diff --git oak-parent/pom.xml oak-parent/pom.xml
index e991354..1ae7bed 100644
--- oak-parent/pom.xml
+++ oak-parent/pom.xml
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@
     <slf4j.version>1.7.6</slf4j.version> <!-- sync with logback version -->
     <logback.version>1.1.0</logback.version>
     <h2.version>1.4.193</h2.version>
-    <findbugs.version>3.0.0</findbugs.version>
+    <findbugs.version>3.0.4</findbugs.version>
     <derby.version>10.12.1.1</derby.version>
     <java.version>1.7</java.version>
     <java.version.signature>java17</java.version.signature>
@@ -76,6 +76,10 @@
     <surefire.skip.ut>false</surefire.skip.ut>
   </properties>
 
+  <prerequisites>
+    <maven>3.2.1</maven>
+  </prerequisites>
+
   <issueManagement>
     <system>Jira</system>
     <url>http://issues.apache.org/jira/browse/OAK</url>
@@ -95,6 +99,7 @@
       <plugins>
         <plugin>
           <artifactId>maven-compiler-plugin</artifactId>
+          <version>3.5.1</version>
           <configuration>
             <target>${java.version}</target>
             <source>${java.version}</source>
@@ -114,6 +119,7 @@
         </plugin>
         <plugin>
           <artifactId>maven-javadoc-plugin</artifactId>
+          <version>2.9</version>
           <configuration>
             <source>${java.version}</source>
             <links>
@@ -255,12 +261,14 @@
         </plugin>
         <plugin>
           <artifactId>maven-deploy-plugin</artifactId>
+          <version>2.8.2</version>
           <configuration>
             <skip>${skip.deployment}</skip>
           </configuration>
         </plugin>
         <plugin>
           <artifactId>maven-release-plugin</artifactId>
+          <version>2.3.2</version>
           <configuration>
             <autoVersionSubmodules>true</autoVersionSubmodules>
           </configuration>
@@ -268,10 +276,11 @@
         <plugin>
           <groupId>org.apache.rat</groupId>
           <artifactId>apache-rat-plugin</artifactId>
-          <version>0.11</version>
+          <version>0.12</version>
         </plugin>
         <plugin>
           <artifactId>maven-surefire-plugin</artifactId>
+          <version>2.19.1</version>
           <configuration>
             <argLine>${test.opts}</argLine>
             <systemPropertyVariables>
@@ -290,6 +299,7 @@
         </plugin>
         <plugin>
           <artifactId>maven-failsafe-plugin</artifactId>
+          <version>2.12 </version>
           <configuration>
             <argLine>${test.opts}</argLine>
             <systemPropertyVariables>
@@ -384,21 +394,66 @@
         <plugin>
           <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
           <artifactId>maven-scm-publish-plugin</artifactId>
-          <version>1.0-beta-2</version>
+          <version>1.1</version>
         </plugin>
         <plugin>
           <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
           <artifactId>maven-project-info-reports-plugin</artifactId>
-          <version>2.4</version>
+          <version>2.9</version>
         </plugin>
         <plugin>
           <groupId>org.jacoco</groupId>
           <artifactId>jacoco-maven-plugin</artifactId>
-          <version>0.7.1.201405082137</version>
+          <version>0.7.8</version>
         </plugin>
       </plugins>
     </pluginManagement>
     <plugins>
+      <!-- Require Java 6 or higher for building -->
+      <plugin>
+        <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
+        <artifactId>maven-enforcer-plugin</artifactId>
+        <executions>
+          <execution>
+            <id>enforce-java</id>
+            <goals>
+              <goal>enforce</goal>
+            </goals>
+            <configuration>
+              <rules>
+                <requireJavaVersion>
+                  <message>
+                    Apache Jackrabbit Oak must be compiled with Java
+                    7 or higher
+                  </message>
+                  <version>1.7.0</version>
+                </requireJavaVersion>
+              </rules>
+            </configuration>
+          </execution>
+          <execution>
+            <id>enforce-plugin-versions</id>
+            <goals>
+              <goal>enforce</goal>
+            </goals>
+            <configuration>
+              <rules>
+                <requirePluginVersions>
+                  <banLatest>true</banLatest>
+                  <banRelease>true</banRelease>
+                  <banSnapshots>true</banSnapshots>
+                  <phases>clean,deploy,site</phases>
+                  <additionalPlugins>
+                    <additionalPlugin>org.apache.maven.plugins:maven-eclipse-plugin</additionalPlugin>
+                    <additionalPlugin>org.apache.maven.plugins:maven-reactor-plugin</additionalPlugin>
+                  </additionalPlugins>
+                  <unCheckedPluginList>org.apache.maven.plugins:maven-enforcer-plugin,org.apache.maven.plugins:maven-idea-plugin</unCheckedPluginList>
+                </requirePluginVersions>
+              </rules>
+            </configuration>
+          </execution>
+        </executions>
+      </plugin>
       <plugin>
         <groupId>org.jacoco</groupId>
         <artifactId>jacoco-maven-plugin</artifactId>
diff --git oak-upgrade/src/test/java/org/apache/jackrabbit/oak/upgrade/cli/blob/FbsToS3Test.java oak-upgrade/src/test/java/org/apache/jackrabbit/oak/upgrade/cli/blob/FbsToS3Test.java
index 8dc5cf7..5fd37dc 100644
--- oak-upgrade/src/test/java/org/apache/jackrabbit/oak/upgrade/cli/blob/FbsToS3Test.java
+++ oak-upgrade/src/test/java/org/apache/jackrabbit/oak/upgrade/cli/blob/FbsToS3Test.java
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ package org.apache.jackrabbit.oak.upgrade.cli.blob;
 
