diff --git a/asterixdb/asterix-app/pom.xml b/asterixdb/asterix-app/pom.xml
index b29437b..2d47b62 100644
--- a/asterixdb/asterix-app/pom.xml
+++ b/asterixdb/asterix-app/pom.xml
@@ -121,6 +121,7 @@
                 </includes>
               </inputFiles>
               <outputDir>target/data</outputDir>
+              <skip>${skip.testResources}</skip>
             </configuration>
           </execution>
         </executions>
diff --git a/asterixdb/asterix-lang-aql/pom.xml b/asterixdb/asterix-lang-aql/pom.xml
index 0d098e7..c7ae8c9 100644
--- a/asterixdb/asterix-lang-aql/pom.xml
+++ b/asterixdb/asterix-lang-aql/pom.xml
@@ -54,13 +54,6 @@
               <javaUnicodeEscape>true</javaUnicodeEscape>
             </configuration>
           </execution>
-          <execution>
-            <id>javacc-jjdoc</id>
-            <goals>
-              <goal>jjdoc</goal>
-            </goals>
-            <phase>process-sources</phase>
-          </execution>
         </executions>
       </plugin>
       <plugin>
@@ -121,6 +114,35 @@
     </pluginManagement>
   </build>
 
+  <profiles>
+    <profile>
+      <id>jjdoc</id>
+      <activation>
+        <property>
+          <name>jjdoc.skip</name>
+          <value>!true</value>
+        </property>
+      </activation>
+      <build>
+        <plugins>
+          <plugin>
+            <groupId>org.codehaus.mojo</groupId>
+            <artifactId>javacc-maven-plugin</artifactId>
+            <executions>
+              <execution>
+                <id>javacc-jjdoc</id>
+                <goals>
+                  <goal>jjdoc</goal>
+                </goals>
+                <phase>generate-test-sources</phase>
+              </execution>
+            </executions>
+          </plugin>
+        </plugins>
+      </build>
+    </profile>
+  </profiles>
+
   <dependencies>
     <dependency>
       <groupId>org.apache.asterix</groupId>
diff --git a/asterixdb/asterix-lang-sqlpp/pom.xml b/asterixdb/asterix-lang-sqlpp/pom.xml
index 1ef09d1..dd69697 100644
--- a/asterixdb/asterix-lang-sqlpp/pom.xml
+++ b/asterixdb/asterix-lang-sqlpp/pom.xml
@@ -49,13 +49,6 @@
               <javaUnicodeEscape>true</javaUnicodeEscape>
             </configuration>
           </execution>
-          <execution>
-            <id>javacc-jjdoc</id>
-            <goals>
-              <goal>jjdoc</goal>
-            </goals>
-            <phase>process-sources</phase>
-          </execution>
         </executions>
       </plugin>
       <plugin>
@@ -109,6 +102,36 @@
       </plugins>
     </pluginManagement>
   </build>
+
+  <profiles>
+    <profile>
+      <id>jjdoc</id>
+      <activation>
+        <property>
+          <name>jjdoc.skip</name>
+          <value>!true</value>
+        </property>
+      </activation>
+      <build>
+        <plugins>
+          <plugin>
+            <groupId>org.codehaus.mojo</groupId>
+            <artifactId>javacc-maven-plugin</artifactId>
+            <executions>
+              <execution>
+                <id>javacc-jjdoc</id>
+                <goals>
+                  <goal>jjdoc</goal>
+                </goals>
+                <phase>generate-test-sources</phase>
+              </execution>
+            </executions>
+          </plugin>
+        </plugins>
+      </build>
+    </profile>
+  </profiles>
+
   <dependencies>
     <dependency>
       <groupId>org.apache.asterix</groupId>
diff --git a/asterixdb/asterix-maven-plugins/asterix-evaluator-generator-maven-plugin/pom.xml b/asterixdb/asterix-maven-plugins/asterix-evaluator-generator-maven-plugin/pom.xml
index a4e8da6..a70f854 100644
--- a/asterixdb/asterix-maven-plugins/asterix-evaluator-generator-maven-plugin/pom.xml
+++ b/asterixdb/asterix-maven-plugins/asterix-evaluator-generator-maven-plugin/pom.xml
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@
  !-->
 <project xmlns="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:schemaLocation="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0 http://maven.apache.org/maven-v4_0_0.xsd">
   <modelVersion>4.0.0</modelVersion>
-  <groupId>org.apache.asterix</groupId>
   <artifactId>asterix-evaluator-generator-maven-plugin</artifactId>
