diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index 4a563b11..8b86262a 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -7,22 +7,21 @@
 	<version>1.1.0.BUILD-SNAPSHOT</version>
 	<packaging>pom</packaging>
 	<name>Spring Cloud Parent</name>
-	<parent>
-		<groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
-		<artifactId>spring-boot-starter-parent</artifactId>
-		<version>1.3.3.RELEASE</version>
-		<relativePath/> <!-- lookup parent from repository -->
-	</parent>
 	<modules>
 		<module>spring-cloud-dependencies-parent</module>
 		<module>spring-cloud-build-tools</module>
 	</modules>
 	<properties>
-		<lombok.version>1.16.6</lombok.version>
-		<project.build.sourceEncoding>UTF-8</project.build.sourceEncoding>
 		<java.version>1.7</java.version>
+		<resource.delimiter>@</resource.delimiter> <!-- delimiter that doesn't clash with Spring ${} placeholders -->
+		<project.build.sourceEncoding>UTF-8</project.build.sourceEncoding>
+		<project.reporting.outputEncoding>UTF-8</project.reporting.outputEncoding>
+		<maven.compiler.source>${java.version}</maven.compiler.source>
+		<maven.compiler.target>${java.version}</maven.compiler.target>
+		<lombok.version>1.16.6</lombok.version>
 		<main.basedir>${basedir}</main.basedir>
 		<docs.main>${project.artifactId}</docs.main>
+		<spring-boot.version>1.3.3.RELEASE</spring-boot.version>
 
 		<!-- Sonar -->
 		<sonar.java.coveragePlugin>jacoco</sonar.java.coveragePlugin>
@@ -89,6 +88,24 @@ limitations under the License.
 		<maven>3.0.0</maven>
 	</prerequisites>
 	<build>
+		<!-- Turn on filtering by default for application properties -->
+		<resources>
+			<resource>
+				<directory>${basedir}/src/main/resources</directory>
+				<filtering>true</filtering>
+				<includes>
+					<include>**/application*.yml</include>
+					<include>**/application*.properties</include>
+				</includes>
+			</resource>
+			<resource>
+				<directory>${basedir}/src/main/resources</directory>
+				<excludes>
+					<exclude>**/application*.yml</exclude>
+					<exclude>**/application*.properties</exclude>
+				</excludes>
+			</resource>
+		</resources>
 		<plugins>
 			<plugin>
 				<artifactId>maven-javadoc-plugin</artifactId>
@@ -120,6 +137,159 @@ limitations under the License.
 		</plugins>
 		<pluginManagement>
 			<plugins>
+				<!-- Apply more sensible defaults for user projects -->
+				<plugin>
+					<groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
+					<artifactId>maven-failsafe-plugin</artifactId>
+					<executions>
+						<execution>
+							<goals>
+								<goal>integration-test</goal>
+								<goal>verify</goal>
+							</goals>
+						</execution>
+					</executions>
+				</plugin>
+				<plugin>
+					<groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
+					<artifactId>maven-jar-plugin</artifactId>
+					<configuration>
+						<archive>
+							<manifest>
+								<mainClass>${start-class}</mainClass>
+								<addDefaultImplementationEntries>true</addDefaultImplementationEntries>
+							</manifest>
+						</archive>
+					</configuration>
+				</plugin>
+				<plugin>
+					<groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
+					<artifactId>maven-surefire-plugin</artifactId>
+					<configuration>
+						<includes>
+							<include>**/*Tests.java</include>
+							<include>**/*Test.java</include>
+						</includes>
+						<excludes>
+							<exclude>**/Abstract*.java</exclude>
+						</excludes>
+					</configuration>
+				</plugin>
+				<plugin>
+					<groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
+					<artifactId>maven-war-plugin</artifactId>
+					<configuration>
+						<failOnMissingWebXml>false</failOnMissingWebXml>
+						<archive>
+							<manifest>
+								<mainClass>${start-class}</mainClass>
+								<addDefaultImplementationEntries>true</addDefaultImplementationEntries>
+							</manifest>
+						</archive>
+					</configuration>
+				</plugin>
+				<plugin>
+					<groupId>org.codehaus.mojo</groupId>
+					<artifactId>exec-maven-plugin</artifactId>
+					<configuration>
+						<mainClass>${start-class}</mainClass>
+					</configuration>
+				</plugin>
+				<plugin>
+					<groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
+					<artifactId>maven-resources-plugin</artifactId>
+					<version>2.6</version>
+					<configuration>
