diff --git a/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/plugins/pmd/PmdReportTest.java b/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/plugins/pmd/PmdReportTest.java
index 26da4903..37e98986 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/plugins/pmd/PmdReportTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/plugins/pmd/PmdReportTest.java
@@ -255,11 +255,9 @@ public void testFileURL() throws Exception {
         mockServer.stop();
     }
 
-    private int determineFreePort() {
+    private int determineFreePort() throws IOException {
         try (ServerSocket socket = new ServerSocket(0)) {
             return socket.getLocalPort();
-        } catch (IOException e) {
-            throw new RuntimeException("Couldn't find a free port.", e);
         }
     }
 
@@ -349,25 +347,24 @@ public void testInvalidFormat() throws Exception {
                     mojo, "compileSourceRoots", mojo.getProject().getCompileSourceRoots());
             generateReport(mojo, testPom);
 
-            fail("Must throw MavenReportException.");
-        } catch (Exception e) {
-            assertTrue(true);
+            fail("Must nest MavenReportException.");
+        } catch (MojoExecutionException e) {
+            assertTrue(e.getCause() instanceof MavenReportException);
         }
     }
 
     public void testInvalidTargetJdk() throws Exception {
         try {
-            generateReport(getGoal(), "empty-report/invalid-format/invalid-target-jdk-plugin-config.xml");
+            generateReport(getGoal(), "invalid-format/invalid-target-jdk-plugin-config.xml");
 
-            fail("Must throw MavenReportException.");
-        } catch (Exception e) {
-            assertTrue(true);
+            fail("Must nest MavenReportException.");
+        } catch (MojoExecutionException e) {
+            assertTrue(e.getCause() instanceof MavenReportException);
         }
     }
 
     /**
-     * verify the pmd.xml file is included in the reports when requested.
-     * @throws Exception
+     * Verify the pmd.xml file is included in the reports when requested.
      */
     public void testIncludeXmlInReports() throws Exception {
         File generatedReport =
@@ -559,7 +556,7 @@ public void testPMDExcludeRootsShouldExcludeSubdirectories() throws Exception {
         assertFalse(
                 "Exclusion of an exact source directory not working", str.contains("OverrideBothEqualsAndHashcode"));
         assertFalse(
-                "Exclusion of basedirectory with subdirectories not working (MPMD-178)",
+                "Exclusion of base directory with subdirectories not working (MPMD-178)",
                 str.contains("JumbledIncrementer"));
     }
 
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/plugins/pmd/PmdViolationCheckMojoTest.java b/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/plugins/pmd/PmdViolationCheckMojoTest.java
index c54cb6c9..61d75277 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/plugins/pmd/PmdViolationCheckMojoTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/plugins/pmd/PmdViolationCheckMojoTest.java
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 import java.io.File;
 
 import org.apache.maven.plugin.MojoFailureException;
+import org.apache.maven.project.MavenProject;
 
 /**
  * @author <a href="mailto:oching@apache.org">Maria Odea Ching</a>
@@ -42,7 +43,7 @@ public void testDefaultConfiguration() throws Exception {
             mojo.execute();
 
             fail("MojoFailureException should be thrown.");
-        } catch (final Exception e) {
+        } catch (final MojoFailureException e) {
             assertTrue(
                     e.getMessage().startsWith("PMD " + AbstractPmdReport.getPmdVersion() + " has found 8 violations."));
         }
@@ -56,8 +57,6 @@ public void testNotFailOnViolation() throws Exception {
                 "src/test/resources/unit/default-configuration/pmd-check-notfailonviolation-plugin-config.xml");
         final PmdViolationCheckMojo pmdViolationMojo = (PmdViolationCheckMojo) lookupMojo(getGoal(), testPom);
         pmdViolationMojo.execute();
-
-        assertTrue(true);
     }
 