   <parent>
     <groupId>org.apache.asterix</groupId>
@@ -63,7 +62,6 @@
     <dependency>
       <groupId>org.apache.maven</groupId>
       <artifactId>maven-project</artifactId>
-      <version>2.2.1</version>
     </dependency>
     <dependency>
       <groupId>org.reflections</groupId>
@@ -73,7 +71,6 @@
     <dependency>
       <groupId>org.apache.maven</groupId>
       <artifactId>maven-model</artifactId>
-      <version>3.3.9</version>
     </dependency>
     <dependency>
       <groupId>org.apache.commons</groupId>
diff --git a/asterixdb/asterix-maven-plugins/asterix-grammar-extension-maven-plugin/pom.xml b/asterixdb/asterix-maven-plugins/asterix-grammar-extension-maven-plugin/pom.xml
index 3ce7197..637305e 100644
--- a/asterixdb/asterix-maven-plugins/asterix-grammar-extension-maven-plugin/pom.xml
+++ b/asterixdb/asterix-maven-plugins/asterix-grammar-extension-maven-plugin/pom.xml
@@ -102,13 +102,6 @@
               <outputDirectory>${project.build.directory}/generated-sources/javacc</outputDirectory>
             </configuration>
           </execution>
-          <execution>
-            <id>javacc-jjdoc</id>
-            <goals>
-              <goal>jjdoc</goal>
-            </goals>
-            <phase>generate-test-sources</phase>
-          </execution>
         </executions>
       </plugin>
       <plugin>
@@ -143,4 +136,32 @@
       </plugins>
     </pluginManagement>
   </build>
+  <profiles>
+    <profile>
+      <id>jjdoc</id>
+      <activation>
+        <property>
+          <name>jjdoc.skip</name>
+          <value>!true</value>
+        </property>
+      </activation>
+      <build>
+        <plugins>
+          <plugin>
+            <groupId>org.codehaus.mojo</groupId>
+            <artifactId>javacc-maven-plugin</artifactId>
+            <executions>
+              <execution>
+                <id>javacc-jjdoc</id>
+                <goals>
+                  <goal>jjdoc</goal>
+                </goals>
+                <phase>generate-test-sources</phase>
+              </execution>
+            </executions>
+          </plugin>
+        </plugins>
+      </build>
+    </profile>
+  </profiles>
 </project>
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/asterixdb/asterix-maven-plugins/asterix-test-datagenerator-maven-plugin/pom.xml b/asterixdb/asterix-maven-plugins/asterix-test-datagenerator-maven-plugin/pom.xml
index d0eb1c8..d1acad9 100644
--- a/asterixdb/asterix-maven-plugins/asterix-test-datagenerator-maven-plugin/pom.xml
+++ b/asterixdb/asterix-maven-plugins/asterix-test-datagenerator-maven-plugin/pom.xml
@@ -32,8 +32,11 @@
   <dependencies>
     <dependency>
       <groupId>org.apache.maven</groupId>
+      <artifactId>maven-plugin-api</artifactId>
+    </dependency>
+    <dependency>
+      <groupId>org.apache.maven</groupId>
       <artifactId>maven-project</artifactId>
-      <version>2.2.1</version>
     </dependency>
     <dependency>
       <groupId>org.apache.maven.shared</groupId>
diff --git a/asterixdb/asterix-maven-plugins/asterix-test-datagenerator-maven-plugin/src/main/java/org/apache/hyracks/maven/plugin/TestDataGeneratorMojo.java b/asterixdb/asterix-maven-plugins/asterix-test-datagenerator-maven-plugin/src/main/java/org/apache/hyracks/maven/plugin/TestDataGeneratorMojo.java
index e1afb43..b56ab47 100644
--- a/asterixdb/asterix-maven-plugins/asterix-test-datagenerator-maven-plugin/src/main/java/org/apache/hyracks/maven/plugin/TestDataGeneratorMojo.java
+++ b/asterixdb/asterix-maven-plugins/asterix-test-datagenerator-maven-plugin/src/main/java/org/apache/hyracks/maven/plugin/TestDataGeneratorMojo.java
@@ -55,8 +55,18 @@
      */
     File outputDir;
 
+
+    /**
+     * @parameter default-value="${maven.test.skip}"
+     */
+    boolean skip;
+
     @Override
     public void execute() throws MojoExecutionException, MojoFailureException {
+        if (skip) {
+            getLog().info("Skipping plugin execution (configured skip)");
+            return;
+        }
         FileSetManager mgr = new FileSetManager();
         // this seems pretty hacky, but necessary to get the correct result.
