diff --git a/samples/blog/blog-comment-ejb/pom.xml b/samples/blog/blog-comment-ejb/pom.xml
index 539cf51e3f..e166521433 100644
--- a/samples/blog/blog-comment-ejb/pom.xml
+++ b/samples/blog/blog-comment-ejb/pom.xml
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@
                     <execution>
                         <phase>compile</phase>
                         <configuration>
-                            <tasks>
+                            <target>
                                 <path id="enhance.path.ref">
                                     <fileset dir="${project.build.outputDirectory}">
                                         <include name="CommentImpl.class"/>
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@
                                         <path refid="maven.compile.classpath"/>
                                     </classpath>
                                 </java>
-                            </tasks>
+                            </target>
                         </configuration>
                         <goals>
                             <goal>run</goal>
diff --git a/samples/blog/blog-itests/pom.xml b/samples/blog/blog-itests/pom.xml
index e6d3f8bd1c..18021c46a1 100644
--- a/samples/blog/blog-itests/pom.xml
+++ b/samples/blog/blog-itests/pom.xml
@@ -33,18 +33,22 @@
     <properties>
         <asm.version>4.0</asm.version>
         <cm.version>3.2.0-v20070116</cm.version>
+        <commons-dbcp.version>1.4</commons-dbcp.version>
         <depends-maven-plugin.version>1.2</depends-maven-plugin.version>
-        <exam.version>3.4.0</exam.version>
+        <exam.version>4.13.5</exam.version>
+        <java.source.version>8</java.source.version>
+        <javax.inject.version>1</javax.inject.version>
         <logback.version>0.9.29</logback.version>
-        <org.apache.aries.testsupport.unit.version>2.0.0-SNAPSHOT</org.apache.aries.testsupport.unit.version>
+<!--        <org.apache.aries.testsupport.unit.version>2.0.0-SNAPSHOT</org.apache.aries.testsupport.unit.version>-->
         <org.eclipse.osgi.version>3.8.0.v20120529-1548</org.eclipse.osgi.version>
+        <org.apache.aries.proxy.version>1.1.0</org.apache.aries.proxy.version>
+        <org.apache.felix.bundlerepository.version>1.6.6</org.apache.felix.bundlerepository.version>
         <pax-web-extender-war.version>3.0.0</pax-web-extender-war.version>
         <pax-web-jetty-bundle.version>3.1.0</pax-web-jetty-bundle.version>
         <services.version>3.1.200-v20070605</services.version>
-        <slf4j-api.version>1.7.7</slf4j-api.version>
         <swissbox.version>1.7.0</swissbox.version>
         <tinybundles.version>2.0.0</tinybundles.version>
-        <url.version>1.6.0</url.version>
+        <url.version>2.6.16</url.version>
         <xbean.version>3.16</xbean.version>
     </properties>
 
@@ -78,11 +82,17 @@
             <scope>test</scope>
         </dependency>
 
+<!--        TODO ARIES-2165 Use testsupport dependency when application runs on newer eclipse -->
+<!--        <dependency>-->
+<!--            <groupId>org.apache.aries.testsupport</groupId>-->
+<!--            <artifactId>org.apache.aries.testsupport.unit</artifactId>-->
+<!--            <version>${org.apache.aries.testsupport.unit.version}</version>-->
+<!--            <scope>test</scope>-->
+<!--        </dependency>-->
         <dependency>
-            <groupId>org.apache.aries.testsupport</groupId>
-            <artifactId>org.apache.aries.testsupport.unit</artifactId>
-            <version>${org.apache.aries.testsupport.unit.version}</version>
-            <scope>test</scope>
+            <groupId>javax.inject</groupId>
+            <artifactId>javax.inject</artifactId>
+            <version>${javax.inject.version}</version>
         </dependency>
 
         <dependency>
@@ -381,7 +391,6 @@
         <dependency>
             <groupId>org.slf4j</groupId>
             <artifactId>slf4j-api</artifactId>
-            <version>${slf4j-api.version}</version>
         </dependency>
         <dependency>
             <groupId>org.ops4j.pax.exam</groupId>
@@ -441,6 +450,12 @@
             <artifactId>junit</artifactId>
             <scope>test</scope>
         </dependency>
+
+        <dependency>
+            <groupId>commons-dbcp</groupId>
+            <artifactId>commons-dbcp</artifactId>
+            <version>${commons-dbcp.version}</version>
+        </dependency>
     </dependencies>
 
