features to handle your GitLab [PostgreSQL data](#postgresql-databases), and [exclude PostgreSQL data](#excluding-specific-data-from-the-backup) when using the [backup command](#backup-command).
 
 In the following cases, consider using file system data transfer or snapshots as part of your backup strategy:
 
@@ -1381,7 +1401,7 @@ practical use.
 
 ### Back up repository data separately
 
-First, ensure you back up existing GitLab data while [skipping repositories](#excluding-specific-directories-from-the-backup):
+First, ensure you back up existing GitLab data while [skipping repositories](#excluding-specific-data-from-the-backup):
 
 ::Tabs
 
diff --git a/doc/administration/geo/disaster_recovery/planned_failover.md b/doc/administration/geo/disaster_recovery/planned_failover.md
index 70bbc962ba0..a2baed1a92e 100644
--- a/doc/administration/geo/disaster_recovery/planned_failover.md
+++ b/doc/administration/geo/disaster_recovery/planned_failover.md
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ the container registry on the primary site and restore it onto the secondary
 site:
 
 1. On your primary site, back up only the registry and
-   [exclude specific directories from the backup](../../../administration/backup_restore/backup_gitlab.md#excluding-specific-directories-from-the-backup):
+   [exclude specific directories from the backup](../../../administration/backup_restore/backup_gitlab.md#excluding-specific-data-from-the-backup):
 
    ```shell
    # Create a backup in the /var/opt/gitlab/backups folder
diff --git a/doc/administration/object_storage.md b/doc/administration/object_storage.md
index 0862921f0d7..d4c3cdae8bb 100644
--- a/doc/administration/object_storage.md
+++ b/doc/administration/object_storage.md
@@ -985,3 +985,44 @@ to run the following command:
 ```ruby
 Feature.disable(:s3_multithreaded_uploads)
 ```
+
+### Manual testing through Rails Console
+
+In some situations, it may be helpful to test object storage settings using the Rails Console. The following example tests a given set of connection settings, attempts to write a test object, and finally read it.
+
+1. Start a [Rails console](operations/rails_console.md).
+1. Set up the object storage connection, using the same parameters you set up in `/etc/gitlab/gitlab.rb`, in the following example format:
+
+Example connection using access keys:
+
+  ```ruby
+  connection = Fog::Storage.new(
+    {
+      provider: 'AWS',
+      region: `eu-central-1`,
+      aws_access_key_id: '<AWS_ACCESS_KEY_ID>',
+      aws_secret_access_key: '<AWS_SECRET_ACCESS_KEY>'
+    }
+  )
+  ```
+
+Example connection using AWS IAM Profiles:
+
+  ```ruby
+  connection = Fog::Storage.new(
+    {
+      provider: 'AWS',
+      use_iam_profile: true,
+      region: 'us-east-1'
+    }
+  )
+  ```
+
+1. Specify the bucket name to test against, write, and finally read a test file.
+
+  ```ruby
+  dir = connection.directories.new(key: '<bucket-name-here>')
+  f = dir.files.create(key: 'test.txt', body: 'test')
+  pp f
+  pp dir.files.head('test.txt')
+  ```
diff --git a/doc/administration/operations/moving_repositories.md b/doc/administration/operations/moving_repositories.md
index 2c2762d92b7..24d53d71517 100644
--- a/doc/administration/operations/moving_repositories.md
+++ b/doc/administration/operations/moving_repositories.md
@@ -195,7 +195,7 @@ can result from directly accessing and copying Gitaly files using tools like `rs
 - From GitLab 13.3, backup performance can be improved by
   [processing multiple repositories concurrently](../../administration/backup_restore/backup_gitlab.md#back-up-git-repositories-concurrently).
 - Backups can be created of just the repositories using the
-  [skip feature](../../administration/backup_restore/backup_gitlab.md#excluding-specific-directories-from-the-backup).
+  [skip feature](../../administration/backup_restore/backup_gitlab.md#excluding-specific-data-from-the-backup).
 
 No other method works for Gitaly Cluster targets.