     public void testMaxAllowedViolations() throws Exception {
@@ -90,16 +89,17 @@ public void testFailurePriority() throws Exception {
         File testPom = new File(
                 getBasedir(),
                 "src/test/resources/unit/default-configuration/pmd-check-failonpriority-plugin-config.xml");
-        PmdViolationCheckMojo pmdViolationMojo = (PmdViolationCheckMojo) lookupMojo(getGoal(), testPom);
-        pmdViolationMojo.execute();
+        PmdViolationCheckMojo pmdViolationCheckMojo = (PmdViolationCheckMojo) lookupMojo(getGoal(), testPom);
+        pmdViolationCheckMojo.execute();
 
         testPom = new File(
                 getBasedir(),
                 "src/test/resources/unit/default-configuration/pmd-check-failandwarnonpriority-plugin-config.xml");
-        pmdViolationMojo = (PmdViolationCheckMojo) lookupMojo(getGoal(), testPom);
+        pmdViolationCheckMojo = (PmdViolationCheckMojo) lookupMojo(getGoal(), testPom);
+
         try {
-            pmdViolationMojo.execute();
-            fail("Exception Expected");
+            pmdViolationCheckMojo.execute();
+            fail("MojoFailureException expected");
         } catch (final MojoFailureException e) {
             assertTrue(e.getMessage()
                     .startsWith("PMD " + AbstractPmdReport.getPmdVersion()
@@ -113,11 +113,12 @@ public void testException() throws Exception {
                     getBasedir(),
                     "src/test/resources/unit/custom-configuration/pmd-check-exception-test-plugin-config.xml");
             final PmdViolationCheckMojo mojo = (PmdViolationCheckMojo) lookupMojo(getGoal(), testPom);
+            mojo.project = new MavenProject();
             mojo.execute();
 
             fail("MojoFailureException should be thrown.");
-        } catch (final Exception e) {
-            assertTrue(true);
+        } catch (final MojoFailureException e) {
+            assertNotNull(e.getMessage());
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/test/resources/unit/custom-configuration/pmd-check-exception-test-plugin-config.xml b/src/test/resources/unit/custom-configuration/pmd-check-exception-test-plugin-config.xml
index 90532abb..70911072 100644
--- a/src/test/resources/unit/custom-configuration/pmd-check-exception-test-plugin-config.xml
+++ b/src/test/resources/unit/custom-configuration/pmd-check-exception-test-plugin-config.xml
@@ -23,9 +23,7 @@ under the License.
   <artifactId>custom-configuration</artifactId>
   <packaging>jar</packaging>
   <version>1.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
-  <inceptionYear>2006</inceptionYear>
   <name>Maven PMD Violation Check Custom Configuration Test</name>
-  <url>http://maven.apache.org</url>
   <build>
     <finalName>custom-configuration</finalName>
     <plugins>
@@ -33,11 +31,8 @@ under the License.
         <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
         <artifactId>maven-pmd-plugin</artifactId>
         <configuration>
-          <sourceDirectory>${basedir}/src/test/resources/unit/custom-configuration</sourceDirectory>
           <targetDirectory>${basedir}/target/test/unit/custom-configuration/target</targetDirectory>
-          <rulesetsTargetDirectory>${basedir}/target/test/unit/custom-configuration/target/pmd/rulesets</rulesetsTargetDirectory>
           <failOnViolation>false</failOnViolation>
-          <language>java</language>
         </configuration>
       </plugin>
     </plugins>
diff --git a/src/test/resources/unit/default-configuration/pmd-check-default-configuration-plugin-config.xml b/src/test/resources/unit/default-configuration/pmd-check-default-configuration-plugin-config.xml
index c1a4e3c8..d715f865 100644
--- a/src/test/resources/unit/default-configuration/pmd-check-default-configuration-plugin-config.xml
+++ b/src/test/resources/unit/default-configuration/pmd-check-default-configuration-plugin-config.xml
@@ -37,7 +37,6 @@ under the License.
           <targetDirectory>${basedir}/target/test/unit/default-configuration/target</targetDirectory>
           <failOnViolation>true</failOnViolation>
           <printFailingErrors>true</printFailingErrors>
-<!--           <failurePriority>5</failurePriority> -->
         </configuration>
       </plugin>
     </plugins>