diff --git a/maven-release-api/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/shared/release/versions/Version.java b/maven-release-api/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/shared/release/versions/Version.java
index c4a36a3a..1e896041 100644
--- a/maven-release-api/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/shared/release/versions/Version.java
+++ b/maven-release-api/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/shared/release/versions/Version.java
@@ -198,13 +198,13 @@ protected static String getVersionString(Version info, String buildSpecifier, St
             sb.append(joinDigitString(info.digits));
         }
 
-        if (StringUtils.isNotEmpty(info.annotation)) {
+        if (info.annotation != null && !info.annotation.isEmpty()) {
             sb.append(StringUtils.defaultString(info.annotationSeparator));
             sb.append(info.annotation);
         }
 
-        if (StringUtils.isNotEmpty(info.annotationRevision)) {
-            if (StringUtils.isEmpty(info.annotation)) {
+        if (info.annotationRevision != null && !info.annotationRevision.isEmpty()) {
+            if (info.annotation == null || info.annotation.isEmpty()) {
                 sb.append(StringUtils.defaultString(info.annotationSeparator));
             } else {
                 sb.append(StringUtils.defaultString(info.annotationRevSeparator));
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@ protected static String getVersionString(Version info, String buildSpecifier, St
             sb.append(info.annotationRevision);
         }
 
-        if (StringUtils.isNotEmpty(buildSpecifier)) {
+        if (buildSpecifier != null && !buildSpecifier.isEmpty()) {
             sb.append(StringUtils.defaultString(buildSeparator));
             sb.append(buildSpecifier);
         }
@@ -240,7 +240,7 @@ private List<String> parseDigits(String strDigits) {
     }
 
     private static String nullIfEmpty(String s) {
-        return StringUtils.isEmpty(s) ? null : s;
+        return (s == null || s.isEmpty()) ? null : s;
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/maven-release-manager/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/shared/release/DefaultReleaseManager.java b/maven-release-manager/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/shared/release/DefaultReleaseManager.java
index 6358f241..bf793f0c 100644
--- a/maven-release-manager/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/shared/release/DefaultReleaseManager.java
+++ b/maven-release-manager/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/shared/release/DefaultReleaseManager.java
@@ -41,7 +41,6 @@
 import org.apache.maven.shared.release.phase.ReleasePhase;
 import org.apache.maven.shared.release.phase.ResourceGenerator;
 import org.apache.maven.shared.release.strategy.Strategy;
-import org.codehaus.plexus.util.StringUtils;
 import org.slf4j.Logger;
 import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
 
@@ -459,7 +458,7 @@ public ReleaseDescriptorBuilder addReleaseVersion(String key, String value) {
      * @return The working directory
      */
     protected File determineWorkingDirectory(File checkoutDirectory, String relativePathProjectDirectory) {
-        if (StringUtils.isNotEmpty(relativePathProjectDirectory)) {
+        if (relativePathProjectDirectory != null && !relativePathProjectDirectory.isEmpty()) {
             return new File(checkoutDirectory, relativePathProjectDirectory);
         } else {
             return checkoutDirectory;
diff --git a/maven-release-manager/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/shared/release/exec/ForkedMavenExecutor.java b/maven-release-manager/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/shared/release/exec/ForkedMavenExecutor.java
index 7a807aaf..83f57b1d 100644
--- a/maven-release-manager/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/shared/release/exec/ForkedMavenExecutor.java
+++ b/maven-release-manager/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/shared/release/exec/ForkedMavenExecutor.java
@@ -34,7 +34,6 @@
 import org.apache.maven.shared.release.ReleaseResult;
 import org.apache.maven.shared.release.env.ReleaseEnvironment;
 import org.apache.maven.shared.release.util.MavenCrypto;
-import org.codehaus.plexus.util.StringUtils;
 import org.codehaus.plexus.util.cli.CommandLineException;
 import org.codehaus.plexus.util.cli.Commandline;
 
@@ -128,7 +127,7 @@ public void executeGoals(
                 cl.createArg().setValue("--batch-mode");
             }
 
