diff --git a/.circleci/config.yml b/.circleci/config.yml
index 2f197c14..c72d7132 100644
--- a/.circleci/config.yml
+++ b/.circleci/config.yml
@@ -38,13 +38,14 @@ jobs:
           name: Run regular tests
           command: |
             CLASSNAMES=$(circleci tests glob "**/src/test/**/**.java" | grep -v 'spring-cloud-kubernetes-integration-tests' \
+                               | xargs grep -l '@Test' \
                                | sed 's/.*src.test.java.//g' | sed 's@/@.@g' \
                                | sed 's/.\{5\}$//' \
-                               | circleci tests split --split-by=timings --timings-type=classname)
+                               | circleci tests split --split-by=timings)
             echo $CLASSNAMES
             TEST_ARG=$(echo $CLASSNAMES | sed 's/ /,/g')
             echo $TEST_ARG
-            ./mvnw -s .settings.xml  -DfailIfNoTests=false -Dtest=$TEST_ARG -e clean org.jacoco:jacoco-maven-plugin:prepare-agent test -U -P sonar -nsu --batch-mode -Dmaven.test.redirectTestOutputToFile=true -Dorg.slf4j.simpleLogger.log.org.apache.maven.cli.transfer.Slf4jMavenTransferListener=warn
+            ./mvnw -s .settings.xml  -DfailIfNoTests=false -DtestsToRun=$TEST_ARG -e clean org.jacoco:jacoco-maven-plugin:prepare-agent test -U -P sonar -nsu --batch-mode -Dmaven.test.redirectTestOutputToFile=true -Dorg.slf4j.simpleLogger.log.org.apache.maven.cli.transfer.Slf4jMavenTransferListener=warn
             mkdir -p $HOME/artifacts/junit/
             find . -type f -regex ".*/spring-cloud-*.*/target/*.*" -exec cp {} $HOME/artifacts/ \;
             find . -type f -regex ".*/target/.*-reports/.*" -exec cp {} $HOME/artifacts/junit/ \;
@@ -139,7 +140,7 @@ jobs:
   build:
     machine: true
     environment:
-      _JAVA_OPTIONS: "-Xms1024m -Xmx2048m"
+      _JAVA_OPTIONS: "-Xms2g -Xmx2g"
       _SERVICE_OCCURENCE: 5
     steps:
       - checkout
@@ -151,7 +152,7 @@ jobs:
       - run:
           name: dependencies
           command: |
-            ./mvnw -s .settings.xml -U --fail-never dependency:go-offline -Dservice.occurence=${_SERVICE_OCCURENCE} || true
+            ./mvnw -s .settings.xml -U dependency:resolve-plugins dependency:go-offline -B -Dservice.occurence=${_SERVICE_OCCURENCE} || true
       - run:
           name: build
           command: |
@@ -159,7 +160,7 @@ jobs:
       - run:
           name: save docker images
           command: |
-            TAG=$(./mvnw -q -Dexec.executable=echo -Dexec.args='${project.version}' --non-recursive exec:exec)
+            TAG=$(./mvnw help:evaluate -Dexpression=project.version -q -DforceStdout)
             echo $TAG
             mkdir docker-images
             docker save -o docker-images/spring-cloud-kubernetes-configuration-watcher.tar docker.io/springcloud/spring-cloud-kubernetes-configuration-watcher:${TAG}
diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index 191dae7c..da628f1a 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -77,6 +77,8 @@
 		<restassured.version>3.0.2</restassured.version>
 		<spock-spring.version>1.3-groovy-2.5</spock-spring.version>
 
+		<excludeITTests>**/*IT.java</excludeITTests>
+
 		<maven-checkstyle-plugin.failsOnError>true</maven-checkstyle-plugin.failsOnError>
 		<maven-checkstyle-plugin.failsOnViolation>true
 		</maven-checkstyle-plugin.failsOnViolation>
@@ -204,6 +206,14 @@
 				<configuration>
 					<parallel>all</parallel>
 					<reuseForks>false</reuseForks>
+					<!-- workaround for https://issues.apache.org/jira/projects/SUREFIRE/issues/SUREFIRE-1633?filter=allopenissues -->
+					<!-- we run tests with mvn -DtestsToRun=.... in the pipeline-->
+					<includes>
+						<include>${testsToRun}</include>
+					</includes>
+					<excludes>
+						<exclude>${excludeITTests}</exclude>
+					</excludes>
 				</configuration>
 			</plugin>
 			<plugin>
@@ -358,6 +368,14 @@
 							<reuseForks>false</reuseForks>
 							<!-- Sets the VM argument line used when unit tests are run. -->
 							<argLine>${surefireArgLine}</argLine>
+							<!-- workaround for https://issues.apache.org/jira/projects/SUREFIRE/issues/SUREFIRE-1633?filter=allopenissues -->
+							<!-- we run tests with mvn -DtestsToRun=.... in the pipeline-->
+							<includes>
+								<include>${testsToRun}</include>
+							</includes>
+							<excludes>
+								<exclude>${excludeITTests}</exclude>
+							</excludes>
 						</configuration>
 					</plugin>
 				</plugins>