diff --git a/assembly/pom.xml b/assembly/pom.xml
index 89d2db1..2ce3e48 100644
--- a/assembly/pom.xml
+++ b/assembly/pom.xml
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@
         <plugin>
           <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
           <artifactId>maven-assembly-plugin</artifactId>
-          <version>2.2-beta-4</version>
+          <version>3.1.0</version>
         <configuration>
           <descriptors>
             <descriptor>src/main/assembly/bin.xml</descriptor>
@@ -61,12 +61,12 @@
           <plugin>
             <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
             <artifactId>maven-assembly-plugin</artifactId>
-            <version>2.2-beta-4</version>
+            <version>3.1.0</version>
             <executions>
               <execution>
                 <id>make-assembly</id>
                 <goals>
-                  <goal>attached</goal>
+                  <goal>single</goal>
                 </goals>
                 <phase>package</phase>
               </execution>
@@ -88,9 +88,31 @@
             </configuration>
           </plugin>
           <plugin>
+            <groupId>net.nicoulaj.maven.plugins</groupId>
+            <artifactId>checksum-maven-plugin</artifactId>
+            <version>1.6</version>
+            <executions>
+              <execution>
+                <goals>
+                  <goal>artifacts</goal>
+                </goals>
+              </execution>
+            </executions>
+            <configuration>
+                <attachChecksums>true</attachChecksums>
+            </configuration>
+          </plugin>
+          <plugin>
+              <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
+              <artifactId>maven-gpg-plugin</artifactId>
+              <configuration>
+                  <ascDirectory>${project.build.directory}/..</ascDirectory>
+              </configuration>
+          </plugin>
+          <plugin>
             <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
             <artifactId>maven-antrun-plugin</artifactId>
-            <version>1.3</version>
+            <version>1.8</version>
             <executions>
               <execution>
                 <phase>deploy</phase>
@@ -124,7 +146,6 @@
     <dependency>
       <groupId>org.apache.tiles</groupId>
       <artifactId>tiles-request-api</artifactId>
-      <version>${project.version}</version>
     </dependency>
 
     <dependency>
@@ -148,7 +169,6 @@
     <dependency>
       <groupId>org.apache.tiles</groupId>
       <artifactId>tiles-request-portlet</artifactId>
-      <version>${project.version}</version>
     </dependency>
 
     <dependency>
@@ -160,7 +180,6 @@
     <dependency>
       <groupId>org.apache.tiles</groupId>
       <artifactId>tiles-request-servlet</artifactId>
-      <version>${project.version}</version>
     </dependency>
 
     <dependency>
diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index dbcc321..89660b6 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -135,6 +135,7 @@
     </build>
 
     <properties>
+        <maven.javadoc.failOnError>false</maven.javadoc.failOnError> <!-- remove with master-8 -->
         <tiles.osgi.symbolicName>org.apache.${project.artifactId}</tiles.osgi.symbolicName>
         <tiles.osgi.export>org.apache.tiles.*;version=${project.version}</tiles.osgi.export>
         <tiles.osgi.import>*</tiles.osgi.import>
diff --git a/src/site/apt/dev/release.apt b/src/site/apt/dev/release.apt
index f3d2fc7..d413992 100644
--- a/src/site/apt/dev/release.apt
+++ b/src/site/apt/dev/release.apt
@@ -37,11 +37,11 @@
 
   To create a release you have to install:
 
-  * {{{http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/overview/index.html}Java 7}}. If you are using a newer
+  * {{{http://www.oracle.com/technetwork/java/javase/overview/index.html}Java 9}}. If you are using a newer
   version of Java <<change JAVA_HOME environment variable>>
-  when calling Maven, so it points to an instance of Java 7;
+  when calling Maven, so it points to an instance of Java 9;
 
-  * {{{http://maven.apache.org/}Maven 3.0.5+}};
+  * {{{http://maven.apache.org/}Maven 3.2.2+}};
 
   * {{{http://www.gnupg.org/}GnuPG}};
 
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@
 cd target/
 svn co https://dist.apache.org/repos/dist/dev/tiles tiles-dist-dev
 mkdir tiles-dist-dev/request/${version}
-cp checkout/assembly/target/assemblies/* tiles-dist-dev/request/${version}/
+cp checkout/assembly/target/assembly/* tiles-dist-dev/request/${version}/
 svn add tiles-dist-dev/request/${version}
 svn ci tiles-dist-dev/request/${version}
 -----------------------------------
@@ -286,7 +286,7 @@
 requirement of the following specification versions:
 
 * Java Servlet 2.5 and JavaServer Pages (JSP) 2.1
-* Java Standard Edition (Java SE) 1.7
+* Java Standard Edition (Java SE) 1.8
 
 The release notes are available online at:
 
diff --git a/tiles-request-api/pom.xml b/tiles-request-api/pom.xml
index a917316..de06673 100644
--- a/tiles-request-api/pom.xml
+++ b/tiles-request-api/pom.xml
@@ -32,6 +32,11 @@
     <name>Tiles request - API</name>
     <description>API for the Tiles Request framework.</description>
 