-            if (!StringUtils.isEmpty(additionalArguments)) {
+            if (!(additionalArguments == null || additionalArguments.isEmpty())) {
                 cl.createArg().setLine(additionalArguments);
             }
 
diff --git a/maven-release-manager/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/shared/release/phase/AbstractInputVariablesPhase.java b/maven-release-manager/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/shared/release/phase/AbstractInputVariablesPhase.java
index c9772850..c248c5cb 100644
--- a/maven-release-manager/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/shared/release/phase/AbstractInputVariablesPhase.java
+++ b/maven-release-manager/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/shared/release/phase/AbstractInputVariablesPhase.java
@@ -48,7 +48,6 @@
 import org.codehaus.plexus.interpolation.PrefixedPropertiesValueSource;
 import org.codehaus.plexus.interpolation.RecursionInterceptor;
 import org.codehaus.plexus.interpolation.StringSearchInterpolator;
-import org.codehaus.plexus.util.StringUtils;
 
 import static java.util.Objects.requireNonNull;
 import static org.apache.maven.shared.utils.logging.MessageUtils.buffer;
@@ -201,7 +200,7 @@ public ReleaseResult execute(
                         tag = prompter.get()
                                 .prompt("What is the branch name for \"" + project.getName() + "\"? ("
                                         + buffer().project(project.getArtifactId()) + ")");
-                        if (StringUtils.isEmpty(tag)) {
+                        if (tag == null || tag.isEmpty()) {
                             throw new ReleaseExecutionException("No branch name was given.");
                         }
                     } else {
diff --git a/maven-release-manager/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/shared/release/phase/AbstractMapVersionsPhase.java b/maven-release-manager/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/shared/release/phase/AbstractMapVersionsPhase.java
index c2b0a6fe..57605bfd 100644
--- a/maven-release-manager/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/shared/release/phase/AbstractMapVersionsPhase.java
+++ b/maven-release-manager/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/shared/release/phase/AbstractMapVersionsPhase.java
@@ -39,7 +39,6 @@
 import org.apache.maven.shared.release.versions.VersionParseException;
 import org.codehaus.plexus.components.interactivity.Prompter;
 import org.codehaus.plexus.components.interactivity.PrompterException;
-import org.codehaus.plexus.util.StringUtils;
 import org.slf4j.Logger;
 
 import static java.util.Objects.requireNonNull;
@@ -336,11 +335,11 @@ private String resolveSuggestedVersion(
     private String getDevelopmentVersion(String projectId, ReleaseDescriptor releaseDescriptor) {
         String projectVersion = releaseDescriptor.getProjectDevelopmentVersion(projectId);
 
-        if (StringUtils.isEmpty(projectVersion)) {
+        if (projectVersion == null || projectVersion.isEmpty()) {
             projectVersion = releaseDescriptor.getDefaultDevelopmentVersion();
         }
 
-        if (StringUtils.isEmpty(projectVersion)) {
+        if (projectVersion == null || projectVersion.isEmpty()) {
             return null;
         }
 
@@ -350,11 +349,11 @@ private String getDevelopmentVersion(String projectId, ReleaseDescriptor release
     private String getReleaseVersion(String projectId, ReleaseDescriptor releaseDescriptor) {
         String projectVersion = releaseDescriptor.getProjectReleaseVersion(projectId);
 
-        if (StringUtils.isEmpty(projectVersion)) {
+        if (projectVersion == null || projectVersion.isEmpty()) {
             projectVersion = releaseDescriptor.getDefaultReleaseVersion();
         }
 
-        if (StringUtils.isEmpty(projectVersion)) {
+        if (projectVersion == null || projectVersion.isEmpty()) {
             return null;
         }
 
diff --git a/maven-release-manager/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/shared/release/phase/AbstractRewritePomsPhase.java b/maven-release-manager/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/shared/release/phase/AbstractRewritePomsPhase.java
index 17f0c578..d17865ec 100644
--- a/maven-release-manager/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/shared/release/phase/AbstractRewritePomsPhase.java
+++ b/maven-release-manager/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/shared/release/phase/AbstractRewritePomsPhase.java
@@ -409,7 +409,7 @@ private void transformDocument(
 
     private void rewriteBuildOutputTimestampProperty(Properties properties, ReleaseResult result) {
         String buildOutputTimestamp = properties.getProperty("project.build.outputTimestamp");
-        if (buildOutputTimestamp == null || StringUtils.isEmpty(buildOutputTimestamp)) {
+        if (buildOutputTimestamp == null || (buildOutputTimestamp == null || buildOutputTimestamp.isEmpty())) {
             // no Reproducible Builds output timestamp defined
             return;
         }
diff --git a/maven-release-manager/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/shared/release/phase/AbstractRunGoalsPhase.java b/maven-release-manager/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/shared/release/phase/AbstractRunGoalsPhase.java
index ff30e4d1..76794f45 100644
--- a/maven-release-manager/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/shared/release/phase/AbstractRunGoalsPhase.java
+++ b/maven-release-manager/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/shared/release/phase/AbstractRunGoalsPhase.java
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ protected ReleaseResult execute(
 
         try {
             String goals = getGoals(releaseDescriptor);
-            if (!StringUtils.isEmpty(goals)) {
+            if (!(goals == null || goals.isEmpty())) {
                 logInfo(result, "Executing goals '" + buffer().strong(goals) + "'...");
                 if (logArguments) {
                     // logging arguments may log secrets: should be activated only on dryRun
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ protected String getAdditionalArguments(ReleaseDescriptor releaseDescriptor) {
     protected File determineWorkingDirectory(File checkoutDirectory, String relativePathProjectDirectory) {
         File workingDirectory = checkoutDirectory;
 
