diff --git a/pitest-entry/pom.xml b/pitest-entry/pom.xml
index d7c644659..b0b28180f 100644
--- a/pitest-entry/pom.xml
+++ b/pitest-entry/pom.xml
@@ -156,7 +156,6 @@
 		<dependency>
 			<groupId>nl.jqno.equalsverifier</groupId>
 			<artifactId>equalsverifier</artifactId>
-			<version>1.7.5</version>
 			<scope>test</scope>
 		</dependency>
 
diff --git a/pitest/pom.xml b/pitest/pom.xml
index 3c2cbb2be..524e48053 100644
--- a/pitest/pom.xml
+++ b/pitest/pom.xml
@@ -12,6 +12,23 @@
 	<url>http://pitest.org</url>
 	<description>Mutation testing system for Java.</description>
 
+	<properties>
+		<surefire.argline/>
+	</properties>
+	<profiles>
+		<profile>
+			<id>jdk16</id>
+			<activation>
+				<jdk>16</jdk>
+			</activation>
+			<properties>
+				<!-- pitest does not use reflection, but some of the tests depend on xstream, which does. Jdk 16 fails with
+				 errors due to the module system. jdk8 does not support the add-opens option, so it must be activated here by jdk-->
+				<surefire.argline>--add-opens java.base/java.util=ALL-UNNAMED --add-opens java.base/java.lang=ALL-UNNAMED --add-opens java.base/java.lang.ref=ALL-UNNAMED</surefire.argline>
+			</properties>
+		</profile>
+	</profiles>
+
 	<build>
 		<plugins>
 			<plugin>
@@ -42,6 +59,8 @@
 				<artifactId>maven-surefire-plugin</artifactId>
 				<configuration>
 					<testNGArtifactName>none:none</testNGArtifactName>
+					<!-- pitest does not use reflection, but some of the tests depend on xstream, which does -->
+					<argLine>${surefire.argline}</argLine>
 
 					<includes>
 						<include>org/**/Test*.java</include>
@@ -220,7 +239,6 @@
 		<dependency>
 			<groupId>nl.jqno.equalsverifier</groupId>
 			<artifactId>equalsverifier</artifactId>
-			<version>3.5.4</version>
 			<scope>test</scope>
 		</dependency>
 		<dependency>
diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index 87563caa4..b8c7b4d9e 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -137,6 +137,17 @@
 		</profile>
 	</profiles>
 
+	<dependencyManagement>
+		<dependencies>
+			<dependency>
+				<groupId>nl.jqno.equalsverifier</groupId>
+				<artifactId>equalsverifier</artifactId>
+				<version>3.5.4</version>
+				<scope>test</scope>
+			</dependency>
+		</dependencies>
+	</dependencyManagement>
+
 	<!-- common dependencies used in all subprojects -->
 	<dependencies>
 		<dependency>
@@ -154,7 +165,7 @@
 		<dependency>
 			<groupId>org.assertj</groupId>
 			<artifactId>assertj-core</artifactId>
-			<version>3.9.0</version>
+			<version>3.19.0</version>
 			<scope>test</scope>
 		</dependency>
 		<dependency>