diff --git a/packages/jsii-calc-lib/package.json b/packages/jsii-calc-lib/package.json
index 2ec74054b7..fa1a64e915 100644
--- a/packages/jsii-calc-lib/package.json
+++ b/packages/jsii-calc-lib/package.json
@@ -14,7 +14,8 @@
         "package": "software.amazon.jsii.tests.calculator.lib",
         "maven": {
           "groupId": "software.amazon.jsii.tests",
-          "artifactId": "calculator-lib"
+          "artifactId": "calculator-lib",
+          "versionSuffix": "devpreview"
         }
       },
       "dotnet": {
@@ -53,4 +54,4 @@
     "type": "git",
     "url": "https://github.com/awslabs/jsii.git"
   }
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/packages/jsii-calc-lib/test/assembly.jsii b/packages/jsii-calc-lib/test/assembly.jsii
index 387348ef42..d3f7b2564f 100644
--- a/packages/jsii-calc-lib/test/assembly.jsii
+++ b/packages/jsii-calc-lib/test/assembly.jsii
@@ -105,7 +105,8 @@
     "java": {
       "maven": {
         "artifactId": "calculator-lib",
-        "groupId": "software.amazon.jsii.tests"
+        "groupId": "software.amazon.jsii.tests",
+        "versionSuffix": "devpreview"
       },
       "package": "software.amazon.jsii.tests.calculator.lib"
     },
@@ -540,5 +541,5 @@
     }
   },
   "version": "0.12.1",
-  "fingerprint": "8rURgFQ4mU5jtzoxcgnq46MwxVxAepVcXcayr94T7Jk="
+  "fingerprint": "MXSaKBVwpFalIulxHb3PUOMH4eKJJHPxI2u+zfEsbmA="
 }
diff --git a/packages/jsii-calc/test/assembly.jsii b/packages/jsii-calc/test/assembly.jsii
index b35f83dc94..5510258156 100644
--- a/packages/jsii-calc/test/assembly.jsii
+++ b/packages/jsii-calc/test/assembly.jsii
@@ -91,7 +91,8 @@
         "java": {
           "maven": {
             "artifactId": "calculator-lib",
-            "groupId": "software.amazon.jsii.tests"
+            "groupId": "software.amazon.jsii.tests",
+            "versionSuffix": "devpreview"
           },
           "package": "software.amazon.jsii.tests.calculator.lib"
         },
@@ -165,7 +166,8 @@
         "java": {
           "maven": {
             "artifactId": "calculator-lib",
-            "groupId": "software.amazon.jsii.tests"
+            "groupId": "software.amazon.jsii.tests",
+            "versionSuffix": "devpreview"
           },
           "package": "software.amazon.jsii.tests.calculator.lib"
         },
@@ -8774,5 +8776,5 @@
     }
   },
   "version": "0.12.1",
-  "fingerprint": "zqNgOADt1geKGnlmywyqSBDc4sGLkoK3kxoWdDOf6ro="
+  "fingerprint": "AlSn00Q27h2jLbVq5Xtz97KdHszOYlZOq+al2FOvsWM="
 }
diff --git a/packages/jsii-kernel/test/test.kernel.ts b/packages/jsii-kernel/test/test.kernel.ts
index 7d86cf5129..acea505182 100644
--- a/packages/jsii-kernel/test/test.kernel.ts
+++ b/packages/jsii-kernel/test/test.kernel.ts
@@ -252,7 +252,7 @@ defineTest('naming allows returns the module name for different languages', asyn
         },
         java: {
             package: 'software.amazon.jsii.tests.calculator.lib',
-            maven: { groupId: 'software.amazon.jsii.tests', artifactId: 'calculator-lib' }
+            maven: { groupId: 'software.amazon.jsii.tests', artifactId: 'calculator-lib', versionSuffix: 'devpreview' },
         },
         js: { npm: '@scope/jsii-calc-lib' },
         python: { distName: 'scope.jsii-calc-lib', module: 'scope.jsii_calc_lib' },
diff --git a/packages/jsii-pacmak/lib/targets/java.ts b/packages/jsii-pacmak/lib/targets/java.ts
index 0d214a1763..473e0e447a 100644
--- a/packages/jsii-pacmak/lib/targets/java.ts
+++ b/packages/jsii-pacmak/lib/targets/java.ts
@@ -423,8 +423,9 @@ class JavaGenerator extends Generator {
                         url: assm.repository.url
                     },
 
-                    ...assm.targets.java.maven,
-                    'version': assm.version,
+                    'groupId': assm.targets.java.maven.groupId,
+                    'artifactId': assm.targets.java.maven.artifactId,
+                    'version': makeVersion(assm.version, assm.targets.java.maven.versionSuffix),
                     'packaging': 'jar',
 
                     'properties': { 'project.build.sourceEncoding': 'UTF-8' },
@@ -492,6 +493,22 @@ class JavaGenerator extends Generator {
         );
         this.code.closeFile('pom.xml');
 
+        /**
+         * Combines a version number with an optional suffix. If the suffix starts with '-' or '.', it will be
+         * concatenated as-is to the semantic version number. Otherwise, it'll be appended to the version number with an
+         * intercalar '-'.