+						<delimiters>
+							<delimiter>${resource.delimiter}</delimiter>
+						</delimiters>
+						<useDefaultDelimiters>false</useDefaultDelimiters>
+					</configuration>
+				</plugin>
+				<plugin>
+					<groupId>pl.project13.maven</groupId>
+					<artifactId>git-commit-id-plugin</artifactId>
+					<version>2.1.11</version>
+					<executions>
+						<execution>
+							<goals>
+								<goal>revision</goal>
+							</goals>
+						</execution>
+					</executions>
+					<configuration>
+						<verbose>true</verbose>
+						<dateFormat>yyyy-MM-dd'T'HH:mm:ssZ</dateFormat>
+						<generateGitPropertiesFile>true</generateGitPropertiesFile>
+						<generateGitPropertiesFilename>${project.build.outputDirectory}/git.properties</generateGitPropertiesFilename>
+					</configuration>
+				</plugin>
+				<!-- Support our own plugin -->
+				<plugin>
+					<groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
+					<artifactId>spring-boot-maven-plugin</artifactId>
+					<executions>
+						<execution>
+							<goals>
+								<goal>repackage</goal>
+							</goals>
+						</execution>
+					</executions>
+					<configuration>
+						<mainClass>${start-class}</mainClass>
+					</configuration>
+				</plugin>
+				<!-- Support shade packaging (if the user does not want to use our plugin) -->
+				<plugin>
+					<groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
+					<artifactId>maven-shade-plugin</artifactId>
+					<dependencies>
+						<dependency>
+							<groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
+							<artifactId>spring-boot-maven-plugin</artifactId>
+							<version>1.4.0.BUILD-SNAPSHOT</version>
+						</dependency>
+					</dependencies>
+					<configuration>
+						<keepDependenciesWithProvidedScope>true</keepDependenciesWithProvidedScope>
+						<createDependencyReducedPom>true</createDependencyReducedPom>
+						<filters>
+							<filter>
+								<artifact>*:*</artifact>
+								<excludes>
+									<exclude>META-INF/*.SF</exclude>
+									<exclude>META-INF/*.DSA</exclude>
+									<exclude>META-INF/*.RSA</exclude>
+								</excludes>
+							</filter>
+						</filters>
+					</configuration>
+					<executions>
+						<execution>
+							<phase>package</phase>
+							<goals>
+								<goal>shade</goal>
+							</goals>
+							<configuration>
+								<transformers>
+									<transformer implementation="org.apache.maven.plugins.shade.resource.AppendingTransformer">
+										<resource>META-INF/spring.handlers</resource>
+									</transformer>
+									<transformer implementation="org.springframework.boot.maven.PropertiesMergingResourceTransformer">
+										<resource>META-INF/spring.factories</resource>
+									</transformer>
+									<transformer implementation="org.apache.maven.plugins.shade.resource.AppendingTransformer">
+										<resource>META-INF/spring.schemas</resource>
+									</transformer>
+									<transformer implementation="org.apache.maven.plugins.shade.resource.ServicesResourceTransformer" />
+									<transformer implementation="org.apache.maven.plugins.shade.resource.ManifestResourceTransformer">
+										<mainClass>${start-class}</mainClass>
+									</transformer>
+								</transformers>
+							</configuration>
+						</execution>
+					</executions>
+				</plugin>
 				<plugin>
 					<groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
 					<artifactId>maven-enforcer-plugin</artifactId>
@@ -175,11 +345,28 @@ limitations under the License.
 	</build>
 	<dependencyManagement>
 		<dependencies>
+			<dependency>
+				<groupId>org.springframework</groupId>
+				<artifactId>spring-core</artifactId>
+				<exclusions>
+					<exclusion>
+						<groupId>commons-logging</groupId>
+						<artifactId>commons-logging</artifactId>
+					</exclusion>
+				</exclusions>
+			</dependency>
 			<dependency>
 				<groupId>org.projectlombok</groupId>
 				<artifactId>lombok</artifactId>
 				<version>${lombok.version}</version>
 			</dependency>
+			<dependency>
+				<groupId>org.springframework.boot</groupId>
+				<artifactId>spring-boot-dependencies</artifactId>
+				<version>${spring-boot.version}</version>
+				<type>pom</type>
+				<scope>import</scope>
+			</dependency>
 		</dependencies>
 	</dependencyManagement>
 	<distributionManagement>