diff --git a/build.xml b/build.xml
index 35ba766f64..e23b2d5d96 100644
--- a/build.xml
+++ b/build.xml
@@ -613,7 +613,7 @@
          Build the code
        ===================================================================
   -->
-  <target name="build" depends="prepare, compile, compile-jdk9+" unless="skip.build"
+  <target name="build" depends="compile,compile-jdk9+" unless="skip.build"
           description="--> compiles the source code">
 
     <!-- Builds and verifies that the classes belonging in the confined package of
@@ -1715,7 +1715,7 @@ ${antunit.reports}
     <fail if="tests.failed" message="Unit tests failed"/>
   </target>
 
-  <target name="test-init" depends="probe-offline,check-optional-packages,dump-info">
+  <target name="test-init" depends="probe-offline,dump-info">
     <mkdir dir="${build.junit.tmpdir}"/>
     <condition property="sun.io.useCanonCaches" value="false">
       <not>
diff --git a/check.xml b/check.xml
index fe3baccff0..6191038492 100644
--- a/check.xml
+++ b/check.xml
@@ -58,7 +58,7 @@
   <!-- Ant Checkstyle -->
   <property name="checkstyle.src.dir" location="${etc.dir}/checkstyle"/>
   <property name="checkstyle.version"
-            value="6.19"
+            value="8.28"
             description="Which version of Checkstyle to use"/>
   <property name="checkstyle.reportdir"
             location="${reports.dir}/checkstyle"
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@
 
   <!-- Findbugs: Running SpotBugs -->
   <property name="spotbugs.version"
-            value="3.1.4"
+            value="3.1.12"
             description="Which version of SpotBugs to use"/>
   <property name="findbugs.reportdir"
             location="${reports.dir}/findbugs"
@@ -130,7 +130,7 @@
 
   <!-- OWASP Dependency Check -->
   <property name="owasp.dc.version"
-            value="3.2.1"
+            value="5.2.4"
             description="Which version of OWASP Dependency Check to use"/>
   <property name="owasp.dc.report.dir"
             value="${reports.dir}/owasp-dc"
@@ -147,8 +147,9 @@
             value="${htmlcheck.report.dir}/report.txt"
             description="Report file of the HTML-Check"/>
 
+  <available classname="org.apache.ivy.Ivy" property="ivy.present"/>
 
-  <target name="init-ivy">
+  <target name="init-ivy" unless="ivy.present">
     <property name="ivy.version"  value="2.5.0"/>
     <property name="ivy.jar.url"  value="https://repo1.maven.org/maven2/org/apache/ivy/ivy/${ivy.version}/ivy-${ivy.version}.jar"/>
     <property name="ivy.jar.dir"  value="${build.dir}/ivy"/>
diff --git a/src/etc/checkstyle/checkstyle-config b/src/etc/checkstyle/checkstyle-config
index f0b46c56fd..d781a2501c 100644
--- a/src/etc/checkstyle/checkstyle-config
+++ b/src/etc/checkstyle/checkstyle-config
@@ -29,6 +29,16 @@
   <!-- size limits -->
   <module name="FileLength"/>
   <module name="FileTabCharacter"/>
+  <module name="LineLength">
+    <property name="max" value="100"/>
+    <property name="ignorePattern" value="^ *\* *[^ ]+$"/>
+    <property name="tabWidth" value="4"/>
+  </module>
+
+  <module name="RegexpSingleline">
+    <!-- \s matches whitespace character, $ matches end of line. -->
+    <property name="format" value="\s+$"/>
+  </module>
 
   <module name="TreeWalker">
     <!-- Javadoc requirements -->
@@ -37,7 +47,7 @@
     </module>
     <module name="JavadocMethod">
       <property name="scope" value="protected"/>
-      <property name="allowUndeclaredRTE" value="true"/>
+      <!-- <property name="allowUndeclaredRTE" value="true"/> -->
     </module>
     <module name="JavadocVariable">
        <property name="scope" value="public"/>
@@ -61,11 +71,6 @@
     <module name="UnusedImports"/>
 
     <!-- size limits -->
-    <module name="LineLength">
-      <property name="max" value="100"/>
-      <property name="ignorePattern" value="^ *\* *[^ ]+$"/>
-      <property name="tabWidth" value="4"/>
-    </module>
     <module name="MethodLength"/>
     <module name="ParameterNumber"/>
 
@@ -93,13 +98,14 @@
 
     <!-- Checks for common coding problems -->
     <!-- <module name="AvoidInlineConditionals"/> -->
+    <!-- <module name="DoubleCheckedLocking"/> --> <!-- removed in checkstyle 5.6 -->
     <module name="EmptyStatement"/>
     <module name="EqualsHashCode"/>
     <module name="IllegalInstantiation">
       <property name="classes" value="java.lang.Boolean"/>
     </module>
-    <!-- <module name="InnerAssignment"/> -->
-    <!-- <module name="MagicNumber"/> -->
+    <module name="InnerAssignment"/>
+    <module name="MagicNumber"/>
     <module name="MissingSwitchDefault"/>
     <!-- Allow redundant throw declarations for doc purposes
     <module name="RedundantThrows">
@@ -121,19 +127,19 @@
     <!-- <module name="TodoComment"/> -->
     <module name="UpperEll"/>
     <!-- allow comment suppression of checks -->
-    <module name="FileContentsHolder"/>
-  </module>
-
-  <module name="RegexpSingleline">
-    <!-- \s matches whitespace character, $ matches end of line. -->
-    <property name="format" value="\s+$"/>
+    <!-- <module name="FileContentsHolder"/> --><!-- removed in 8.2 -->
+    <!--
+    <module name="GenericIllegalRegexp">
+      <property name="format" value="\s+$"/>
+      <property name="message" value="Line has trailing spaces."/>
+    </module>
+    -->
+    <module name="SuppressionCommentFilter">
+      <property name="offCommentFormat" value="CheckStyle\:([\w\|]+) *OFF"/>
+      <property name="onCommentFormat" value="CheckStyle\:([\w\|]+) *ON"/>
+      <property name="checkFormat" value="$1"/>
+    </module>
   </module>
 
   <!-- <module name="au.com.redhillconsulting.simian.SimianCheck"/> -->
-  <module name="SuppressionCommentFilter">
-    <property name="offCommentFormat" value="CheckStyle\:([\w\|]+) *OFF"/>
-    <property name="onCommentFormat" value="CheckStyle\:([\w\|]+) *ON"/>
-    <property name="checkFormat" value="$1"/>
-  </module>
-
 </module>