diff --git a/httpclient5-cache/pom.xml b/httpclient5-cache/pom.xml
index 4e87e02ec..27c647430 100644
--- a/httpclient5-cache/pom.xml
+++ b/httpclient5-cache/pom.xml
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@
   <parent>
     <groupId>org.apache.httpcomponents.client5</groupId>
     <artifactId>httpclient5-parent</artifactId>
-    <version>5.3.1-SNAPSHOT</version>
+    <version>5.4-alpha1-SNAPSHOT</version>
   </parent>
   <artifactId>httpclient5-cache</artifactId>
   <name>Apache HttpClient Cache</name>
diff --git a/httpclient5-fluent/pom.xml b/httpclient5-fluent/pom.xml
index c6fad234a..26e61d69a 100644
--- a/httpclient5-fluent/pom.xml
+++ b/httpclient5-fluent/pom.xml
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@
   <parent>
     <groupId>org.apache.httpcomponents.client5</groupId>
     <artifactId>httpclient5-parent</artifactId>
-    <version>5.3.1-SNAPSHOT</version>
+    <version>5.4-alpha1-SNAPSHOT</version>
   </parent>
   <artifactId>httpclient5-fluent</artifactId>
   <name>Apache HttpClient Fluent</name>
diff --git a/httpclient5-testing/pom.xml b/httpclient5-testing/pom.xml
index fdd322069..215ea1f55 100644
--- a/httpclient5-testing/pom.xml
+++ b/httpclient5-testing/pom.xml
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@
   <parent>
     <groupId>org.apache.httpcomponents.client5</groupId>
     <artifactId>httpclient5-parent</artifactId>
-    <version>5.3.1-SNAPSHOT</version>
+    <version>5.4-alpha1-SNAPSHOT</version>
   </parent>
   <artifactId>httpclient5-testing</artifactId>
   <name>Apache HttpClient Integration Tests</name>
@@ -56,7 +56,6 @@
     <dependency>
       <groupId>org.slf4j</groupId>
       <artifactId>slf4j-api</artifactId>
-      <scope>test</scope>
     </dependency>
     <dependency>
       <groupId>org.apache.logging.log4j</groupId>
diff --git a/httpclient5/pom.xml b/httpclient5/pom.xml
index ceb64c878..d0d813a11 100644
--- a/httpclient5/pom.xml
+++ b/httpclient5/pom.xml
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@
   <parent>
     <groupId>org.apache.httpcomponents.client5</groupId>
     <artifactId>httpclient5-parent</artifactId>
-    <version>5.3.1-SNAPSHOT</version>
+    <version>5.4-alpha1-SNAPSHOT</version>
   </parent>
   <artifactId>httpclient5</artifactId>
   <name>Apache HttpClient</name>
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@
       <plugin>
         <groupId>com.googlecode.maven-download-plugin</groupId>
         <artifactId>download-maven-plugin</artifactId>
-        <version>1.7.1</version>
+        <version>1.6.8</version>
         <executions>
           <execution>
             <id>download-public-suffix-list</id>
diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index 8a83aeef4..01d379e5b 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@
   <groupId>org.apache.httpcomponents.client5</groupId>
   <artifactId>httpclient5-parent</artifactId>
   <name>Apache HttpComponents Client Parent</name>
-  <version>5.3.1-SNAPSHOT</version>
+  <version>5.4-alpha1-SNAPSHOT</version>
   <description>Apache HttpComponents Client is a library of components for building client side HTTP services</description>
   <url>https://hc.apache.org/httpcomponents-client-5.0.x/${project.version}/</url>
   <inceptionYear>1999</inceptionYear>
@@ -48,34 +48,34 @@
     <connection>scm:git:https://gitbox.apache.org/repos/asf/httpcomponents-client.git</connection>
     <developerConnection>scm:git:https://gitbox.apache.org/repos/asf/httpcomponents-client.git</developerConnection>
     <url>https://github.com/apache/httpcomponents-client/tree/${project.scm.tag}</url>
-    <tag>5.3.1-SNAPSHOT</tag>
+    <tag>5.4-alpha1-SNAPSHOT</tag>
   </scm>
 
  <distributionManagement>
     <site>
       <id>apache.website</id>
       <name>Apache HttpComponents Website</name>
-      <url>scm:svn:https://svn.apache.org/repos/asf/httpcomponents/site/components/httpcomponents-client-5.3.x/LATEST/</url>
+      <url>scm:svn:https://svn.apache.org/repos/asf/httpcomponents/site/components/httpcomponents-client-5.4.x/LATEST/</url>
     </site>
   </distributionManagement>
 
   <properties>
     <maven.compiler.source>1.8</maven.compiler.source>
     <maven.compiler.target>1.8</maven.compiler.target>
-    <httpcore.version>5.2.4</httpcore.version>
+    <httpcore.version>5.2.2</httpcore.version>
     <log4j.version>2.20.0</log4j.version>
     <brotli.version>0.1.2</brotli.version>
     <conscrypt.version>2.5.2</conscrypt.version>
     <ehcache.version>3.10.8</ehcache.version>
     <memcached.version>2.12.3</memcached.version>
     <slf4j.version>1.7.36</slf4j.version>
-    <junit.version>5.10.1</junit.version>
+    <junit.version>5.9.3</junit.version>
     <hamcrest.version>2.2</hamcrest.version>
     <mockito.version>4.11.0</mockito.version>
     <jna.version>5.13.0</jna.version>
     <hc.stylecheck.version>1</hc.stylecheck.version>
     <rxjava.version>2.2.21</rxjava.version>
-    <api.comparison.version>5.3</api.comparison.version>
+    <api.comparison.version>5.2</api.comparison.version>
     <hc.animal-sniffer.signature.ignores>javax.net.ssl.SSLEngine,javax.net.ssl.SSLParameters,java.nio.ByteBuffer,java.nio.CharBuffer</hc.animal-sniffer.signature.ignores>
     <japicmp.version>0.15.4</japicmp.version>
   </properties>
@@ -221,8 +221,8 @@
         <artifactId>maven-javadoc-plugin</artifactId>
         <configuration>
           <links>
-            <link>https://hc.apache.org/httpcomponents-core-5.2.x/current/httpcore5/apidocs/</link>
-            <link>https://hc.apache.org/httpcomponents-core-5.2.x/current/httpcore5-h2/apidocs/</link>
+            <link>https://hc.apache.org/httpcomponents-core-5.0.x/httpcore5/apidocs/</link>
+            <link>https://hc.apache.org/httpcomponents-core-5.0.x/httpcore5-h2/apidocs/</link>
             <link>${project.url}/httpclient5/apidocs/</link>
           </links>
         </configuration>
@@ -439,4 +439,4 @@
     </plugins>
   </reporting>
 
-</project>
\ No newline at end of file
+</project>