diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index 456257f5..11ee271c 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ under the License.
   <parent>
     <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
     <artifactId>maven-plugins</artifactId>
-    <version>43</version>
+    <version>44</version>
     <relativePath />
   </parent>
 
@@ -88,7 +88,6 @@ under the License.
     <guiceVersion>6.0.0</guiceVersion>
     <mockitoVersion>5.17.0</mockitoVersion>
     <mavenPluginTestingHarnessVersion>4.0.0-beta-4</mavenPluginTestingHarnessVersion>
-    <plexusCompilerVersion>2.15.0</plexusCompilerVersion>
     <sisuPlexusVersion>0.9.0.M2</sisuPlexusVersion>
     <version.maven-plugin-tools-3.x>3.13.1</version.maven-plugin-tools-3.x>
     <version.maven-plugin-tools>4.0.0-beta-1</version.maven-plugin-tools>
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/compiler/CompilerMojoTestCase.java b/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/compiler/CompilerMojoTestCase.java
index 62e260c9..ffd3a39c 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/compiler/CompilerMojoTestCase.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/compiler/CompilerMojoTestCase.java
@@ -19,6 +19,8 @@
 package org.apache.maven.plugin.compiler;
 
 import java.io.File;
+import java.io.IOException;
+import java.io.UncheckedIOException;
 import java.net.URI;
 import java.nio.file.Files;
 import java.nio.file.Path;
@@ -48,7 +50,6 @@
 import org.apache.maven.api.plugin.testing.stubs.SessionMock;
 import org.apache.maven.api.services.ArtifactManager;
 import org.apache.maven.api.services.MessageBuilderFactory;
-import org.apache.maven.api.services.ProjectManager;
 import org.apache.maven.api.services.ToolchainManager;
 import org.apache.maven.impl.DefaultMessageBuilderFactory;
 import org.apache.maven.impl.InternalSession;
@@ -79,16 +80,33 @@ public class CompilerMojoTestCase {
     @Inject
     private Session session;
 
+    /**
+     * Verifies that the {@value CompilerStub#OUTPUT_FILE} file exists, then deletes it.
+     * The deletion is necessary for preventing an {@link IndexOutOfBoundsException} in
+     * {@code maven-dependency-plugin} version 3.8.1, because the output file is empty.
+     *
+     * @param mojo the tested mojo
+     */
+    private static void assertCompilerStubOutputFileExists(AbstractCompilerMojo mojo) {
+        try {
+            Files.delete(assertOutputFileExists(mojo, CompilerStub.OUTPUT_FILE));
+        } catch (IOException e) {
+            throw new UncheckedIOException(e);
+        }
+    }
+
     /**
      * Verifies that the given output file exists.
      *
      * @param mojo the tested mojo
      * @param first the first path element
      * @param more the other path elements, if any
+     * @return the file
      */
-    private static void assertOutputFileExists(AbstractCompilerMojo mojo, String first, String... more) {
+    private static Path assertOutputFileExists(AbstractCompilerMojo mojo, String first, String... more) {
         Path file = mojo.getOutputDirectory().resolve(Path.of(first, more));
         assertTrue(Files.isRegularFile(file), () -> "File not found: " + file);
+        return file;
     }
 
     /**
@@ -228,11 +246,11 @@ public void testOneOutputFileForAllInput(
 
         assertEquals(CompilerStub.COMPILER_ID, compileMojo.compilerId);
         compileMojo.execute();
-        assertOutputFileExists(compileMojo, CompilerStub.OUTPUT_FILE);
+        assertCompilerStubOutputFileExists(compileMojo);
 
         assertEquals(CompilerStub.COMPILER_ID, testCompileMojo.compilerId);
         testCompileMojo.execute();
-        assertOutputFileExists(testCompileMojo, CompilerStub.OUTPUT_FILE);
+        assertCompilerStubOutputFileExists(testCompileMojo);
     }
 
     /**
@@ -245,7 +263,7 @@ public void testCompilerArgs(@InjectMojo(goal = "compile", pom = "plugin-config.
         assertEquals(CompilerStub.COMPILER_ID, compileMojo.compilerId);
         compileMojo.execute();
 
-        assertOutputFileExists(compileMojo, CompilerStub.OUTPUT_FILE);
+        assertCompilerStubOutputFileExists(compileMojo);
         assertArrayEquals(
                 new String[] {"key1=value1", "-Xlint", "-my&special:param-with+chars/not>allowed_in_XML_element_names"},
                 compileMojo.compilerArgs.toArray(String[]::new));
@@ -429,7 +447,6 @@ private static InternalSession createSession() {
             throw new RuntimeException("Unable to setup junit jar path", e);
         }
 
-        ProjectManager projectManager = session.getService(ProjectManager.class);
         doAnswer(iom -> List.of()).when(session).resolveDependencies(any(), eq(PathScope.MAIN_COMPILE));
         doAnswer(iom -> artifacts).when(session).resolveDependencies(any(), eq(PathScope.TEST_COMPILE));
 
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/compiler/stubs/CompilerStub.java b/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/compiler/stubs/CompilerStub.java
index b31c37f4..dd14a810 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/compiler/stubs/CompilerStub.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/compiler/stubs/CompilerStub.java
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ public class CompilerStub implements JavaCompiler, StandardJavaFileManager {
      *
      * @see #getOptions()
      */
-    private static final ThreadLocal<Iterable<String>> arguments = new ThreadLocal<>();
+    private static final ThreadLocal<Iterable<String>> ARGUMENTS = new ThreadLocal<>();
 
     /**
      * Invoked by reflection by {@link java.util.ServiceLoader}.
@@ -309,7 +309,7 @@ public CompilationTask getTask(
             Iterable<String> classes,
             Iterable<? extends JavaFileObject> compilationUnits) {
 
-        arguments.set(options);
+        ARGUMENTS.set(options);
         return new CompilationTask() {
             @Override
             public void addModules(Iterable<String> moduleNames) {}
@@ -354,7 +354,7 @@ public int run(InputStream in, OutputStream out, OutputStream err, String... arg
      */
     public static List<String> getOptions() {
         var options = new ArrayList<String>();
-        Iterable<String> args = arguments.get();
+        Iterable<String> args = ARGUMENTS.get();
         if (args != null) {
             args.forEach(options::add);
         }