         File inputFilesDirectory = new File(inputFiles.getDirectory());
diff --git a/asterixdb/asterix-maven-plugins/pom.xml b/asterixdb/asterix-maven-plugins/pom.xml
index d854851..c76c286 100644
--- a/asterixdb/asterix-maven-plugins/pom.xml
+++ b/asterixdb/asterix-maven-plugins/pom.xml
@@ -19,10 +19,15 @@
  !-->
 <project xmlns="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:schemaLocation="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0 http://maven.apache.org/maven-v4_0_0.xsd">
   <modelVersion>4.0.0</modelVersion>
-  <groupId>org.apache.asterix</groupId>
   <artifactId>asterix-maven-plugins</artifactId>
   <packaging>pom</packaging>
 
+  <parent>
+    <artifactId>apache-asterixdb</artifactId>
+    <groupId>org.apache.asterix</groupId>
+    <version>0.9.3-SNAPSHOT</version>
+  </parent>
+
   <licenses>
     <license>
       <name>Apache License, Version 2.0</name>
@@ -36,21 +41,6 @@
     <appendedResourcesDirectory>${basedir}/../src/main/appended-resources</appendedResourcesDirectory>
   </properties>
 
-  <parent>
-    <artifactId>apache-asterixdb</artifactId>
-    <groupId>org.apache.asterix</groupId>
-    <version>0.9.3-SNAPSHOT</version>
-  </parent>
-
-  <dependencies>
-    <dependency>
-      <groupId>org.apache.maven</groupId>
-      <artifactId>maven-plugin-api</artifactId>
-      <type>jar</type>
-      <scope>compile</scope>
-    </dependency>
-  </dependencies>
-
   <modules>
     <module>lexer-generator-maven-plugin</module>
     <module>record-manager-generator-maven-plugin</module>
diff --git a/asterixdb/asterix-maven-plugins/record-manager-generator-maven-plugin/pom.xml b/asterixdb/asterix-maven-plugins/record-manager-generator-maven-plugin/pom.xml
index 1f4bb63..5dc7be0 100644
--- a/asterixdb/asterix-maven-plugins/record-manager-generator-maven-plugin/pom.xml
+++ b/asterixdb/asterix-maven-plugins/record-manager-generator-maven-plugin/pom.xml
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@
  !-->
 <project xmlns="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0" xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:schemaLocation="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0 http://maven.apache.org/maven-v4_0_0.xsd">
   <modelVersion>4.0.0</modelVersion>
-  <groupId>org.apache.asterix</groupId>
   <artifactId>record-manager-generator-maven-plugin</artifactId>
   <parent>
     <artifactId>asterix-maven-plugins</artifactId>
@@ -35,8 +34,11 @@
   <dependencies>
     <dependency>
       <groupId>org.apache.maven</groupId>
+      <artifactId>maven-plugin-api</artifactId>
+    </dependency>
+    <dependency>
+      <groupId>org.apache.maven</groupId>
       <artifactId>maven-model</artifactId>
-      <version>3.3.9</version>
     </dependency>
     <dependency>
       <groupId>org.apache.maven</groupId>
diff --git a/asterixdb/pom.xml b/asterixdb/pom.xml
index c200252..b968fcc 100644
--- a/asterixdb/pom.xml
+++ b/asterixdb/pom.xml
@@ -51,7 +51,10 @@
     <appendedResourcesDirectory>${basedir}/src/main/appended-resources</appendedResourcesDirectory>
     <sonar.jacoco.reportPath>${env.PWD}/target/jacoco-merged.exec</sonar.jacoco.reportPath>
     <debug.suspend.flag>n</debug.suspend.flag>
+    <skipTests>false</skipTests>
+    <maven.test.skip>false</maven.test.skip>
     <skip.surefire.tests>${skipTests}</skip.surefire.tests>
+    <skip.testResources>${maven.test.skip}</skip.testResources>
 
     <!-- Definition of tests in various categories which may be excluded -->
     <repeated.tests>**/RepeatedTest.java</repeated.tests>
@@ -243,6 +246,21 @@
           </execution>
         </executions>
       </plugin>
+      <plugin>
