diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index 08a1bf09a34..897b41cd415 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -515,6 +515,11 @@
   <build>
     <pluginManagement>
       <plugins>
+        <plugin>
+          <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
+           <artifactId>maven-javadoc-plugin</artifactId>
+           <version>${javadoc.version}</version>
+        </plugin>
         <plugin>
           <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
           <artifactId>maven-remote-resources-plugin</artifactId>
@@ -1792,6 +1797,26 @@
 
   -->
   <profiles>
+    <profile>
+      <id>build-with-jdk8</id>
+      <activation>
+        <jdk>1.8</jdk>
+      </activation>
+      <build>
+        <pluginManagement>
+          <plugins>
+            <plugin>
+              <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
+              <artifactId>maven-javadoc-plugin</artifactId>
+              <configuration>
+                <!-- TODO HBASE-15041 clean up our javadocs so jdk8 linter can be used -->
+                <additionalparam>-Xdoclint:none</additionalparam>
+              </configuration>
+            </plugin>
+          </plugins>
+        </pluginManagement>
+      </build>
+    </profile>
     <!-- profile activated by the Jenkins patch testing job -->
     <profile>
       <id>jenkins.patch</id>
@@ -2780,7 +2805,7 @@
       <plugin>
         <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
         <artifactId>maven-javadoc-plugin</artifactId>
-        <version>2.10.3</version>
+        <version>${javadoc.version}</version>
         <reportSets>
           <!-- Dev API -->
           <reportSet>