+         *
+         * @param version the semantic version number
+         * @param suffix  the suffix, if any.
+         */
+        function makeVersion(version: string, suffix?: string): string {
+            if (!suffix) { return version; }
+            if (!suffix.startsWith('-') && !suffix.startsWith('.')) {
+                return `${version}-${suffix}`;
+            }
+            return `${version}${suffix}`;
+        }
+
         function mavenDependencies() {
             const dependencies = new Array<MavenDependency>();
             const allDeps = { ...(assm.dependencies || {}), ...self.referencedModules };
@@ -501,8 +518,9 @@ class JavaGenerator extends Generator {
                     throw new Error(`Assembly ${assm.name} depends on ${depName}, which does not declare a java target`);
                 }
                 dependencies.push({
-                    ...dep.targets.java.maven,
-                    version: dep.version
+                    groupId: dep.targets.java.maven.groupId,
+                    artifactId: dep.targets.java.maven.artifactId,
+                    version: makeVersion(dep.version, dep.targets.java.maven.versionSuffix),
                 });
             }
             // The JSII java runtime base classes
diff --git a/packages/jsii-pacmak/test/expected.jsii-calc-base/java/pom.xml b/packages/jsii-pacmak/test/expected.jsii-calc-base/java/pom.xml
index 874d3e1e37..ff450f9126 100644
--- a/packages/jsii-pacmak/test/expected.jsii-calc-base/java/pom.xml
+++ b/packages/jsii-pacmak/test/expected.jsii-calc-base/java/pom.xml
@@ -25,8 +25,8 @@
     <connection>scm:git:https://github.com/awslabs/jsii.git</connection>
     <url>https://github.com/awslabs/jsii.git</url>
   </scm>
-  <artifactId>calculator-base</artifactId>
   <groupId>software.amazon.jsii.tests</groupId>
+  <artifactId>calculator-base</artifactId>
   <version>0.12.1</version>
   <packaging>jar</packaging>
   <properties>
@@ -34,8 +34,8 @@
   </properties>
   <dependencies>
     <dependency>
-      <artifactId>calculator-base-of-base</artifactId>
       <groupId>software.amazon.jsii.tests</groupId>
+      <artifactId>calculator-base-of-base</artifactId>
       <version>0.12.1</version>
     </dependency>
     <dependency>
diff --git a/packages/jsii-pacmak/test/expected.jsii-calc-lib/dotnet/Amazon.JSII.Tests.CalculatorPackageId.LibPackageId/.jsii b/packages/jsii-pacmak/test/expected.jsii-calc-lib/dotnet/Amazon.JSII.Tests.CalculatorPackageId.LibPackageId/.jsii
index 387348ef42..d3f7b2564f 100644
--- a/packages/jsii-pacmak/test/expected.jsii-calc-lib/dotnet/Amazon.JSII.Tests.CalculatorPackageId.LibPackageId/.jsii
+++ b/packages/jsii-pacmak/test/expected.jsii-calc-lib/dotnet/Amazon.JSII.Tests.CalculatorPackageId.LibPackageId/.jsii
@@ -105,7 +105,8 @@
     "java": {
       "maven": {
         "artifactId": "calculator-lib",
-        "groupId": "software.amazon.jsii.tests"
+        "groupId": "software.amazon.jsii.tests",
+        "versionSuffix": "devpreview"
       },
       "package": "software.amazon.jsii.tests.calculator.lib"
     },
@@ -540,5 +541,5 @@
     }
   },
   "version": "0.12.1",
-  "fingerprint": "8rURgFQ4mU5jtzoxcgnq46MwxVxAepVcXcayr94T7Jk="
+  "fingerprint": "MXSaKBVwpFalIulxHb3PUOMH4eKJJHPxI2u+zfEsbmA="
 }
diff --git a/packages/jsii-pacmak/test/expected.jsii-calc-lib/java/pom.xml b/packages/jsii-pacmak/test/expected.jsii-calc-lib/java/pom.xml
index 841256f112..ecd5d7ccf7 100644
--- a/packages/jsii-pacmak/test/expected.jsii-calc-lib/java/pom.xml
+++ b/packages/jsii-pacmak/test/expected.jsii-calc-lib/java/pom.xml
