diff --git a/dev-support/hbase-personality.sh b/dev-support/hbase-personality.sh
index 313ff42cd84..081ee5aaa4d 100755
--- a/dev-support/hbase-personality.sh
+++ b/dev-support/hbase-personality.sh
@@ -869,6 +869,55 @@ function hbaseanti_patchfile
   return 0
 }
 
+######################################
+
+add_test_type spotless
+
+## @description  spotless file filter
+## @audience     private
+## @stability    evolving
+## @param        filename
+function spotless_filefilter
+{
+  # always add spotless check as it can format almost all types of files
+  add_test spotless
+}
+## @description run spotless:check to check format issues
+## @audience private
+## @stability evolving
+## @param repostatus
+function spotless_rebuild
+{
+  local repostatus=$1
+  local logfile="${PATCH_DIR}/${repostatus}-spotless.txt"
+
+  if ! verify_needed_test spotless; then
+    return 0
+  fi
+
+  big_console_header "Checking spotless on ${repostatus}"
+
+  start_clock
+
+  local -a maven_args=('spotless:check')
+
+  # disabled because "maven_executor" needs to return both command and args
+  # shellcheck disable=2046
+  echo_and_redirect "${logfile}" $(maven_executor) "${maven_args[@]}"
+
+  count=$(${GREP} -c '\[ERROR\]' "${logfile}")
+  if [[ ${count} -gt 0 ]]; then
+    add_vote_table -1 spotless "${repostatus} has ${count} errors when running spotless:check, run spotless:apply to fix."
+    add_footer_table spotless "@@BASE@@/${repostatus}-spotless.txt"
+    return 1
+  fi
+
+  add_vote_table +1 spotless "${repostatus} has no errors when running spotless:check."
+  return 0
+}
+
+######################################
+
 ## @description  process the javac output for generating WARNING/ERROR
 ## @audience     private
 ## @stability    evolving
diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index 28869af4420..d57a8dc487d 100755
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -2246,6 +2246,10 @@
                 <include>**/*.txt</include>
                 <include>*.txt</include>
               </includes>
+              <excludes>
+                <exclude>**/target/**</exclude>
+                <exclude>**/dependency-reduced-pom.xml</exclude>
+              </excludes>
               <!-- define the steps to apply to those files -->
               <trimTrailingWhitespace/>
               <endWithNewline/>