 import java.io.IOException;
 
+import com.google.common.base.Strings;
 import org.apache.jackrabbit.oak.upgrade.cli.AbstractOak2OakTest;
 import org.apache.jackrabbit.oak.upgrade.cli.container.BlobStoreContainer;
 import org.apache.jackrabbit.oak.upgrade.cli.container.FileBlobStoreContainer;
@@ -28,7 +29,7 @@ import org.junit.Assume;
 
 public class FbsToS3Test extends AbstractOak2OakTest {
 
-    private static final String S3_PROPERTIES = System.getProperty("s3.properties");
+    private static final String S3_PROPERTIES = Strings.emptyToNull(System.getProperty("s3.properties"));
 
     private final BlobStoreContainer sourceBlob;
 
diff --git oak-upgrade/src/test/java/org/apache/jackrabbit/oak/upgrade/cli/blob/S3ToFbsTest.java oak-upgrade/src/test/java/org/apache/jackrabbit/oak/upgrade/cli/blob/S3ToFbsTest.java
index ccfcfb9..831dfb1 100644
--- oak-upgrade/src/test/java/org/apache/jackrabbit/oak/upgrade/cli/blob/S3ToFbsTest.java
+++ oak-upgrade/src/test/java/org/apache/jackrabbit/oak/upgrade/cli/blob/S3ToFbsTest.java
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ package org.apache.jackrabbit.oak.upgrade.cli.blob;
 
 import java.io.IOException;
 
+import com.google.common.base.Strings;
 import org.apache.jackrabbit.oak.upgrade.cli.AbstractOak2OakTest;
 import org.apache.jackrabbit.oak.upgrade.cli.container.BlobStoreContainer;
 import org.apache.jackrabbit.oak.upgrade.cli.container.FileBlobStoreContainer;
@@ -28,7 +29,7 @@ import org.junit.Assume;
 
 public class S3ToFbsTest extends AbstractOak2OakTest {
 
-    private static final String S3_PROPERTIES = System.getProperty("s3.properties");
+    private static final String S3_PROPERTIES = Strings.emptyToNull(System.getProperty("s3.properties"));
 
     private final BlobStoreContainer sourceBlob;