diff --git a/it/src/test/java/com/expediagroup/streamplatform/streamregistry/it/StreamRegistryIT.java b/it/src/test/java/com/expediagroup/streamplatform/streamregistry/it/StreamRegistryIT.java
index 8e1da89cc..7db8e5e59 100644
--- a/it/src/test/java/com/expediagroup/streamplatform/streamregistry/it/StreamRegistryIT.java
+++ b/it/src/test/java/com/expediagroup/streamplatform/streamregistry/it/StreamRegistryIT.java
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ public class StreamRegistryIT {
   private static ConfigurableApplicationContext context;
 
   @ClassRule
-  public static KafkaContainer kafka = new KafkaContainer(TestUtils.kafkaImageName);
+  public static KafkaContainer kafka = new KafkaContainer(TestUtils.KAFKA_IMAGE_NAME);
 
   @BeforeClass
   public static void before() throws IOException {
diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index 68e3642f2..573b2b85f 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -304,6 +304,29 @@
           <showWarnings>true</showWarnings>
         </configuration>
       </plugin>
+      <!--
+        Override parent nexus plugin to add dependencies that will work with Java 17.
+        https://issues.sonatype.org/browse/OSSRH-66257
+        https://stackoverflow.com/questions/70153962/nexus-staging-maven-plugin-maven-deploy-failed-an-api-incompatibility-was-enco
+      -->
+      <plugin>
+        <groupId>org.sonatype.plugins</groupId>
+        <artifactId>nexus-staging-maven-plugin</artifactId>
+        <version>${nexus.staging.maven.plugin.version}</version>
+        <extensions>true</extensions>
+        <configuration>
+          <serverId>sonatype-nexus-staging</serverId>
+          <nexusUrl>https://oss.sonatype.org/</nexusUrl>
+          <autoReleaseAfterClose>true</autoReleaseAfterClose>
+        </configuration>
+        <dependencies>
+          <dependency>
+            <groupId>com.thoughtworks.xstream</groupId>
+            <artifactId>xstream</artifactId>
+            <version>1.4.15</version> <!-- apparently this needs to be exactly this version -->
+          </dependency>
+        </dependencies>
+      </plugin>
     </plugins>
   </build>
 
diff --git a/state/it/src/main/java/com/expediagroup/streamplatform/streamregistry/TestUtils.java b/state/it/src/main/java/com/expediagroup/streamplatform/streamregistry/TestUtils.java
index de4c33ba2..d825daadf 100644
--- a/state/it/src/main/java/com/expediagroup/streamplatform/streamregistry/TestUtils.java
+++ b/state/it/src/main/java/com/expediagroup/streamplatform/streamregistry/TestUtils.java
@@ -18,5 +18,5 @@
 import org.testcontainers.utility.DockerImageName;
 
 public class TestUtils {
-  public static DockerImageName kafkaImageName = DockerImageName.parse("confluentinc/cp-kafka:7.4.0");
+  public static final DockerImageName KAFKA_IMAGE_NAME = DockerImageName.parse("confluentinc/cp-kafka:7.4.0");
 }
diff --git a/state/it/src/test/java/com/expediagroup/streamplatform/streamregistry/state/it/AgentIT.java b/state/it/src/test/java/com/expediagroup/streamplatform/streamregistry/state/it/AgentIT.java
index 750a94b63..1b6ebfe30 100644
--- a/state/it/src/test/java/com/expediagroup/streamplatform/streamregistry/state/it/AgentIT.java
+++ b/state/it/src/test/java/com/expediagroup/streamplatform/streamregistry/state/it/AgentIT.java
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ public class AgentIT {
     .pollDelay(1, SECONDS);
 
   @Rule
-  public KafkaContainer kafka = new KafkaContainer(TestUtils.kafkaImageName);
+  public KafkaContainer kafka = new KafkaContainer(TestUtils.KAFKA_IMAGE_NAME);
 
   private String topicName;
   private KafkaEventSender kafkaEventSender;
diff --git a/state/it/src/test/java/com/expediagroup/streamplatform/streamregistry/state/it/StateIT.java b/state/it/src/test/java/com/expediagroup/streamplatform/streamregistry/state/it/StateIT.java
index 18d4eb9f2..269ceae4c 100644
--- a/state/it/src/test/java/com/expediagroup/streamplatform/streamregistry/state/it/StateIT.java
+++ b/state/it/src/test/java/com/expediagroup/streamplatform/streamregistry/state/it/StateIT.java
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@
 
 public class StateIT {
   @Rule
-  public KafkaContainer kafka = new KafkaContainer(TestUtils.kafkaImageName);
+  public KafkaContainer kafka = new KafkaContainer(TestUtils.KAFKA_IMAGE_NAME);
 
   private final ObjectMapper mapper = new ObjectMapper();
   private final ObjectNode configuration = mapper.createObjectNode();