diff --git a/.github/workflows/rc.yml b/.github/workflows/rc.yml
index 18a721ac02..70e270d888 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/rc.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/rc.yml
@@ -174,15 +174,11 @@ jobs:
       - name: Extract source archive
         run: |
           tar -xf apache-arrow-java-*.tar.gz --strip-components=1
-      - name: Download the latest Apache Arrow C++
-        if: github.event_name != 'schedule'
-        run: |
-          ci/scripts/download_cpp.sh
       - name: Checkout Apache Arrow C++
-        if: github.event_name == 'schedule'
         uses: actions/checkout@v7
         with:
           repository: apache/arrow
+          ref: main
           path: arrow
       - name: Checkout apache/arrow-testing
         uses: actions/checkout@v7
diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 318bd4d10c..11e6eb7448 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -37,6 +37,10 @@ option(ARROW_JAVA_JNI_ENABLE_C "Enable C data interface" ${ARROW_JAVA_JNI_ENABLE
 option(ARROW_JAVA_JNI_ENABLE_DATASET "Enable dataset" ${ARROW_JAVA_JNI_ENABLE_DEFAULT})
 option(ARROW_JAVA_JNI_ENABLE_GANDIVA "Enable Gandiva" ${ARROW_JAVA_JNI_ENABLE_DEFAULT})
 option(ARROW_JAVA_JNI_ENABLE_ORC "Enable ORC" ${ARROW_JAVA_JNI_ENABLE_DEFAULT})
+set(ARROW_JAVA_JNI_ABSL_INCLUDE_DIR
+    ""
+    CACHE PATH "Path to Abseil source headers for the Gandiva JNI build")
+mark_as_advanced(ARROW_JAVA_JNI_ABSL_INCLUDE_DIR)
 
 include(GNUInstallDirs)
 
diff --git a/ci/scripts/jni_macos_build.sh b/ci/scripts/jni_macos_build.sh
index 65ab450666..c560f81632 100755
--- a/ci/scripts/jni_macos_build.sh
+++ b/ci/scripts/jni_macos_build.sh
@@ -73,12 +73,20 @@ cmake \
   -S "${arrow_dir}/cpp" \
   -B "${build_dir}/cpp" \
   --preset=ninja-release-jni-macos \
+  -Dabsl_SOURCE=BUNDLED \
   -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX="${install_dir}"
 cmake --build "${build_dir}/cpp" --target install
 github_actions_group_end
 
+absl_include_dir="${build_dir}/cpp/_deps/absl-src"
+if [ ! -d "${absl_include_dir}/absl" ]; then
+  echo "Bundled Abseil headers were not found in ${absl_include_dir}" >&2
+  exit 1
+fi
+
 JAVA_JNI_CMAKE_ARGS="-DProtobuf_ROOT=${build_dir}/cpp/_deps/protobuf-build"
 JAVA_JNI_CMAKE_ARGS+=" -DProtobuf_SRC_ROOT_FOLDER=${build_dir}/cpp/_deps/protobuf-src"
+JAVA_JNI_CMAKE_ARGS+=" -DARROW_JAVA_JNI_ABSL_INCLUDE_DIR=${absl_include_dir}"
 export JAVA_JNI_CMAKE_ARGS
 "${source_dir}/ci/scripts/jni_build.sh" \
   "${source_dir}" \
diff --git a/gandiva/CMakeLists.txt b/gandiva/CMakeLists.txt
index 369829d7a3..ca041c9fb1 100644
--- a/gandiva/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/gandiva/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -54,6 +54,10 @@ add_library(arrow_java_jni_gandiva SHARED
             src/main/cpp/jni_common.cc
             ${GANDIVA_PROTO_OUTPUT_FILES})
 set_property(TARGET arrow_java_jni_gandiva PROPERTY OUTPUT_NAME "gandiva_jni")
+if(ARROW_JAVA_JNI_ABSL_INCLUDE_DIR)
+  target_include_directories(arrow_java_jni_gandiva SYSTEM
+                             PRIVATE "${ARROW_JAVA_JNI_ABSL_INCLUDE_DIR}")
+endif()
 target_link_libraries(arrow_java_jni_gandiva
                       arrow_java_jni_gandiva_headers
                       jni