 
diff --git a/doc/api/commits.md b/doc/api/commits.md
index e3350931446..43d59129366 100644
--- a/doc/api/commits.md
+++ b/doc/api/commits.md
@@ -307,6 +307,41 @@ Example response:
 
 ```
 
+## Get the sequence of a commit
+
+> [Introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/438151) in GitLab 16.9.
+
+Get the sequence number of a commit in a project by following the parent links from the given commit.
+
+This API provides essentially the same features as the `git rev-list --count` command for a given commit SHA.
+
+```plaintext
+GET /projects/:id/repository/commits/:sha/sequence
+```
+
+Parameters:
+
+| Attribute      | Type           | Required | Description |
+| -------------- | -------------- | -------- | ----------- |
+| `id`           | integer/string | yes      | The ID or [URL-encoded path of the project](rest/index.md#namespaced-path-encoding) owned by the authenticated user. |
+| `sha`          | string         | yes      | The commit hash. |
+| `first_parent` | boolean        | no       | Follow only the first parent commit upon seeing a merge commit. |
+
+Example request:
+
+```shell
+curl --header "PRIVATE-TOKEN: <your_access_token>" \
+  --url "https://gitlab.example.com/api/v4/projects/5/repository/commits/5937ac0a7beb003549fc5fd26fc247adbce4a52e/sequence"
+```
+
+Example response:
+
+```json
+{
+  "count": 632
+}
+```
+
 ## Cherry-pick a commit
 
 Cherry-picks a commit to a given branch.
diff --git a/doc/api/graphql/reference/index.md b/doc/api/graphql/reference/index.md
index 92363f5dad8..b1128c1db03 100644
--- a/doc/api/graphql/reference/index.md
+++ b/doc/api/graphql/reference/index.md
@@ -804,6 +804,25 @@ Returns [`RunnerSetup`](#runnersetup).
 | <a id="queryrunnersetupplatform"></a>`platform` | [`String!`](#string) | Platform to generate the instructions for. |
 | <a id="queryrunnersetupprojectid"></a>`projectId` **{warning-solid}** | [`ProjectID`](#projectid) | **Deprecated** in 13.11. No longer used. |
 
+### `Query.runnerUsageByProject`
+
+Runner usage by project.
+
+WARNING:
+**Introduced** in 16.9.
+This feature is an Experiment. It can be changed or removed at any time.
+
+Returns [`[RunnerUsageByProject!]`](#runnerusagebyproject).
+
+#### Arguments
+
+| Name | Type | Description |
+| ---- | ---- | ----------- |
+| <a id="queryrunnerusagebyprojectfromdate"></a>`fromDate` | [`Date`](#date) | Start of the requested date frame. Defaults to the start of the previous calendar month. |
+| <a id="queryrunnerusagebyprojectprojectslimit"></a>`projectsLimit` | [`Int`](#int) | Maximum number of projects to return.Other projects will be aggregated to a `project: null` entry.Can not be larger than 500. Defaults to 5. |
+| <a id="queryrunnerusagebyprojectrunnertype"></a>`runnerType` | [`CiRunnerType`](#cirunnertype) | Filter jobs by the type of runner that executed them. |
+| <a id="queryrunnerusagebyprojecttodate"></a>`toDate` | [`Date`](#date) | End of the requested date frame. Defaults to the end of the previous calendar month. |
+
 ### `Query.runners`
 
 Get all runners in the GitLab instance (project and shared). Access is restricted to users with administrator access.
@@ -26845,6 +26864,18 @@ Counts of requirements by their state.
 | <a id="runnersetupinstallinstructions"></a>`installInstructions` | [`String!`](#string) | Instructions for installing the runner on the specified architecture. |
 | <a id="runnersetupregisterinstructions"></a>`registerInstructions` | [`String`](#string) | Instructions for registering the runner. The actual registration tokens are not included in the commands. Instead, a placeholder `$REGISTRATION_TOKEN` is shown. |
 
+### `RunnerUsageByProject`
+
+Runner usage in minutes by project.
