diff --git a/blueprint/itests/blueprint-itests/pom.xml b/blueprint/itests/blueprint-itests/pom.xml
index ed32a42e12..b3a371e65a 100644
--- a/blueprint/itests/blueprint-itests/pom.xml
+++ b/blueprint/itests/blueprint-itests/pom.xml
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@
         <commons-jexl.version>2.1.1</commons-jexl.version>
         <depends-maven-plugin.version>1.5.0</depends-maven-plugin.version>
         <exam.version>4.10.0</exam.version>
+        <maven-surefire-plugin.version>3.5.2</maven-surefire-plugin.version>
         <org.apache.aries.proxy.version>1.1.0</org.apache.aries.proxy.version>
         <org.apache.aries.quiesce.api.version>1.0.0</org.apache.aries.quiesce.api.version>
         <org.apache.aries.testsupport.unit.version>2.0.0-SNAPSHOT</org.apache.aries.testsupport.unit.version>
@@ -342,8 +343,10 @@
             <plugin>
                 <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
                 <artifactId>maven-surefire-plugin</artifactId>
+                <version>${maven-surefire-plugin.version}</version>
                 <configuration>
-                    <forkMode>pertest</forkMode>
+                    <forkCount>1</forkCount>
+                    <reuseForks>false</reuseForks>
                 </configuration>
             </plugin>
             <plugin>
diff --git a/ejb/ejb-modeller-itest/pom.xml b/ejb/ejb-modeller-itest/pom.xml
index 701963d9eb..db167e7eff 100644
--- a/ejb/ejb-modeller-itest/pom.xml
+++ b/ejb/ejb-modeller-itest/pom.xml
@@ -551,8 +551,6 @@
                 <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
                 <artifactId>maven-surefire-plugin</artifactId>
                 <configuration>
-                    <forkMode>pertest</forkMode>
-
                     <!-- Tests are not reliable -->
                     <skipTests>true</skipTests>
                 </configuration>
@@ -574,7 +572,6 @@
                         <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
                         <artifactId>maven-surefire-plugin</artifactId>
                         <configuration>
-                            <forkMode>pertest</forkMode>
                             <!--
                                 when the local repo location has been specified, we need to pass
                                 on this information to PAX mvn url
diff --git a/jmx/jmx-itests/pom.xml b/jmx/jmx-itests/pom.xml
index 0338777724..0b9b15d972 100644
--- a/jmx/jmx-itests/pom.xml
+++ b/jmx/jmx-itests/pom.xml
@@ -253,14 +253,6 @@
                     </execution>
                 </executions>
             </plugin>
-
-            <plugin>
-                <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
-                <artifactId>maven-surefire-plugin</artifactId>
-                <configuration>
-                    <forkMode>pertest</forkMode>
-                </configuration>
-            </plugin>
         </plugins>
     </build>
 
diff --git a/jndi/jndi-url-itest/pom.xml b/jndi/jndi-url-itest/pom.xml
index 543f3784d0..a1cae9441e 100644
--- a/jndi/jndi-url-itest/pom.xml
+++ b/jndi/jndi-url-itest/pom.xml
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@
     <properties>
         <asm-debug-all.version>5.0.3</asm-debug-all.version>
         <cm.version>3.2.0-v20070116</cm.version>
+        <depends-maven-plugin.version>1.5.0</depends-maven-plugin.version>
         <geronimo-servlet_2.5_spec.version>1.2</geronimo-servlet_2.5_spec.version>
         <jndi-api.version>${jndi-api.dev-version}</jndi-api.version>
         <jndi-bundle.version>${jndi-bundle.dev-version}</jndi-bundle.version>
@@ -279,14 +280,11 @@
             <plugin>
                 <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
                 <artifactId>maven-surefire-plugin</artifactId>
-                <configuration>
-                    <forkMode>pertest</forkMode>
-                </configuration>
             </plugin>
             <plugin>
                 <groupId>org.apache.servicemix.tooling</groupId>
                 <artifactId>depends-maven-plugin</artifactId>
-                <version>1.5.0</version>
+                <version>${depends-maven-plugin.version}</version>
                 <executions>
                     <execution>
                         <phase>generate-resources</phase>
diff --git a/parent/pom.xml b/parent/pom.xml
index 578eadfbcd..b7e654dfd8 100644
--- a/parent/pom.xml
+++ b/parent/pom.xml
@@ -404,7 +404,6 @@
                     <artifactId>maven-surefire-plugin</artifactId>
                     <configuration>
                         <redirectTestOutputToFile>true</redirectTestOutputToFile>
