diff --git a/surefire-its/src/test/resources/surefire-1733-junit4/pom.xml b/surefire-its/src/test/resources/surefire-1733-junit4/pom.xml
index 5935e4b874..a555690f09 100644
--- a/surefire-its/src/test/resources/surefire-1733-junit4/pom.xml
+++ b/surefire-its/src/test/resources/surefire-1733-junit4/pom.xml
@@ -96,6 +96,14 @@
                     </execution>
                 </executions>
             </plugin>
+            <plugin>
+                <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
+                <artifactId>maven-jar-plugin</artifactId>
+                <!-- explicit 3.5.1: the Maven 3.10.0(-rc-1) super-POM pins 3.5.0, which
+                     breaks modular JARs on Windows with JDK < 14 (plexus-archiver 4.10.4
+                     NPE), see https://github.com/apache/maven-jar-plugin/issues/555 -->
+                <version>3.5.1</version>
+            </plugin>
         </plugins>
     </build>
 
diff --git a/surefire-its/src/test/resources/surefire-1733-testng/pom.xml b/surefire-its/src/test/resources/surefire-1733-testng/pom.xml
index d9b9dda713..b747cf6d98 100644
--- a/surefire-its/src/test/resources/surefire-1733-testng/pom.xml
+++ b/surefire-its/src/test/resources/surefire-1733-testng/pom.xml
@@ -96,6 +96,14 @@
                     </execution>
                 </executions>
             </plugin>
+            <plugin>
+                <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
+                <artifactId>maven-jar-plugin</artifactId>
+                <!-- explicit 3.5.1: the Maven 3.10.0(-rc-1) super-POM pins 3.5.0, which
+                     breaks modular JARs on Windows with JDK < 14 (plexus-archiver 4.10.4
+                     NPE), see https://github.com/apache/maven-jar-plugin/issues/555 -->
+                <version>3.5.1</version>
+            </plugin>
         </plugins>
     </build>
 
diff --git a/surefire-its/src/test/resources/surefire-1993-jpms-providing-modules/pom.xml b/surefire-its/src/test/resources/surefire-1993-jpms-providing-modules/pom.xml
index 9d46d0a467..f3292114fb 100644
--- a/surefire-its/src/test/resources/surefire-1993-jpms-providing-modules/pom.xml
+++ b/surefire-its/src/test/resources/surefire-1993-jpms-providing-modules/pom.xml
@@ -93,6 +93,14 @@
                     <artifactId>maven-failsafe-plugin</artifactId>
                     <version>${surefire.version}</version>
                 </plugin>
+                <plugin>
+                    <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
+                    <artifactId>maven-jar-plugin</artifactId>
+                    <!-- explicit 3.5.1: the Maven 3.10.0(-rc-1) super-POM pins 3.5.0, which
+                         breaks modular JARs on Windows with JDK < 14 (plexus-archiver 4.10.4
+                         NPE), see https://github.com/apache/maven-jar-plugin/issues/555 -->
+                    <version>3.5.1</version>
+                </plugin>
             </plugins>
         </pluginManagement>
     </build>
diff --git a/surefire-its/src/test/resources/surefire-2190/pom.xml b/surefire-its/src/test/resources/surefire-2190/pom.xml
index 3cdfd1e819..b72d37e1d1 100644
--- a/surefire-its/src/test/resources/surefire-2190/pom.xml
+++ b/surefire-its/src/test/resources/surefire-2190/pom.xml
@@ -63,6 +63,14 @@
                 <artifactId>maven-surefire-plugin</artifactId>
                 <version>${surefire.version}</version>
             </plugin>
+            <plugin>
+                <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
+                <artifactId>maven-jar-plugin</artifactId>
+                <!-- explicit 3.5.1: the Maven 3.10.0(-rc-1) super-POM pins 3.5.0, which
+                     breaks modular JARs on Windows with JDK < 14 (plexus-archiver 4.10.4
+                     NPE), see https://github.com/apache/maven-jar-plugin/issues/555 -->
+                <version>3.5.1</version>
+            </plugin>
         </plugins>
     </build>
 </project>