diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 88ca116e6d9..743752385c3 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -252,13 +252,13 @@ mvn -s settings.xml install
 Running dependency-check on dependency-check
 --------------------------------------------
 
-Dependency-check references several vulnerables dependencies that are never used
+Dependency-check references several vulnerable dependencies that are never used
 except as test resources. All of these optional test dependencies are included in
 the `test-dependencies` profile. To run dependency-check against itself simple
-exclude the `test-dependencies` profile;
+exclude the `test-dependencies` profile:
 
 ```shell
-mvn org.owasp:dependency-check-maven:aggregate -P-test-dependencies
+mvn org.owasp:dependency-check-maven:aggregate -P-test-dependencies -DskipProvidedScope=true
 ```
 
 Building the documentation
diff --git a/maven/pom.xml b/maven/pom.xml
index 620c5c50c11..54b087b7e5f 100644
--- a/maven/pom.xml
+++ b/maven/pom.xml
@@ -175,9 +175,6 @@ Copyright (c) 2013 Jeremy Long. All Rights Reserved.
                     <name>releaseTesting</name>
                 </property>
             </activation>
-            <properties>
-                <maven.api.version>3.1.0</maven.api.version>
-            </properties>
             <build>
                 <plugins>
                     <plugin>
diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index 00e5597a41c..d9abe1bda5a 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -124,8 +124,7 @@ Copyright (c) 2012 - Jeremy Long
         <slf4j.version>1.7.36</slf4j.version>
         <logback.version>1.2.11</logback.version>
         
-        <!-- moved maven.api.version to the profile section -->
-        <!--maven.api.version>3.8.1</maven.api.version-->
+        <maven.api.version>3.1.0</maven.api.version>
         <reporting.checkstyle-plugin.version>3.2.0</reporting.checkstyle-plugin.version>
         <reporting.checkstyle.tool.version>9.3</reporting.checkstyle.tool.version>
         <doxia-module-markdown.version>1.11.1</doxia-module-markdown.version>
@@ -1380,22 +1379,6 @@ Copyright (c) 2012 - Jeremy Long
         </dependency>
     </dependencies>
     <profiles>
-        <profile>
-            <id>standard</id>
-            <!--
-            `releaseTesting` is used in the maven/pom.xml and downgrades the
-            Maven API to 3.1.0 during full refression testing to ensure that
-            no new Maven APIs were used and we maintain compatability with 3.1.
-            -->
-            <activation>
-                <property>
-                    <name>!releaseTesting</name>
-                </property>
-            </activation>
-            <properties>
-                <maven.api.version>3.8.6</maven.api.version>
-            </properties>
-        </profile>
         <profile>
             <id>release</id>
             <activation>