diff --git a/tests/test-sessions/test-jdbc-sessions/pom.xml b/tests/test-sessions/test-jdbc-sessions/pom.xml
index 3bec9345b71..d6fe28174ab 100644
--- a/tests/test-sessions/test-jdbc-sessions/pom.xml
+++ b/tests/test-sessions/test-jdbc-sessions/pom.xml
@@ -26,9 +26,7 @@
         <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
         <artifactId>maven-surefire-plugin</artifactId>
         <configuration>
-          <systemPropertyVariables>
-            <mariadb.enabled>false</mariadb.enabled>
-          </systemPropertyVariables>
+          <skip>true</skip>
         </configuration>
       </plugin>
     </plugins>
@@ -54,16 +52,6 @@
       <artifactId>test-sessions-common</artifactId>
       <version>${project.version}</version>
     </dependency>
-    <dependency>
-      <groupId>org.apache.derby</groupId>
-      <artifactId>derby</artifactId>
-      <scope>test</scope>
-    </dependency>
-    <dependency>
-      <groupId>org.apache.derby</groupId>
-      <artifactId>derbytools</artifactId>
-      <scope>test</scope>
-    </dependency>
     <dependency>
       <groupId>org.eclipse.jetty.toolchain</groupId>
       <artifactId>jetty-test-helper</artifactId>
@@ -112,9 +100,9 @@
             <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
             <artifactId>maven-surefire-plugin</artifactId>
             <configuration>
+              <skip>false</skip>
               <systemPropertyVariables>
                 <mariadb.docker.version>${mariadb.docker.version}</mariadb.docker.version>
-                <mariadb.enabled>true</mariadb.enabled>
               </systemPropertyVariables>
             </configuration>
           </plugin>
diff --git a/tests/test-sessions/test-jdbc-sessions/src/test/java/org/eclipse/jetty/server/session/JdbcTestHelper.java b/tests/test-sessions/test-jdbc-sessions/src/test/java/org/eclipse/jetty/server/session/JdbcTestHelper.java
index f4172c24c39..541f43c69c4 100644
--- a/tests/test-sessions/test-jdbc-sessions/src/test/java/org/eclipse/jetty/server/session/JdbcTestHelper.java
+++ b/tests/test-sessions/test-jdbc-sessions/src/test/java/org/eclipse/jetty/server/session/JdbcTestHelper.java
@@ -47,14 +47,12 @@ import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertTrue;
  */
 public class JdbcTestHelper
 {
-    public static final boolean USE_MARIADB = Boolean.getBoolean("mariadb.enabled");
-
     private static final Logger LOG = LoggerFactory.getLogger(JdbcTestHelper.class);
     private static final Logger MARIADB_LOG = LoggerFactory.getLogger("org.eclipse.jetty.server.session.MariaDbLogs");
 
-    public static String DRIVER_CLASS = "org.apache.derby.jdbc.EmbeddedDriver";
-    public static String DEFAULT_CONNECTION_URL = "jdbc:derby:memory:sessions;create=true";
-    public static String DEFAULT_SHUTDOWN_URL = "jdbc:derby:memory:sessions;drop=true";
+    public static String DRIVER_CLASS;
+    public static String DEFAULT_CONNECTION_URL;
+
     public static final int STALE_INTERVAL = 1;
 
     public static final String EXPIRY_COL = "extime";
@@ -77,32 +75,29 @@ public class JdbcTestHelper
 