+    <properties>
+        <!-- decrease this whenever possible -->
+        <checkstyle.maxAllowedViolations>97</checkstyle.maxAllowedViolations>
+    </properties>
+
     <dependencies>
         <dependency>
             <groupId>org.slf4j</groupId>
@@ -75,7 +80,7 @@
         <dependency>
             <groupId>org.apache.felix</groupId>
             <artifactId>org.apache.felix.framework</artifactId>
-            <version>5.6.4</version>
+            <version>5.6.8</version>
             <scope>test</scope>
         </dependency>
         <dependency>
diff --git a/tiles-request-api/src/test/java/org/apache/tiles/request/osgi/URLBundleApplicationResourceTest.java b/tiles-request-api/src/test/java/org/apache/tiles/request/osgi/URLBundleApplicationResourceTest.java
index 8ff797c..77455e8 100644
--- a/tiles-request-api/src/test/java/org/apache/tiles/request/osgi/URLBundleApplicationResourceTest.java
+++ b/tiles-request-api/src/test/java/org/apache/tiles/request/osgi/URLBundleApplicationResourceTest.java
@@ -32,7 +32,6 @@
 import org.ops4j.pax.exam.Option;
 import org.ops4j.pax.exam.junit.PaxExam;
 
-import static org.junit.Assert.fail;
 import static org.ops4j.pax.exam.CoreOptions.bootDelegationPackage;
 import static org.ops4j.pax.exam.CoreOptions.frameworkProperty;
 import static org.ops4j.pax.exam.CoreOptions.junitBundles;
diff --git a/tiles-request-freemarker/pom.xml b/tiles-request-freemarker/pom.xml
index c47295a..8ee8521 100644
--- a/tiles-request-freemarker/pom.xml
+++ b/tiles-request-freemarker/pom.xml
@@ -31,6 +31,10 @@
   <version>1.1-SNAPSHOT</version>
   <name>Tiles Request - Freemarker support</name>
   <description>Freemarker implementation of the Tiles request framework</description>
+  <properties>
+      <!-- decrease this whenever possible -->
+      <checkstyle.maxAllowedViolations>10</checkstyle.maxAllowedViolations>
+  </properties>
   <dependencies>
   	<dependency>
   		<groupId>org.apache.tiles</groupId>
diff --git a/tiles-request-jsp/pom.xml b/tiles-request-jsp/pom.xml
index 8630348..ef59bf5 100644
--- a/tiles-request-jsp/pom.xml
+++ b/tiles-request-jsp/pom.xml
@@ -31,6 +31,10 @@
 	<version>1.1-SNAPSHOT</version>
 	<name>Tiles Request - JSP support</name>
 	<description>JSP implementation of the Tiles Request framework.</description>
+    <properties>
+        <!-- decrease this whenever possible -->
+        <checkstyle.maxAllowedViolations>16</checkstyle.maxAllowedViolations>
+    </properties>
 	<dependencies>
 		<dependency>
 			<groupId>org.apache.tiles</groupId>
diff --git a/tiles-request-mustache/pom.xml b/tiles-request-mustache/pom.xml
index f57a8ee..80ce944 100644
--- a/tiles-request-mustache/pom.xml
+++ b/tiles-request-mustache/pom.xml
@@ -30,6 +30,10 @@
   <artifactId>tiles-request-mustache</artifactId>
   <name>Tiles request - Mustache support</name>
   <description>Tiles request implementation for Mustache templates.</description>
+  <properties>
+      <!-- decrease this whenever possible -->
+      <checkstyle.maxAllowedViolations>21</checkstyle.maxAllowedViolations>
+  </properties>
   <dependencies>
     <dependency>
       <groupId>org.apache.tiles</groupId>
diff --git a/tiles-request-portlet/pom.xml b/tiles-request-portlet/pom.xml
index e2c446b..2dd6f6d 100644
--- a/tiles-request-portlet/pom.xml
+++ b/tiles-request-portlet/pom.xml
@@ -39,6 +39,8 @@
 
   <properties>
       <tiles.osgi.symbolicName>org.apache.tiles.portlet</tiles.osgi.symbolicName>
+      <!-- decrease this whenever possible -->
+      <checkstyle.maxAllowedViolations>15</checkstyle.maxAllowedViolations>
   </properties>
 
   <build>
diff --git a/tiles-request-servlet/pom.xml b/tiles-request-servlet/pom.xml
index 9a0ab70..460af04 100644
--- a/tiles-request-servlet/pom.xml
+++ b/tiles-request-servlet/pom.xml
@@ -31,6 +31,10 @@
   <version>1.1-SNAPSHOT</version>
   <name>Tiles request - Servlet support</name>
   <description>Tiles request implementation for Servlet technology.</description>
+  <properties>
+      <!-- decrease this whenever possible -->
+      <checkstyle.maxAllowedViolations>14</checkstyle.maxAllowedViolations>
+  </properties>
   <dependencies>
     <dependency>
       <groupId>org.apache.tiles</groupId>
diff --git a/tiles-request-velocity/pom.xml b/tiles-request-velocity/pom.xml
index b335528..99ba85e 100644
--- a/tiles-request-velocity/pom.xml
+++ b/tiles-request-velocity/pom.xml
@@ -31,6 +31,10 @@
   <version>1.1-SNAPSHOT</version>
   <name>Tiles Request - Velocity support</name>
   <description>Velocity implementation of the Tiles request framework</description>
+  <properties>
+      <!-- decrease this whenever possible -->
+      <checkstyle.maxAllowedViolations>6</checkstyle.maxAllowedViolations>
+  </properties>
   <dependencies>
   	<dependency>
   		<groupId>org.apache.velocity</groupId>