+
+#### Fields
+
+| Name | Type | Description |
+| ---- | ---- | ----------- |
+| <a id="runnerusagebyprojectcibuildcount"></a>`ciBuildCount` | [`Int!`](#int) | Amount of builds executed during the selected period. |
+| <a id="runnerusagebyprojectciminutesused"></a>`ciMinutesUsed` | [`Int!`](#int) | Amount of minutes used during the selected period. |
+| <a id="runnerusagebyprojectproject"></a>`project` | [`Project`](#project) | Project that the usage refers to. Null means "Other projects". |
+
 ### `SastCiConfiguration`
 
 Represents a CI configuration of SAST.
diff --git a/doc/install/aws/index.md b/doc/install/aws/index.md
index 25b52c9003c..d10f78fe024 100644
--- a/doc/install/aws/index.md
+++ b/doc/install/aws/index.md
@@ -766,7 +766,7 @@ Some important things to know:
   must [configure this yourself](../../administration/backup_restore/backup_gitlab.md#storing-configuration-files).
 - By default, the backup files are stored locally, but you can
   [backup GitLab using S3](../../administration/backup_restore/backup_gitlab.md#using-amazon-s3).
-- You can [exclude specific directories form the backup](../../administration/backup_restore/backup_gitlab.md#excluding-specific-directories-from-the-backup).
+- You can [exclude specific directories form the backup](../../administration/backup_restore/backup_gitlab.md#excluding-specific-data-from-the-backup).
 
 ### Backing up GitLab
 
diff --git a/doc/user/compliance/compliance_center/index.md b/doc/user/compliance/compliance_center/index.md
index fd48f5b6080..e3a94c119ff 100644
--- a/doc/user/compliance/compliance_center/index.md
+++ b/doc/user/compliance/compliance_center/index.md
@@ -184,10 +184,7 @@ separation of duties is:
 
 > - [Introduced](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/356791) in GitLab 16.4 [with a flag](../../../administration/feature_flags.md) named `compliance_violation_csv_export`. Disabled by default.
 > - [Enabled on GitLab.com and self-managed](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/issues/424447) in GitLab 16.5.
-
-FLAG:
-On self-managed GitLab, by default this feature is available. To hide the feature, an administrator can [disable the feature flag](../../../administration/feature_flags.md) named
-`compliance_violation_csv_export`. On GitLab.com, this feature is available.
+> - [Feature flag `compliance_violation_csv_export`](https://gitlab.com/gitlab-org/gitlab/-/merge_requests/142568) removed in GitLab 16.9.
 
 Export a report of merge request compliance violations on merge requests belonging to projects in a group. Reports:
 
diff --git a/lib/api/commits.rb b/lib/api/commits.rb
index 7570702444d..0612b41edf8 100644
--- a/lib/api/commits.rb
+++ b/lib/api/commits.rb
@@ -309,6 +309,27 @@ module API
         present paginate(notes), with: Entities::CommitNote
       end
 
+      desc 'Get the sequence count of a commit SHA' do
+        success code: 200, model: Entities::CommitSequence
+        tags %w[commits]
+        failure [
+          { code: 404, message: 'Not found' }
+        ]
+      end
+      params do
+        requires :sha, type: String, desc: 'A commit SHA'
+        optional :first_parent, type: Boolean, desc: 'Only include the first parent of merges', default: false
+      end
+      get ':id/repository/commits/:sha/sequence', requirements: API::COMMIT_ENDPOINT_REQUIREMENTS do
+        commit = user_project.commit(params[:sha])
+
+        not_found! 'Commit' unless commit
+        count = user_project.repository.count_commits(ref: params[:sha], first_parent: params[:first_parent])
+        count_hash = { count: count }
+
+        present count_hash, with: Entities::CommitSequence
+      end
+
       desc 'Cherry pick commit into a branch' do
         detail 'This feature was introduced in GitLab 8.15'
         success code: 200, model: Entities::Commit
diff --git a/lib/api/entities/commit_sequence.rb b/lib/api/entities/commit_sequence.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..edb5326a72d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/lib/api/entities/commit_sequence.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+
+module API
+  module Entities
+    class CommitSequence < Grape::Entity
+      expose :count, documentation: { type: 'integer', example: 1 }
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/qa/qa/page/component/issue_board/show.rb b/qa/qa/page/component/issue_board/show.rb
index 6fbe2b7036c..39017f43746 100644
--- a/qa/qa/page/component/issue_board/show.rb
+++ b/qa/qa/page/component/issue_board/show.rb
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ module QA
 
           def click_boards_dropdown_button
             # The dropdown button comes from the `GlDropdown` component of `@gitlab/ui`,
-            # so it wasn't possible to add a `data-qa-selector` to it.