-        if (StringUtils.isNotEmpty(relativePathProjectDirectory)) {
+        if (relativePathProjectDirectory != null && !relativePathProjectDirectory.isEmpty()) {
             workingDirectory = new File(checkoutDirectory, relativePathProjectDirectory);
         }
 
diff --git a/maven-release-manager/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/shared/release/phase/CheckoutProjectFromScm.java b/maven-release-manager/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/shared/release/phase/CheckoutProjectFromScm.java
index b233c60b..37d41fcc 100644
--- a/maven-release-manager/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/shared/release/phase/CheckoutProjectFromScm.java
+++ b/maven-release-manager/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/shared/release/phase/CheckoutProjectFromScm.java
@@ -50,7 +50,6 @@
 import org.apache.maven.shared.release.scm.ScmRepositoryConfigurator;
 import org.apache.maven.shared.release.util.ReleaseUtil;
 import org.codehaus.plexus.util.FileUtils;
-import org.codehaus.plexus.util.StringUtils;
 
 import static java.util.Objects.requireNonNull;
 import static org.apache.maven.shared.utils.logging.MessageUtils.buffer;
@@ -208,7 +207,7 @@ private ReleaseResult performCheckout(
         }
 
         String scmRelativePathProjectDirectory = scmResult.getRelativePathProjectDirectory();
-        if (StringUtils.isEmpty(scmRelativePathProjectDirectory)) {
+        if (scmRelativePathProjectDirectory == null || scmRelativePathProjectDirectory.isEmpty()) {
             Path workingDirectory = Paths.get(releaseDescriptor.getWorkingDirectory());
 
             Path rootProjectBasedir;
diff --git a/maven-release-manager/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/shared/release/phase/RunPerformGoalsPhase.java b/maven-release-manager/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/shared/release/phase/RunPerformGoalsPhase.java
index 51dbb3c9..43a89add 100644
--- a/maven-release-manager/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/shared/release/phase/RunPerformGoalsPhase.java
+++ b/maven-release-manager/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/shared/release/phase/RunPerformGoalsPhase.java
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ private ReleaseResult runLogic(
         String additionalArguments = getAdditionalArguments(releaseDescriptor);
 
         if (releaseDescriptor.isUseReleaseProfile()) {
-            if (!StringUtils.isEmpty(additionalArguments)) {
+            if (!(additionalArguments == null || additionalArguments.isEmpty())) {
                 additionalArguments = additionalArguments + " -DperformRelease=true";
             } else {
                 additionalArguments = "-DperformRelease=true";
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ private ReleaseResult runLogic(
 
         // ensure we don't use the release pom for the perform goals
         // ^^ paranoia? A MavenExecutor has already access to this. Probably worth refactoring.
-        if (!StringUtils.isEmpty(additionalArguments)) {
+        if (!(additionalArguments == null || additionalArguments.isEmpty())) {
             additionalArguments = additionalArguments + " -f " + pomFileName;
         } else {
             additionalArguments = "-f " + pomFileName;
diff --git a/maven-release-manager/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/shared/release/scm/DefaultScmRepositoryConfigurator.java b/maven-release-manager/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/shared/release/scm/DefaultScmRepositoryConfigurator.java
index f2adb28e..0f42cade 100644
--- a/maven-release-manager/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/shared/release/scm/DefaultScmRepositoryConfigurator.java
+++ b/maven-release-manager/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/shared/release/scm/DefaultScmRepositoryConfigurator.java
@@ -37,7 +37,6 @@
 import org.apache.maven.shared.release.config.ReleaseDescriptor;
 import org.apache.maven.shared.release.util.MavenCrypto;
 import org.apache.maven.shared.release.util.MavenCrypto.MavenCryptoException;
-import org.codehaus.plexus.util.StringUtils;
 import org.slf4j.Logger;
 import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
 
@@ -134,20 +133,20 @@ public ScmRepository getConfiguredRepository(String url, ReleaseDescriptor relea
             }
         }
 