+        <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
+        <artifactId>maven-resources-plugin</artifactId>
+        <executions>
+          <execution>
+            <id>default-testResources</id>
+            <goals>
+              <goal>testResources</goal>
+            </goals>
+            <configuration>
+              <skip>${skip.testResources}</skip>
+            </configuration>
+          </execution>
+        </executions>
+      </plugin>
     </plugins>
     <pluginManagement>
       <plugins>
@@ -462,6 +480,11 @@
           <artifactId>git-commit-id-plugin</artifactId>
           <version>2.2.3</version>
         </plugin>
+        <plugin>
+          <groupId>org.codehaus.mojo</groupId>
+          <artifactId>javacc-maven-plugin</artifactId>
+          <version>2.6</version>
+        </plugin>
       </plugins>
     </pluginManagement>
   </build>
@@ -719,6 +742,16 @@
         <version>3.3.9</version>
       </dependency>
       <dependency>
+        <groupId>org.apache.maven</groupId>
+        <artifactId>maven-model</artifactId>
+        <version>3.3.9</version>
+      </dependency>
+      <dependency>
+        <groupId>org.apache.maven</groupId>
+        <artifactId>maven-project</artifactId>
+        <version>2.2.1</version>
+      </dependency>
+      <dependency>
         <groupId>org.apache.hadoop</groupId>
         <artifactId>hadoop-yarn-common</artifactId>
         <version>${hadoop.version}</version>
diff --git a/hyracks-fullstack/pom.xml b/hyracks-fullstack/pom.xml
index 9de6526..28b60d3 100644
--- a/hyracks-fullstack/pom.xml
+++ b/hyracks-fullstack/pom.xml
@@ -58,6 +58,7 @@
     <sonar.jacoco.reportPath>${env.PWD}/target/jacoco-merged.exec</sonar.jacoco.reportPath>
     <source-format.skip>false</source-format.skip>
     <skip.surefire.tests>${skipTests}</skip.surefire.tests>
+    <skip.testResources>${maven.test.skip}</skip.testResources>
 
     <!-- Definition of tests in various categories which may be excluded -->
     <hanging.pregelix.tests>**/pregelix/**/FailureRecovery*.java</hanging.pregelix.tests>
@@ -272,27 +273,6 @@
         </configuration>
       </plugin>
       <plugin>
-        <artifactId>maven-resources-plugin</artifactId>
-        <executions>
-          <execution>
-            <id>copy-resources</id>
-            <phase>validate</phase>
-            <goals>
-              <goal>copy-resources</goal>
-            </goals>
-            <configuration>
-              <outputDirectory>target</outputDirectory>
-              <resources>
-                <resource>
-                  <directory>${root.dir}/src/main/appended-resources</directory>
-                  <!-- <filtering>true</filtering> -->
-                </resource>
-              </resources>
-            </configuration>
-          </execution>
-        </executions>
-      </plugin>
-      <plugin>
         <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
         <artifactId>maven-remote-resources-plugin</artifactId>
         <executions>
@@ -358,6 +338,21 @@
           </execution>
         </executions>
       </plugin>
+      <plugin>
+        <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
+        <artifactId>maven-resources-plugin</artifactId>
+        <executions>
+          <execution>
+            <id>default-testResources</id>
+            <goals>
+              <goal>testResources</goal>
+            </goals>
+            <configuration>
+              <skip>${skip.testResources}</skip>
+            </configuration>
+          </execution>
+        </executions>
+      </plugin>
     </plugins>
     <pluginManagement>
       <plugins>