+            # so it wasn't possible to add a `data-testid` to it.
             find_element('boards-dropdown').find('button').click
           end
 
diff --git a/qa/qa/page/project/web_ide/vscode.rb b/qa/qa/page/project/web_ide/vscode.rb
index d7fbd3b0458..90cd3594bf5 100644
--- a/qa/qa/page/project/web_ide/vscode.rb
+++ b/qa/qa/page/project/web_ide/vscode.rb
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # frozen_string_literal: true
 
-# VSCode WebIDE is built off an iFrame application therefore we are unable to use `qa-selectors`
+# VSCode WebIDE is built off an iFrame application therefore we are unable to use `testids`
 module QA
   module Page
     module Project
diff --git a/spec/features/merge_request/user_comments_on_merge_request_spec.rb b/spec/features/merge_request/user_comments_on_merge_request_spec.rb
index 3aa2ce2a154..441242a2286 100644
--- a/spec/features/merge_request/user_comments_on_merge_request_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/features/merge_request/user_comments_on_merge_request_spec.rb
@@ -92,7 +92,9 @@ RSpec.describe 'User comments on a merge request', :js, feature_category: :code_
     end
 
     wait_for_requests
-    expect(page.html).to include('Are you sure you want to cancel creating this comment?')
+    page.within('.modal-dialog') do
+      expect(page).to have_content('Are you sure you want to cancel creating this comment?')
+    end
   end
 
   it 'loads new comment' do
diff --git a/spec/frontend/gl_form_spec.js b/spec/frontend/gl_form_spec.js
index 6ad9d9f4338..b99b43d3039 100644
--- a/spec/frontend/gl_form_spec.js
+++ b/spec/frontend/gl_form_spec.js
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 import autosize from 'autosize';
 import $ from 'jquery';
 import GLForm from '~/gl_form';
+import GfmAutoComplete from 'ee_else_ce/gfm_auto_complete';
 import '~/lib/utils/text_utility';
 import '~/lib/utils/common_utils';
 
@@ -46,6 +47,43 @@ describe('GLForm', () => {
         expect(setupFormSpy).toHaveBeenCalledWith(customDataSources, false);
       });
     });
+
+    describe('GfmAutoComplete', () => {
+      let autocompleteDataFetchSpy;
+      const updatedMockGl = { ...mockGl };
+
+      updatedMockGl.GfmAutoComplete.dataSources = {
+        ...updatedMockGl.GfmAutoComplete.dataSources,
+        members: '/group/projects/-/autocomplete_sources/members',
+      };
+
+      beforeEach(() => {
+        jest.spyOn(window, 'requestIdleCallback').mockImplementation((cb) => cb());
+
+        // We need to mock implement fetchData to prevent
+        // the axios call which is not subject of this test
+        autocompleteDataFetchSpy = jest
+          .spyOn(GfmAutoComplete.prototype, 'fetchData')
+          .mockImplementation(() => 'test');
+
+        testContext.form = $('<form class="gfm-form"><textarea class="js-gfm-input"></form>');
+        testContext.textarea = testContext.form.find('textarea');
+      });
+
+      afterEach(() => {
+        window.requestIdleCallback.mockRestore();
+        autocompleteDataFetchSpy.mockRestore();
+      });
+
+      it('will call fetchdata if preloadMembers is enabled', () => {
+        window.gl = { ...updatedMockGl };
+
+        testContext.glForm = new GLForm(testContext.form, {}, true, {}, true);
+        jest.runAllTimers();
+        expect(autocompleteDataFetchSpy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
