diff --git a/releng/org.eclipse.emf.parsley.parent/pom.xml b/releng/org.eclipse.emf.parsley.parent/pom.xml
index 91d5be56..6297ed6c 100644
--- a/releng/org.eclipse.emf.parsley.parent/pom.xml
+++ b/releng/org.eclipse.emf.parsley.parent/pom.xml
@@ -84,8 +84,15 @@
 		<pdeTestsArgs></pdeTestsArgs>
 		<skipDragAndDropTests>true</skipDragAndDropTests>
 		<swtbotTestsArgs>${uiTestsArgs} -DskipDragAndDropTests=${skipDragAndDropTests} -Dorg.eclipse.swtbot.search.timeout=20000 -Dorg.eclipse.swt.internal.gtk.cairoGraphics=false</swtbotTestsArgs>
+		<!-- we build with at least Java 11 always -->
 		<moduleProperties>--add-modules=ALL-SYSTEM</moduleProperties>
 
+		<!-- Define overridable properties for tycho-surefire-plugin -->
+		<platformSystemProperties></platformSystemProperties>
+		<previewProperties></previewProperties>
+		<systemProperties></systemProperties>
+		<additionalTestArguments></additionalTestArguments>
+
 		<!-- <jacoco.reportPath>../target/jacoco.exec</jacoco.reportPath> -->
 		
 		<parsley.download.area>/home/data/httpd/download.eclipse.org/emf-parsley</parsley.download.area>
@@ -622,6 +629,43 @@
 				</pluginRepository>
 			</pluginRepositories>
 		</profile>
+
+		<profile>
+			<id>macos</id>
+			<activation>
+				<os>
+					<family>mac</family>
+				</os>
+			</activation>
+			<properties>
+				<!-- THE FOLLOWING LINE MUST NOT BE BROKEN BY AUTOFORMATTING -->
+				<platformSystemProperties>-XstartOnFirstThread</platformSystemProperties>
+			</properties>
+		</profile>
+		<profile>
+			<id>jdk12-or-newer</id>
+			<activation>
+				<jdk>[12,)</jdk>
+			</activation>
+			<properties>
+				<previewProperties>--enable-preview</previewProperties>
+			</properties>
+		</profile>
+		<profile>
+			<id>jacoco</id>
+			<properties>
+				<!-- tycho.testArgLine is where jacoco stores the agent path -->
+				<additionalTestArguments>${tycho.testArgLine}</additionalTestArguments>
+			</properties>
+			<build>
+				<plugins>
+					<plugin>
+						<groupId>org.jacoco</groupId>
+						<artifactId>jacoco-maven-plugin</artifactId>
+					</plugin>
+				</plugins>
+			</build>
+		</profile>
 	</profiles>
 
 	<build>
@@ -690,6 +734,15 @@
 					</configuration>
 				</plugin>
 
+				<plugin>
+					<groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
+					<artifactId>maven-surefire-plugin</artifactId>
+					<version>${maven-surefire-plugin.version}</version>
+					<configuration>
+						<argLine>${platformSystemProperties} ${systemProperties} ${additionalTestArguments}</argLine>
+					</configuration>
+				</plugin>
+
 				<plugin>
 					<groupId>org.codehaus.mojo</groupId>
 					<artifactId>build-helper-maven-plugin</artifactId>
diff --git a/tests/org.eclipse.emf.parsley.tests/pom.xml b/tests/org.eclipse.emf.parsley.tests/pom.xml
index ed5bb40a..82660927 100644
--- a/tests/org.eclipse.emf.parsley.tests/pom.xml
+++ b/tests/org.eclipse.emf.parsley.tests/pom.xml
@@ -54,7 +54,6 @@
 					of tycho surefire -->
 				<groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
 				<artifactId>maven-surefire-plugin</artifactId>
-				<version>${maven-surefire-plugin.version}</version>
 				<executions>
 					<execution>
 						<!-- The execution id default-test must be left to tycho-surefire-plugin 
@@ -63,9 +62,6 @@
 						<phase>test</phase>
 						<configuration>
 							<skip>${simple.tests.skip}</skip>
-							<!-- tycho.testArgLine repeated to re-use the configuration for argLine 
-								for jacoco agent -->
-							<argLine>${tycho.testArgLine} ${uiTestsArgs} ${memoryArgs} ${moduleProperties}</argLine>
 							<testClassesDirectory>${project.build.outputDirectory}</testClassesDirectory>
 							<includes>
 								<include>**/*Test.java</include>