diff --git a/aqute-bnd.spec b/aqute-bnd.spec
index 67a2bd2..3bf2f03 100644
--- a/aqute-bnd.spec
+++ b/aqute-bnd.spec
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ Source0:        %{name}-%{version}.tar.gz
 # ./generate-tarball.sh
 Source1:        generate-tarball.sh
 
+# Auxiliary parent pom, packager-written
 Source2:        parent.pom
 Source3:        https://repo1.maven.org/maven2/biz/aQute/bnd/aQute.libg/%{version}/aQute.libg-%{version}.pom
 Source4:        https://repo1.maven.org/maven2/biz/aQute/bnd/biz.aQute.bnd/%{version}/biz.aQute.bnd-%{version}.pom
@@ -105,7 +106,8 @@ API documentation for %{name}.
 # the commands pull in more dependencies than we want (felix-resolver, jetty)
 rm biz.aQute.bnd/src/aQute/bnd/main/{ExportReportCommand,MbrCommand,RemoteCommand,ReporterLogger,ResolveCommand,Shell}.java
 
-sed 's/@VERSION@/%{version}/' %SOURCE2 > pom.xml
+cp %SOURCE2 pom.xml
+%pom_xpath_set "pom:project/pom:version" "%{version}"
 sed -i 's|${Bundle-Version}|%{version}|' biz.aQute.bndlib/src/aQute/bnd/osgi/bnd.info
 
 %if %{without bnd_maven_plugin}
@@ -215,7 +217,7 @@ popd
 %endif
 
 %build
-%mvn_build -- -Dproject.build.sourceEncoding=UTF-8
+%mvn_build
 
 %install
 %mvn_install
diff --git a/parent.pom b/parent.pom
index 5be1f3b..fde3bca 100644
--- a/parent.pom
+++ b/parent.pom
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 
   <groupId>biz.aQute.bnd</groupId>
   <artifactId>parent</artifactId>
-  <version>@VERSION@</version>
+  <version></version>
 
   <packaging>pom</packaging>
 
@@ -26,6 +26,10 @@
     </license>
   </licenses>
 
+  <properties>
+    <project.build.sourceEncoding>UTF-8</project.build.sourceEncoding>
+  </properties>
+
   <developers>
     <developer>
       <id>bnd</id>
@@ -188,7 +192,7 @@
       <plugin>
         <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
         <artifactId>maven-compiler-plugin</artifactId>
-        <version>3.8.1</version>
+        <version>any</version>
         <configuration>
           <source>1.8</source>
           <target>1.8</target>
@@ -196,5 +200,4 @@
       </plugin>
     </plugins>
   </build>
-
 </project>