@@ -25,17 +25,17 @@
     <connection>scm:git:https://github.com/awslabs/jsii.git</connection>
     <url>https://github.com/awslabs/jsii.git</url>
   </scm>
-  <artifactId>calculator-lib</artifactId>
   <groupId>software.amazon.jsii.tests</groupId>
-  <version>0.12.1</version>
+  <artifactId>calculator-lib</artifactId>
+  <version>0.12.1-devpreview</version>
   <packaging>jar</packaging>
   <properties>
     <project.build.sourceEncoding>UTF-8</project.build.sourceEncoding>
   </properties>
   <dependencies>
     <dependency>
-      <artifactId>calculator-base</artifactId>
       <groupId>software.amazon.jsii.tests</groupId>
+      <artifactId>calculator-base</artifactId>
       <version>0.12.1</version>
     </dependency>
     <dependency>
diff --git a/packages/jsii-pacmak/test/expected.jsii-calc/dotnet/Amazon.JSII.Tests.CalculatorPackageId/.jsii b/packages/jsii-pacmak/test/expected.jsii-calc/dotnet/Amazon.JSII.Tests.CalculatorPackageId/.jsii
index b35f83dc94..5510258156 100644
--- a/packages/jsii-pacmak/test/expected.jsii-calc/dotnet/Amazon.JSII.Tests.CalculatorPackageId/.jsii
+++ b/packages/jsii-pacmak/test/expected.jsii-calc/dotnet/Amazon.JSII.Tests.CalculatorPackageId/.jsii
@@ -91,7 +91,8 @@
         "java": {
           "maven": {
             "artifactId": "calculator-lib",
-            "groupId": "software.amazon.jsii.tests"
+            "groupId": "software.amazon.jsii.tests",
+            "versionSuffix": "devpreview"
           },
           "package": "software.amazon.jsii.tests.calculator.lib"
         },
@@ -165,7 +166,8 @@
         "java": {
           "maven": {
             "artifactId": "calculator-lib",
-            "groupId": "software.amazon.jsii.tests"
+            "groupId": "software.amazon.jsii.tests",
+            "versionSuffix": "devpreview"
           },
           "package": "software.amazon.jsii.tests.calculator.lib"
         },
@@ -8774,5 +8776,5 @@
     }
   },
   "version": "0.12.1",
-  "fingerprint": "zqNgOADt1geKGnlmywyqSBDc4sGLkoK3kxoWdDOf6ro="
+  "fingerprint": "AlSn00Q27h2jLbVq5Xtz97KdHszOYlZOq+al2FOvsWM="
 }
diff --git a/packages/jsii-pacmak/test/expected.jsii-calc/java/pom.xml b/packages/jsii-pacmak/test/expected.jsii-calc/java/pom.xml
index f9d5af1516..957fe3a212 100644
--- a/packages/jsii-pacmak/test/expected.jsii-calc/java/pom.xml
+++ b/packages/jsii-pacmak/test/expected.jsii-calc/java/pom.xml
@@ -46,8 +46,8 @@
     <connection>scm:git:https://github.com/awslabs/jsii.git</connection>
     <url>https://github.com/awslabs/jsii.git</url>
   </scm>
-  <artifactId>calculator</artifactId>
   <groupId>software.amazon.jsii.tests</groupId>
+  <artifactId>calculator</artifactId>
   <version>0.12.1</version>
   <packaging>jar</packaging>
   <properties>
@@ -55,19 +55,19 @@
   </properties>
   <dependencies>
     <dependency>
-      <artifactId>calculator-base</artifactId>
       <groupId>software.amazon.jsii.tests</groupId>
+      <artifactId>calculator-base</artifactId>
       <version>0.12.1</version>
     </dependency>
     <dependency>
-      <artifactId>calculator-base-of-base</artifactId>
       <groupId>software.amazon.jsii.tests</groupId>
+      <artifactId>calculator-base-of-base</artifactId>
       <version>0.12.1</version>
     </dependency>
     <dependency>
-      <artifactId>calculator-lib</artifactId>
       <groupId>software.amazon.jsii.tests</groupId>
-      <version>0.12.1</version>
+      <artifactId>calculator-lib</artifactId>
+      <version>0.12.1-devpreview</version>
     </dependency>
     <dependency>
       <groupId>software.amazon.jsii</groupId>