+        expect(autocompleteDataFetchSpy).toHaveBeenCalledWith(expect.any(Object), '@');
+      });
+    });
   });
 
   describe('when instantiated', () => {
diff --git a/spec/frontend/vue_shared/components/markdown/field_spec.js b/spec/frontend/vue_shared/components/markdown/field_spec.js
index 4ade8f28fd0..9d8924c92f7 100644
--- a/spec/frontend/vue_shared/components/markdown/field_spec.js
+++ b/spec/frontend/vue_shared/components/markdown/field_spec.js
@@ -67,6 +67,9 @@ describe('Markdown field component', () => {
           showContentEditorSwitcher,
           supportsQuickActions: true,
         },
+        provide: {
+          preloadMembers: true,
+        },
         mocks: {
           $apollo: {
             queries: {
@@ -93,6 +96,9 @@ describe('Markdown field component', () => {
         showContentEditorSwitcher: false,
         autocompleteDataSources,
       },
+      provide: {
+        preloadMembers: true,
+      },
     });
   }
 
@@ -131,6 +137,10 @@ describe('Markdown field component', () => {
           commands: '/foobar/-/autocomplete_sources',
         });
       });
+
+      it('initializes GlForm with autocomplete data sources and preload memebers', () => {
+        expect(findGlForm().preloadMembers).toBe(true);
+      });
     });
 
     it('renders textarea inside backdrop', () => {
diff --git a/spec/requests/api/commits_spec.rb b/spec/requests/api/commits_spec.rb
index 8bea823fd64..23b4c5b6ba7 100644
--- a/spec/requests/api/commits_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/requests/api/commits_spec.rb
@@ -1864,6 +1864,46 @@ RSpec.describe API::Commits, feature_category: :source_code_management do
     end
   end
 
+  describe 'GET /projects/:id/repository/commits/:sha/sequence' do
+    let(:current_user) { user }
+    let(:commit) { project.repository.commit }
+    let(:commit_id) { commit.id }
+    let(:route) { "/projects/#{project_id}/repository/commits/#{commit_id}/sequence" }
+
+    context 'when commit does not exist' do
+      let(:commit_id) { 'unknown' }
+
+      it_behaves_like '404 response' do
+        let(:request) { get api(route, current_user) }
+        let(:message) { '404 Commit Not Found' }
+      end
+    end
+
+    context 'when commit exists' do
+      it 'returns correct JSON' do
+        expected_count = project.repository.count_commits(ref: commit_id, first_parent: false)
+
+        get api(route, current_user)
+
+        expect(response).to have_gitlab_http_status(:ok)
+        expect(json_response['count']).to eq(expected_count)
+      end
+    end
+
+    context 'when commit exists first-parent' do
+      let(:route) { "/projects/#{project_id}/repository/commits/#{commit_id}/sequence?first_parent=true" }
+
+      it 'returns correct JSON' do
+        expected_count = project.repository.count_commits(ref: commit_id, first_parent: true)
+
+        get api(route, current_user)
+
+        expect(response).to have_gitlab_http_status(:ok)
+        expect(json_response['count']).to eq(expected_count)
+      end
+    end
+  end
+
   describe 'POST :id/repository/commits/:sha/cherry_pick' do
     let(:project) { create(:project, :repository, creator: user, path: 'my.project') }
     let(:commit) { project.commit('7d3b0f7cff5f37573aea97cebfd5692ea1689924') }
diff --git a/workhorse/internal/upload/artifacts_upload_test.go b/workhorse/internal/upload/artifacts_upload_test.go
index cd2761f8376..3d15480747f 100644
--- a/workhorse/internal/upload/artifacts_upload_test.go