     static
     {
-        if (USE_MARIADB)
+        try
         {
-            try
-            {
-                long start = System.currentTimeMillis();
-                MARIAD_DB =
-                    new MariaDBContainer("mariadb:" + System.getProperty("mariadb.docker.version", "10.3.6"))
-                        .withUsername(MARIA_DB_USER)
-                        .withPassword(MARIA_DB_PASSWORD)
-                        .withDatabaseName("sessions");
-                MARIAD_DB.withLogConsumer(new Slf4jLogConsumer(MARIADB_LOG)).start();
-                String containerIpAddress =  MARIAD_DB.getContainerIpAddress();
-                int mariadbPort = MARIAD_DB.getMappedPort(3306);
-                DEFAULT_CONNECTION_URL = MARIAD_DB.getJdbcUrl();
-                DRIVER_CLASS = MARIAD_DB.getDriverClassName();
-                LOG.info("Mariadb container started for {}:{} - {}ms", containerIpAddress, mariadbPort,
-                         System.currentTimeMillis() - start);
-                DEFAULT_CONNECTION_URL = DEFAULT_CONNECTION_URL + "?user=" + MARIA_DB_USER +
-                    "&password=" + MARIA_DB_PASSWORD;
-                LOG.info("DEFAULT_CONNECTION_URL: {}", DEFAULT_CONNECTION_URL);
-            }
-            catch (Exception e)
-            {
-                LOG.error(e.getMessage(), e);
-                throw new RuntimeException(e.getMessage(), e);
-            }
+            long start = System.currentTimeMillis();
+            MARIAD_DB =
+                new MariaDBContainer("mariadb:" + System.getProperty("mariadb.docker.version", "10.3.6"))
+                    .withUsername(MARIA_DB_USER)
+                    .withPassword(MARIA_DB_PASSWORD)
+                    .withDatabaseName("sessions");
+            MARIAD_DB.withLogConsumer(new Slf4jLogConsumer(MARIADB_LOG)).start();
+            String containerIpAddress =  MARIAD_DB.getContainerIpAddress();
+            int mariadbPort = MARIAD_DB.getMappedPort(3306);
+            DEFAULT_CONNECTION_URL = MARIAD_DB.getJdbcUrl();
+            DRIVER_CLASS = MARIAD_DB.getDriverClassName();
+            LOG.info("Mariadb container started for {}:{} - {}ms", containerIpAddress, mariadbPort,
+                     System.currentTimeMillis() - start);
+            DEFAULT_CONNECTION_URL = DEFAULT_CONNECTION_URL + "?user=" + MARIA_DB_USER +
+                "&password=" + MARIA_DB_PASSWORD;
+            LOG.info("DEFAULT_CONNECTION_URL: {}", DEFAULT_CONNECTION_URL);
+        }
+        catch (Exception e)
+        {
+            LOG.error(e.getMessage(), e);
+            throw new RuntimeException(e.getMessage(), e);
         }
     }
 
@@ -114,27 +109,9 @@ public class JdbcTestHelper
     public static void shutdown(String connectionUrl)
         throws Exception
     {
-        if (USE_MARIADB)
+        try (Connection connection = getConnection())
         {
-            try (Connection connection = getConnection())
-            {
-                connection.prepareStatement("truncate table " + TABLE).executeUpdate();
-            }
-            return;
-        }
-        if (connectionUrl == null)
-            connectionUrl = DEFAULT_SHUTDOWN_URL;
-
-        try
-        {
-            DriverManager.getConnection(connectionUrl);
-        }
-        catch (SQLException expected)
-        {
-            if (!"08006".equals(expected.getSQLState()))
-            {
-                throw expected;
-            }
+            connection.prepareStatement("truncate table " + TABLE).executeUpdate();
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/tests/test-sessions/test-jdbc-sessions/src/test/java/org/eclipse/jetty/server/session/SessionTableSchemaTest.java b/tests/test-sessions/test-jdbc-sessions/src/test/java/org/eclipse/jetty/server/session/SessionTableSchemaTest.java
index 4bbd29561b4..224d93cde7d 100644
--- a/tests/test-sessions/test-jdbc-sessions/src/test/java/org/eclipse/jetty/server/session/SessionTableSchemaTest.java
+++ b/tests/test-sessions/test-jdbc-sessions/src/test/java/org/eclipse/jetty/server/session/SessionTableSchemaTest.java
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ package org.eclipse.jetty.server.session;
 
 import java.io.ByteArrayInputStream;
 import java.sql.Connection;
-import java.sql.DriverManager;
 import java.sql.PreparedStatement;
 import java.sql.ResultSet;
 
@@ -29,7 +28,6 @@ import org.junit.jupiter.api.AfterEach;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.BeforeEach;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
 
-import static org.eclipse.jetty.server.session.JdbcTestHelper.USE_MARIADB;
 import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertEquals;
 import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertFalse;
 import static org.junit.jupiter.api.Assertions.assertTrue;