diff --git a/release-tools/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/release/dependency/DependencyUpgradeProposals.java b/release-tools/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/release/dependency/DependencyUpgradeProposals.java
index 3291acc..16367a5 100644
--- a/release-tools/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/release/dependency/DependencyUpgradeProposals.java
+++ b/release-tools/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/release/dependency/DependencyUpgradeProposals.java
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ public class DependencyUpgradeProposals {
 
 		if (expectedUpgradeCount != result.size()) {
 			throw new IllegalStateException(String.format(
-					"The number of expected upgrades (%s) does not match the number of actual upgrades (%s): %n%n%s",
+					"The number of expected upgrades (dependency.upgrade.count=%s) does not match the number of actual upgrades (%s): %n%n%s",
 					expectedUpgradeCount, result.size(), dependencyVersions.toString(1)));
 		}
 
diff --git a/release-tools/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/release/issues/github/GitHubReadIssue.java b/release-tools/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/release/issues/github/GitHubReadIssue.java
index dee724d..e6d2c5f 100644
--- a/release-tools/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/release/issues/github/GitHubReadIssue.java
+++ b/release-tools/src/main/java/org/springframework/data/release/issues/github/GitHubReadIssue.java
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ package org.springframework.data.release.issues.github;
 
 import lombok.Value;
 
+import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.stream.Collectors;
 
@@ -54,7 +55,8 @@ class GitHubReadIssue implements Comparable<GitHubReadIssue>, GitHubIssue {
 
 	@Override
 	public List<String> getAssignees() {
-		return assignees.stream().map(GitHubUser::getName).collect(Collectors.toList());
+		return assignees == null ? Collections.emptyList()
+				: assignees.stream().map(GitHubUser::getName).collect(Collectors.toList());
 	}
 
 	@Override
diff --git a/release-tools/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/release/dependency/DependencyUpgradeProposalsUnitTests.java b/release-tools/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/release/dependency/DependencyUpgradeProposalsUnitTests.java
index 2c4d8f7..4e8aed3 100644
--- a/release-tools/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/release/dependency/DependencyUpgradeProposalsUnitTests.java
+++ b/release-tools/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/release/dependency/DependencyUpgradeProposalsUnitTests.java
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ class DependencyUpgradeProposalsUnitTests {
 		Properties properties = new Properties();
 		properties.put("dependency.train", "Pascal");
 		properties.put("dependency.iteration", "M1");
+		properties.put("dependency.upgrade.count", "2");
 		properties.put("dependency[org.assertj:assertj-core]", "3.18.1");
 		properties.put("dependency[io.reactivex.rxjava3:rxjava]", "1.2.3");
 
diff --git a/release-tools/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/release/git/CommitUnitTests.java b/release-tools/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/release/git/CommitUnitTests.java
index 1f7d356..f3448d0 100644
--- a/release-tools/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/release/git/CommitUnitTests.java
+++ b/release-tools/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/release/git/CommitUnitTests.java
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ class CommitUnitTests {
 
 		assertThat(
 				new Commit(new Ticket("1234", "Hello", Mockito.mock(TicketStatus.class)), "Summary", Optional.empty()))
-				.hasToString("1234 - Summary.");
+						.hasToString("Summary.\n" + "\n" + "See 1234");
 	}
 
 	@Test
@@ -44,6 +44,6 @@ class CommitUnitTests {
 		assertThat(
 				new Commit(new Ticket("1234", "Hello", Mockito.mock(TicketStatus.class)), "Summary",
 						Optional.of("detail")))
-						.hasToString("1234 - Summary.\n" + "\n" + "detail");
+								.hasToString("Summary.\n" + "\n" + "detail\n" + "\n" + "See 1234");
 	}
 }
diff --git a/release-tools/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/release/issues/github/GitHubIssueTrackerIntegrationTests.java b/release-tools/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/release/issues/github/GitHubIssueTrackerIntegrationTests.java
index 75e8c5b..b89d13f 100644
--- a/release-tools/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/release/issues/github/GitHubIssueTrackerIntegrationTests.java
+++ b/release-tools/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/release/issues/github/GitHubIssueTrackerIntegrationTests.java
@@ -157,7 +157,8 @@ class GitHubIssueTrackerIntegrationTests extends AbstractIntegrationTests {
 
 		verify(postRequestedFor(urlPathMatching(ISSUES_URI))
 				.withRequestBody(
-						equalToJson("{\"title\":\"Release 1.8 RC1 (Hopper)\",\"milestone\":45,\"labels\":[ \"type: task\" ]}")));
+						equalToJson(
+								"{\"title\":\"Release 1.8 RC1 (Hopper)\",\"milestone\":45,\"labels\":[ \"type: task\" ], \"assignees\" : [ ]}")));
 	}
 
 	@Test // #5
diff --git a/release-tools/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/release/model/ProjectUnitTests.java b/release-tools/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/release/model/ProjectUnitTests.java
index 50448cf..516b31d 100644
--- a/release-tools/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/release/model/ProjectUnitTests.java
+++ b/release-tools/src/test/java/org/springframework/data/release/model/ProjectUnitTests.java
@@ -34,8 +34,6 @@ class ProjectUnitTests {
 		// Collections.reverse(projects);
 		// Collections.sort(projects);
 
-		projects.stream().map(Project::getName).forEach(System.out::println);
-
 		assertThat(projects.get(0)).isEqualTo(Projects.BUILD);
 		assertThat(projects.get(1)).isEqualTo(Projects.COMMONS);
 	}