     <build>
@@ -462,7 +477,8 @@
                 <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
                 <artifactId>maven-surefire-plugin</artifactId>
                 <configuration>
-                    <forkMode>pertest</forkMode>
+                    <forkCount>1</forkCount>
+                    <reuseForks>false</reuseForks>
                 </configuration>
             </plugin>
         </plugins>
diff --git a/samples/blog/blog-itests/src/test/java/org/apache/aries/itest b/samples/blog/blog-itests/src/test/java/org/apache/aries/itest
new file mode 120000
index 0000000000..5e145ea8ae
--- /dev/null
+++ b/samples/blog/blog-itests/src/test/java/org/apache/aries/itest
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+../../../../../../../../../testsupport/testsupport-unit/src/main/java/org/apache/aries/itest
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/samples/blog/blog-itests/src/test/java/org/apache/aries/samples/blog/itests/AbstractBlogIntegrationTest.java b/samples/blog/blog-itests/src/test/java/org/apache/aries/samples/blog/itests/AbstractBlogIntegrationTest.java
index 6fc4530d33..1eb2cbc605 100644
--- a/samples/blog/blog-itests/src/test/java/org/apache/aries/samples/blog/itests/AbstractBlogIntegrationTest.java
+++ b/samples/blog/blog-itests/src/test/java/org/apache/aries/samples/blog/itests/AbstractBlogIntegrationTest.java
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ protected Option baseOptions() {
 				junitBundles(),
 				mavenBundle("org.ops4j.pax.logging", "pax-logging-api", "1.7.2"),
 				mavenBundle("org.ops4j.pax.logging", "pax-logging-service", "1.7.2"),
-				mavenBundle("org.apache.aries.testsupport", "org.apache.aries.testsupport.unit").versionAsInProject(),
+//				mavenBundle("org.apache.aries.testsupport", "org.apache.aries.testsupport.unit").versionAsInProject(),
 				// this is how you set the default log level when using pax
 				// logging (logProfile)
 				systemProperty("org.ops4j.pax.logging.DefaultServiceLog.level").value("INFO"),
@@ -199,6 +199,7 @@ public Option[] configuration() {
 				mavenBundle("commons-lang", "commons-lang").versionAsInProject(),
 				mavenBundle("commons-collections", "commons-collections").versionAsInProject(),
 				mavenBundle("commons-pool", "commons-pool").versionAsInProject(),
+				mavenBundle("commons-dbcp", "commons-dbcp").versionAsInProject(),
 				mavenBundle("org.apache.servicemix.bundles", "org.apache.servicemix.bundles.serp").versionAsInProject(),
 				mavenBundle("org.apache.aries.quiesce", "org.apache.aries.quiesce.api").versionAsInProject(),
 	            mavenBundle("org.apache.aries.quiesce", "org.apache.aries.quiesce.manager").versionAsInProject(),
diff --git a/samples/blog/blog-persistence-jpa/pom.xml b/samples/blog/blog-persistence-jpa/pom.xml
index 8fe1944992..6cb158160c 100644
--- a/samples/blog/blog-persistence-jpa/pom.xml
+++ b/samples/blog/blog-persistence-jpa/pom.xml
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@
                     <execution>
                         <phase>compile</phase>
                         <configuration>
-                            <tasks>
+                            <target>
                                 <path id="enhance.path.ref">
                                     <fileset dir="${project.build.outputDirectory}">
                                         <include name="AuthorImpl.class"/>
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@
                                         <path refid="maven.compile.classpath"/>
                                     </classpath>
                                 </java>
-                            </tasks>
+                            </target>
                         </configuration>
                         <goals>
                             <goal>run</goal>
diff --git a/samples/blog/pom.xml b/samples/blog/pom.xml
index 0f88460d6c..42c33e113f 100644
--- a/samples/blog/pom.xml
+++ b/samples/blog/pom.xml
@@ -30,6 +30,10 @@
     <packaging>pom</packaging>
 
     <properties>
+        <!-- used eclipse version needs java 6-->
+        <java.source.version>1.6</java.source.version>
+        <!-- newer version generates osgi.extender capability for jpa bundle -->
+        <maven-bundle-plugin.version>2.5.0</maven-bundle-plugin.version>
         <org.eclipse.osgi.version>3.7.0.v20110613</org.eclipse.osgi.version>
     </properties>
 
diff --git a/samples/pom.xml b/samples/pom.xml
index aa322d24b7..4d5856ee0b 100644
--- a/samples/pom.xml
+++ b/samples/pom.xml
@@ -687,7 +687,7 @@
 
     <modules>
         <module>ariestrader</module>
-<!--        <module>blog</module>-->
+        <module>blog</module>
         <module>blueprint</module>
 <!--        <module>twitter</module>-->
     </modules>