diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/shared/invoker/MavenCommandLineBuilder.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/shared/invoker/MavenCommandLineBuilder.java
index 2ce8a86..a6863c2 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/shared/invoker/MavenCommandLineBuilder.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/shared/invoker/MavenCommandLineBuilder.java
@@ -461,7 +461,7 @@
      */
     protected void setThreads(InvocationRequest request, Commandline cli) {
         String threads = request.getThreads();
-        if (StringUtils.isNotEmpty(threads)) {
+        if (threads != null && !threads.isEmpty()) {
             cli.createArg().setValue("-T");
             cli.createArg().setValue(threads);
         }
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/shared/invoker/DefaultInvokerTest.java b/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/shared/invoker/DefaultInvokerTest.java
index c4c388d..cccb51a 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/shared/invoker/DefaultInvokerTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/shared/invoker/DefaultInvokerTest.java
@@ -278,7 +278,7 @@
     private File findLocalRepo() {
         String basedir = System.getProperty("maven.repo.local", "");
 
-        if (StringUtils.isNotEmpty(basedir)) {
+        if (basedir != null && !basedir.isEmpty()) {
             return new File(basedir);
         }