diff --git a/dependency-check-maven/pom.xml b/dependency-check-maven/pom.xml
index 46e8e05e1..0cac371fd 100644
--- a/dependency-check-maven/pom.xml
+++ b/dependency-check-maven/pom.xml
@@ -40,6 +40,9 @@ Copyright (c) 2013 Jeremy Long. All Rights Reserved.
         </site>
     </distributionManagement>
     <!-- end copy -->
+    <properties>
+        <version.maven-plugin-plugin>3.4</version.maven-plugin-plugin>
+    </properties>
     <build>
         <resources>
             <resource>
@@ -63,6 +66,7 @@ Copyright (c) 2013 Jeremy Long. All Rights Reserved.
             <plugin>
                 <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
                 <artifactId>maven-plugin-plugin</artifactId>
+                <version>${version.maven-plugin-plugin}</version>
                 <configuration>
                     <skipErrorNoDescriptorsFound>true</skipErrorNoDescriptorsFound>
                     <goalPrefix>dependency-check</goalPrefix>
@@ -126,7 +130,7 @@ Copyright (c) 2013 Jeremy Long. All Rights Reserved.
             <plugin>
                 <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
                 <artifactId>maven-plugin-plugin</artifactId>
-                <version>${reporting.maven-plugin-plugin.version}</version>
+                <version>${version.maven-plugin-plugin}</version>
                 <configuration>
                     <goalPrefix>dependency-check</goalPrefix>
                 </configuration>
diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index 044aaaf8e..e19c0804a 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -132,8 +132,6 @@ Copyright (c) 2012 - Jeremy Long
         <reporting.checkstyle-plugin.version>2.16</reporting.checkstyle-plugin.version>
         <reporting.cobertura-plugin.version>2.7</reporting.cobertura-plugin.version>
         <reporting.javadoc-plugin.version>2.10.3</reporting.javadoc-plugin.version>
-        <!-- todo(code review): only used in maven module? Not needed elsewhere -->
-        <reporting.maven-plugin-plugin.version>3.4</reporting.maven-plugin-plugin.version>
         <reporting.pmd-plugin.version>3.5</reporting.pmd-plugin.version>
         <reporting.versions-plugin.version>2.2</reporting.versions-plugin.version>
     </properties>
@@ -210,11 +208,6 @@ Copyright (c) 2012 - Jeremy Long
                     <artifactId>maven-jar-plugin</artifactId>
                     <version>2.6</version>
                 </plugin>
-                <plugin>
-                    <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
-                    <artifactId>maven-plugin-plugin</artifactId>
-                    <version>${reporting.maven-plugin-plugin.version}</version>
-                </plugin>
                 <plugin>
                     <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
                     <artifactId>maven-release-plugin</artifactId>