-                        <forkMode>once</forkMode>
                         <argLine>-enableassertions</argLine>
                         <failIfNoTests>false</failIfNoTests>
                         <workingDirectory>${project.build.directory}</workingDirectory>
diff --git a/proxy/proxy-itests/pom.xml b/proxy/proxy-itests/pom.xml
index 3413bd1d42..27f3c6eccf 100644
--- a/proxy/proxy-itests/pom.xml
+++ b/proxy/proxy-itests/pom.xml
@@ -189,13 +189,6 @@
                 <artifactId>maven-compiler-plugin</artifactId>
                 <version>${maven-compiler-plugin.version}</version>
             </plugin>
-            <plugin>
-                <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
-                <artifactId>maven-surefire-plugin</artifactId>
-                <configuration>
-                    <forkMode>pertest</forkMode>
-                </configuration>
-            </plugin>
             <plugin>
                 <groupId>org.apache.servicemix.tooling</groupId>
                 <artifactId>depends-maven-plugin</artifactId>
diff --git a/spi-fly/pom.xml b/spi-fly/pom.xml
index 0346f080c9..1e14039f1f 100644
--- a/spi-fly/pom.xml
+++ b/spi-fly/pom.xml
@@ -143,7 +143,6 @@
                     <version>${maven-surefire-plugin.version}</version>
                     <configuration>
                         <redirectTestOutputToFile>true</redirectTestOutputToFile>
-                        <forkMode>once</forkMode>
                         <argLine>
                             -enableassertions
                         </argLine>
@@ -210,7 +209,6 @@
                             <version>${maven-surefire-plugin.version}</version>
                             <configuration>
                                 <redirectTestOutputToFile>true</redirectTestOutputToFile>
-                                <forkMode>once</forkMode>
                                 <argLine>
                                     -enableassertions
                                     --add-opens java.base/java.lang=ALL-UNNAMED
diff --git a/subsystem/subsystem-itests/pom.xml b/subsystem/subsystem-itests/pom.xml
index fb06b0e5c9..b928149e88 100644
--- a/subsystem/subsystem-itests/pom.xml
+++ b/subsystem/subsystem-itests/pom.xml
@@ -40,10 +40,12 @@
     <properties>
         <asm.version>5.0.3</asm.version>
         <build-helper-maven-plugin.version>1.5</build-helper-maven-plugin.version>
+        <depends-maven-plugin.version>1.5.0</depends-maven-plugin.version>
         <easymock.version>3.0</easymock.version>
         <exam.version>4.13.5</exam.version>
         <logback.version>1.5.16</logback.version>
         <maven-jar-plugin.version>2.3</maven-jar-plugin.version>
+        <maven-surefire-plugin.version>3.5.2</maven-surefire-plugin.version>
         <org.apache.aries.application.api.version>1.0.0</org.apache.aries.application.api.version>
         <org.apache.aries.application.modeller.version>1.0.0</org.apache.aries.application.modeller.version>
         <org.apache.aries.application.utils.version>1.0.0</org.apache.aries.application.utils.version>
@@ -866,7 +868,7 @@
             <plugin>
                 <groupId>org.apache.servicemix.tooling</groupId>
                 <artifactId>depends-maven-plugin</artifactId>
-                <version>1.5.0</version>
+                <version>${depends-maven-plugin.version}</version>
                 <executions>
                     <execution>
                         <id>generate-depends-file</id>
@@ -880,8 +882,10 @@
             <plugin>
                 <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
                 <artifactId>maven-surefire-plugin</artifactId>
+                <version>${maven-surefire-plugin.version}</version>
                 <configuration>
-                    <forkMode>pertest</forkMode>
+                    <forkCount>1</forkCount>
+                    <reuseForks>false</reuseForks>
                 </configuration>
             </plugin>
         </plugins>
diff --git a/web/web-itests/pom.xml b/web/web-itests/pom.xml
index a80942bef5..910db49646 100644
--- a/web/web-itests/pom.xml
+++ b/web/web-itests/pom.xml
@@ -210,14 +210,6 @@
                     </execution>
                 </executions>
             </plugin>
-
-            <plugin>
-                <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
-                <artifactId>maven-surefire-plugin</artifactId>
-                <configuration>
-                    <forkMode>pertest</forkMode>
-                </configuration>
-            </plugin>
         </plugins>
     </build>