diff --git a/activemq-karaf-itest/src/test/java/org/apache/activemq/karaf/itest/AbstractFeatureTest.java b/activemq-karaf-itest/src/test/java/org/apache/activemq/karaf/itest/AbstractFeatureTest.java
index ae45204d0d..4bcb512c1d 100644
--- a/activemq-karaf-itest/src/test/java/org/apache/activemq/karaf/itest/AbstractFeatureTest.java
+++ b/activemq-karaf-itest/src/test/java/org/apache/activemq/karaf/itest/AbstractFeatureTest.java
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
 @ExamReactorStrategy(PerClass.class)
 public abstract class AbstractFeatureTest {
 
-    private static final String KARAF_MAJOR_VERSION = "4.2.1";
+    private static final String KARAF_MAJOR_VERSION = "4.2.8";
     public static final Logger LOG = LoggerFactory.getLogger(AbstractFeatureTest.class);
     public static final long ASSERTION_TIMEOUT = 30000L;
     public static final String RESOURCE_BASE = "src/test/resources/org/apache/activemq/karaf/itest/";
@@ -153,6 +153,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractFeatureTest {
              .name("Apache Karaf").unpackDirectory(new File("target/paxexam/unpack/")),
          keepRuntimeFolder(), //
          logLevel(LogLevelOption.LogLevel.INFO), //
+         editConfigurationFilePut("etc/org.ops4j.pax.url.mvn.cfg", "org.ops4j.pax.url.mvn.repositories", "https://repo1.maven.org/maven2@id=central"),
          editConfigurationFilePut("etc/config.properties", "karaf.startlevel.bundle", "50"),
          editConfigurationFileExtend("etc/org.apache.karaf.features.cfg", "featuresRepositories",
                  "mvn:org.apache.karaf.features/spring-legacy/" + karafVersion + "/xml/features"),
diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index a44e8ef23f..ae12a4f7c2 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@
     <junit-version>4.12</junit-version>
     <hamcrest-version>1.3</hamcrest-version>
     <jxta-version>2.0</jxta-version>
-    <karaf-version>4.2.6</karaf-version>
+    <karaf-version>4.2.8</karaf-version>
     <leveldb-api-version>0.9</leveldb-api-version>
     <leveldb-version>0.9</leveldb-version>
     <leveldbjni-version>1.8</leveldbjni-version>
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@
     <jaxb-basics-version>0.6.4</jaxb-basics-version>
     <stompjms-version>1.19</stompjms-version>
 
-    <pax-exam-version>4.9.1</pax-exam-version>
+    <pax-exam-version>4.13.1</pax-exam-version>
     <paxexam-karaf-container-version>1.0.0</paxexam-karaf-container-version>
     <pax-runner-version>1.8.6</pax-runner-version>
     <pax-url-version>2.6.2</pax-url-version>