-        if (!StringUtils.isEmpty(username)) {
+        if (!(username == null || username.isEmpty())) {
             scmRepo.setUser(username);
         }
-        if (!StringUtils.isEmpty(password)) {
+        if (!(password == null || password.isEmpty())) {
             scmRepo.setPassword(password);
         }
 
         if (scmRepo instanceof ScmProviderRepositoryWithHost) {
             ScmProviderRepositoryWithHost repositoryWithHost = (ScmProviderRepositoryWithHost) scmRepo;
-            if (!StringUtils.isEmpty(privateKey)) {
+            if (!(privateKey == null || privateKey.isEmpty())) {
                 repositoryWithHost.setPrivateKey(privateKey);
             }
 
-            if (!StringUtils.isEmpty(passphrase)) {
+            if (!(passphrase == null || passphrase.isEmpty())) {
                 repositoryWithHost.setPassphrase(passphrase);
             }
         }
@@ -156,12 +155,12 @@ public ScmRepository getConfiguredRepository(String url, ReleaseDescriptor relea
             SvnScmProviderRepository svnRepo = (SvnScmProviderRepository) repository.getProviderRepository();
 
             String tagBase = releaseDescriptor.getScmTagBase();
-            if (!StringUtils.isEmpty(tagBase)) {
+            if (!(tagBase == null || tagBase.isEmpty())) {
                 svnRepo.setTagBase(tagBase);
             }
 
             String branchBase = releaseDescriptor.getScmBranchBase();
-            if (!StringUtils.isEmpty(branchBase)) {
+            if (!(branchBase == null || branchBase.isEmpty())) {
                 svnRepo.setBranchBase(branchBase);
             }
         }
diff --git a/maven-release-manager/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/shared/release/util/ReleaseUtil.java b/maven-release-manager/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/shared/release/util/ReleaseUtil.java
index 5a55c129..f57ba8bd 100644
--- a/maven-release-manager/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/shared/release/util/ReleaseUtil.java
+++ b/maven-release-manager/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/shared/release/util/ReleaseUtil.java
@@ -26,7 +26,6 @@
 import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.List;
 
-import org.apache.commons.lang3.StringUtils;
 import org.apache.maven.model.Model;
 import org.apache.maven.project.MavenProject;
 import org.apache.maven.shared.release.ReleaseExecutionException;
@@ -164,7 +163,7 @@ public static int getBaseWorkingDirectoryParentCount(final Path baseDirectory, f
     }
 
     public static String realignScmUrl(int parentLevels, String url) {
-        if (!StringUtils.isEmpty(url)) {
+        if (!(url == null || url.isEmpty())) {
             // normalize
             url = url.replaceAll("/\\./", "/")
                     .replaceAll("/\\.$", "")
diff --git a/maven-release-manager/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/shared/release/versions/DefaultVersionInfo.java b/maven-release-manager/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/shared/release/versions/DefaultVersionInfo.java
index 85dc1214..c7d71c8f 100644
--- a/maven-release-manager/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/shared/release/versions/DefaultVersionInfo.java
+++ b/maven-release-manager/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/shared/release/versions/DefaultVersionInfo.java
@@ -332,13 +332,13 @@ protected static String getVersionString(DefaultVersionInfo info, String buildSp
             sb.append(joinDigitString(info.digits));
         }
 
-        if (StringUtils.isNotEmpty(info.annotation)) {
+        if (info.annotation != null && !info.annotation.isEmpty()) {
             sb.append(StringUtils.defaultString(info.annotationSeparator));
             sb.append(info.annotation);
         }
 
-        if (StringUtils.isNotEmpty(info.annotationRevision)) {
-            if (StringUtils.isEmpty(info.annotation)) {
+        if (info.annotationRevision != null && !info.annotationRevision.isEmpty()) {
+            if (info.annotation == null || info.annotation.isEmpty()) {
                 sb.append(StringUtils.defaultString(info.annotationSeparator));
             } else {
                 sb.append(StringUtils.defaultString(info.annotationRevSeparator));
@@ -346,7 +346,7 @@ protected static String getVersionString(DefaultVersionInfo info, String buildSp
             sb.append(info.annotationRevision);
         }
 
-        if (StringUtils.isNotEmpty(buildSpecifier)) {
+        if (buildSpecifier != null && !buildSpecifier.isEmpty()) {
             sb.append(StringUtils.defaultString(buildSeparator));
             sb.append(buildSpecifier);
         }
@@ -379,7 +379,7 @@ private List<String> parseDigits(String strDigits) {
     // --------------------------------------------------
 
     private static String nullIfEmpty(String s) {
-        return StringUtils.isEmpty(s) ? null : s;
+        return (s == null || s.isEmpty()) ? null : s;
     }
 
     /**