+++ b/workhorse/internal/upload/artifacts_upload_test.go
@@ -125,7 +125,6 @@ type testServer struct {
 	writer     *multipart.Writer
 	buffer     *bytes.Buffer
 	fileWriter io.Writer
-	cleanup    func()
 }
 
 func setupWithTmpPath(t *testing.T, filename string, includeFormat bool, format string, authResponse *api.Response, bodyProcessor func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request)) *testServer {
@@ -143,10 +142,10 @@ func setupWithTmpPath(t *testing.T, filename string, includeFormat bool, format
 	require.NotNil(t, fileWriter)
 	require.NoError(t, err)
 
-	cleanup := func() {
+	t.Cleanup(func() {
 		ts.Close()
 		require.NoError(t, writer.Close())
-	}
+	})
 
 	qs := ""
 
@@ -154,7 +153,7 @@ func setupWithTmpPath(t *testing.T, filename string, includeFormat bool, format
 		qs = fmt.Sprintf("?%s=%s", ArtifactFormatKey, format)
 	}
 
-	return &testServer{url: ts.URL + Path + qs, writer: writer, buffer: &buffer, fileWriter: fileWriter, cleanup: cleanup}
+	return &testServer{url: ts.URL + Path + qs, writer: writer, buffer: &buffer, fileWriter: fileWriter}
 }
 
 func testUploadArtifacts(t *testing.T, contentType, url string, body io.Reader) *httptest.ResponseRecorder {
@@ -211,7 +210,6 @@ func TestUploadHandlerAddingMetadata(t *testing.T) {
 					require.Contains(t, r.PostForm, "metadata.gitlab-workhorse-upload")
 				},
 			)
-			defer s.cleanup()
 
 			archive := zip.NewWriter(s.fileWriter)
 			file, err := archive.Create("test.file")
@@ -241,7 +239,6 @@ func TestUploadHandlerTarArtifact(t *testing.T) {
 			require.Contains(t, r.PostForm, "file.gitlab-workhorse-upload")
 		},
 	)
-	defer s.cleanup()
 
 	file, err := os.Open("../../testdata/tarfile.tar")
 	require.NoError(t, err)
@@ -258,7 +255,6 @@ func TestUploadHandlerTarArtifact(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestUploadHandlerForUnsupportedArchive(t *testing.T) {
 	s := setupWithTmpPath(t, "file", true, "other", nil, nil)
-	defer s.cleanup()
 	require.NoError(t, s.writer.Close())
 
 	response := testUploadArtifacts(t, s.writer.FormDataContentType(), s.url, s.buffer)
@@ -268,7 +264,6 @@ func TestUploadHandlerForUnsupportedArchive(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestUploadHandlerForMultipleFiles(t *testing.T) {
 	s := setupWithTmpPath(t, "file", true, "", nil, nil)
-	defer s.cleanup()
 
 	file, err := s.writer.CreateFormFile("file", "my.file")
 	require.NotNil(t, file)
@@ -281,7 +276,6 @@ func TestUploadHandlerForMultipleFiles(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestUploadFormProcessing(t *testing.T) {
 	s := setupWithTmpPath(t, "metadata", true, "", nil, nil)
-	defer s.cleanup()
 	require.NoError(t, s.writer.Close())
 
 	response := testUploadArtifacts(t, s.writer.FormDataContentType(), s.url, s.buffer)
@@ -292,7 +286,6 @@ func TestLsifFileProcessing(t *testing.T) {
 	tempPath := t.TempDir()
 
 	s := setupWithTmpPath(t, "file", true, "zip", &api.Response{TempPath: tempPath, ProcessLsif: true}, nil)
-	defer s.cleanup()
 
 	file, err := os.Open("../../testdata/lsif/valid.lsif.zip")
 	require.NoError(t, err)
@@ -311,7 +304,6 @@ func TestInvalidLsifFileProcessing(t *testing.T) {
 	tempPath := t.TempDir()
 
 	s := setupWithTmpPath(t, "file", true, "zip", &api.Response{TempPath: tempPath, ProcessLsif: true}, nil)
-	defer s.cleanup()
 
 	file, err := os.Open("../../testdata/lsif/invalid.lsif.zip")
 	require.NoError(t, err)