diff --git a/test/plugin.jelly b/test/plugin.jelly
index eb6afdc9..f99567ab 100644
--- a/test/plugin.jelly
+++ b/test/plugin.jelly
@@ -58,8 +58,10 @@
           <pathelement path="${maven.build.dest}"/>
           <path refid="maven.dependency.classpath"/>
           <pathelement path="${plugin.getDependencyPath('junit')}"/>
-          <pathelement path="${plugin.getDependencyPath('xml-apis')}"/>
-          <pathelement path="${plugin.getDependencyPath('xerces')}"/>
+          <j:if test="${!context.getVariable('maven.junit.fork').toString().trim().equalsIgnoreCase('no')}">
+            <pathelement path="${plugin.getDependencyPath('xml-apis')}"/>
+            <pathelement path="${plugin.getDependencyPath('xerces')}"/>
+          </j:if>
         </classpath>
         <src>
           <path refid="maven.test.compile.src.set"/>
@@ -136,8 +138,10 @@
           <pathelement location="${maven.build.dest}"/>
           <path refid="maven.dependency.classpath"/>
           <pathelement path="${plugin.getDependencyPath('junit')}"/>
-          <pathelement path="${plugin.getDependencyPath('xml-apis')}"/>
-          <pathelement path="${plugin.getDependencyPath('xerces')}"/>
+          <j:if test="${!context.getVariable('maven.junit.fork').toString().trim().equalsIgnoreCase('no')}">
+            <pathelement path="${plugin.getDependencyPath('xml-apis')}"/>
+            <pathelement path="${plugin.getDependencyPath('xerces')}"/>
+          </j:if>
         </classpath>
         <batchtest todir="${maven.test.reportsDirectory}">
           <fileset dir="${maven.test.searchdir}">
@@ -190,8 +194,10 @@
         <pathelement location="${maven.build.dest}"/>
         <path refid="maven.dependency.classpath"/>
         <pathelement path="${plugin.getDependencyPath('junit')}"/>
-        <pathelement path="${plugin.getDependencyPath('xml-apis')}"/>
-        <pathelement path="${plugin.getDependencyPath('xerces')}"/>
+        <j:if test="${!context.getVariable('maven.junit.fork').toString().trim().equalsIgnoreCase('no')}">
+          <pathelement path="${plugin.getDependencyPath('xml-apis')}"/>
+          <pathelement path="${plugin.getDependencyPath('xerces')}"/>
+        </j:if>
       </classpath>
       <arg value="-noloading"/>
     </java>
@@ -249,8 +255,10 @@
               <pathelement location="${maven.build.dest}"/>
               <path refid="maven.dependency.classpath"/>
               <pathelement path="${plugin.getDependencyPath('junit')}"/>
-              <pathelement path="${plugin.getDependencyPath('xml-apis')}"/>
-              <pathelement path="${plugin.getDependencyPath('xerces')}"/>
+              <j:if test="${!context.getVariable('maven.junit.fork').toString().trim().equalsIgnoreCase('no')}">
+                <pathelement path="${plugin.getDependencyPath('xml-apis')}"/>
+                <pathelement path="${plugin.getDependencyPath('xerces')}"/>
+              </j:if>
             </classpath>
 
             <test name="${testcase}" todir="${maven.test.reportsDirectory}"/>
@@ -326,8 +334,10 @@
               <pathelement location="${maven.build.dest}"/>
               <path refid="maven.dependency.classpath"/>
               <pathelement path="${plugin.getDependencyPath('junit')}"/>
-              <pathelement path="${plugin.getDependencyPath('xml-apis')}"/>
-              <pathelement path="${plugin.getDependencyPath('xerces')}"/>
+              <j:if test="${!context.getVariable('maven.junit.fork').toString().trim().equalsIgnoreCase('no')}">
+                <pathelement path="${plugin.getDependencyPath('xml-apis')}"/>
+                <pathelement path="${plugin.getDependencyPath('xerces')}"/>
+              </j:if>
             </classpath>
 
             <batchtest todir="${maven.test.reportsDirectory}">
diff --git a/test/project.xml b/test/project.xml
index 1cf0e871..bb443b2f 100644
--- a/test/project.xml
+++ b/test/project.xml
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
   <pomVersion>3</pomVersion>
   <id>maven-test-plugin</id>
   <name>Maven Test Plug-in</name>
-  <currentVersion>1.6</currentVersion>
+  <currentVersion>1.6.1-SNAPSHOT</currentVersion>
   <description>Run JUnit tests. Requires Maven 1.0 RC2.</description>
   <shortDescription>Run JUnit tests</shortDescription>
   <url>http://maven.apache.org/reference/plugins/test/</url>
@@ -34,6 +34,18 @@
     <developerConnection>scm:cvs:ext:${maven.username}@cvs.apache.org:/home/cvs:maven-plugins/test/</developerConnection>
     <url>http://cvs.apache.org/viewcvs/maven-plugins/test/</url>
   </repository>
+  <versions>
+    <version>
+      <id>1.5</id>
+      <name>1.5</name>
+      <tag>MAVEN_TEST_1_5</tag>
+    </version>
+    <version>
+      <id>1.6</id>
+      <name>1.6</name>
+      <tag>MAVEN_TEST_1_6</tag>
+    </version>
+  </versions>
   <developers>
     <developer>
       <name>Vincent Massol</name>
@@ -73,16 +85,4 @@
       </properties>
     </dependency>
   </dependencies>
-  <versions>
-    <version>
-      <id>1.5</id>
-      <name>1.5</name>
-      <tag>MAVEN_TEST_1_5</tag>
-    </version>
-    <version>
-      <id>1.6</id>
-      <name>1.6</name>
-      <tag>MAVEN_TEST_1_6</tag>
-    </version>
-  </versions>
 </project>
diff --git a/test/xdocs/changes.xml b/test/xdocs/changes.xml
index a2560ee5..a3487bb8 100644
--- a/test/xdocs/changes.xml
+++ b/test/xdocs/changes.xml
@@ -24,6 +24,9 @@
     <author email="dion@multitask.com.au">dIon Gillard</author>
   </properties>
   <body>
+    <release version="1.6.1" date="in CVS">
+      <action dev="brett" type="fix">only add xml-apis to classpath when forking to avoid classloader issues</action>
+    </release>
     <release version="1.6" date="2004-05-15">
       <action dev="brett" type="fix" issue="MPTEST-27" due-to="joseph benavidez">add maven.junit.envvars property</action>
       <action dev="brett" type="fix" issue="MPTEST-26">add maven.junit.jvm property</action>