diff --git a/magnolia-core/src/test/java/info/magnolia/cms/core/PathTest.java b/magnolia-core/src/test/java/info/magnolia/cms/core/PathTest.java
index 6bd7172..14bd138 100644
--- a/magnolia-core/src/test/java/info/magnolia/cms/core/PathTest.java
+++ b/magnolia-core/src/test/java/info/magnolia/cms/core/PathTest.java
@@ -52,6 +52,9 @@ import org.junit.Test;
  */
 public class PathTest {
 
+	// @author Tobias Hochg├╝rtel <tobias.hochguertel@googlemail.com>
+	private static String OS = System.getProperty("os.name").toLowerCase();
+
     @Before
     public void setUp() {
         SystemProperty.setProperty(SystemProperty.MAGNOLIA_APP_ROOTDIR, "./src/test/resources");
@@ -133,11 +136,26 @@ public class PathTest {
         assertEquals("----", Path.getValidatedLabel("    ", null));
     }
 
+    /**
+     * @author Tobias Hochg├╝rtel <tobias.hochguertel@googlemail.com>
+     */
+	public static boolean isWindows() {
+		return (OS.indexOf("win") >= 0);
+	}
+
     @Test
     public void testGetAbsoluteFileSystemPathPrependsApplicationRootDirIfPathIsRelative() throws Exception {
-        String relPath = "WEB-INF/config";
+    	// @author Tobias Hochg├╝rtel <tobias.hochguertel@googlemail.com>
+    	String directorySeperatorToken;
+		if (isWindows()) {
+			directorySeperatorToken = "\\";
+		} else {
+			directorySeperatorToken = "/";
+		}
+		String relPath = "WEB-INF" + directorySeperatorToken + "config";
+
         String returnedPath = Path.getAbsoluteFileSystemPath(relPath);
-        assertEquals(Path.getAppRootDir().getAbsolutePath() + "/" + relPath, returnedPath);
+        assertEquals(Path.getAppRootDir().getAbsolutePath() + directorySeperatorToken + relPath, returnedPath);
     }
 
     @Test
diff --git a/magnolia-core/src/test/java/info/magnolia/cms/util/WorkspaceXmlUtilTest.java b/magnolia-core/src/test/java/info/magnolia/cms/util/WorkspaceXmlUtilTest.java
index 55e7505..5729940 100644
--- a/magnolia-core/src/test/java/info/magnolia/cms/util/WorkspaceXmlUtilTest.java
+++ b/magnolia-core/src/test/java/info/magnolia/cms/util/WorkspaceXmlUtilTest.java
@@ -47,6 +47,31 @@ import org.junit.Test;
  */
 public class WorkspaceXmlUtilTest {
 
+    // @author Tobias Hochg├╝rtel <tobias.hochguertel@googlemail.com>
+    private static String OS = System.getProperty("os.name").toLowerCase();
+
+    /**
+     * Check's if we running on an Windows System
+     * @author Tobias Hochg├╝rtel <tobias.hochguertel@googlemail.com>
+     * @return boolean If Windows System: return true;
+     */
+    public static boolean isWindows() {
+        return (OS.indexOf("win") >= 0);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Returns the System-specific Directory Seperator Token
+     *
+     * @author Tobias Hochg├╝rtel <tobias.hochguertel@googlemail.com>
+     * @return String If Windows System: "\\"; Else "/";
+     */
+    public static String getDirectorySeperatorToken() {
+        if (isWindows()) {
+        	return "\\";
+        }
+        return "/";
+    }
+
     @Before
     public void setUp() {
         SystemProperty.setProperty(SystemProperty.MAGNOLIA_REPOSITORIES_HOME, "src/test/resources/config/repositories");
@@ -56,14 +81,14 @@ public class WorkspaceXmlUtilTest {
     public void testWorkspaceNamesWithNonNullExpectation() {
         List<String> names = WorkspaceXmlUtil.getWorkspaceNames("/Workspace/SearchIndex/param[@name='textFilterClasses']/@value", ".*\\.jackrabbit\\.extractor\\..*");
         assertEquals("Found incorrect amount of indexers", 1, names.size());
-        assertTrue(names.get(0).contains("/outdated/workspace.xml"));
+        assertTrue(names.get(0).contains(getDirectorySeperatorToken() + "outdated"+ getDirectorySeperatorToken() + "workspace.xml"));
     }
 
     @Test
     public void testWorkspaceNamesWithNullExpectation() {
         List<String> names = WorkspaceXmlUtil.getWorkspaceNames("/Workspace/SearchIndex/param[@name='textFilterClasses']/@value", null);
         assertEquals("Found incorrect amount of indexers", 1, names.size());
-        assertTrue(names.get(0).contains("/current/workspace.xml"));
+        assertTrue(names.get(0).contains(getDirectorySeperatorToken() + "current" + getDirectorySeperatorToken() + "workspace.xml"));
     }
 
     @After
diff --git a/magnolia-core/src/test/java/info/magnolia/init/DefaultMagnoliaPropertiesResolverTest.java b/magnolia-core/src/test/java/info/magnolia/init/DefaultMagnoliaPropertiesResolverTest.java
index a6e83eb..d3a7f2e 100644
--- a/magnolia-core/src/test/java/info/magnolia/init/DefaultMagnoliaPropertiesResolverTest.java
+++ b/magnolia-core/src/test/java/info/magnolia/init/DefaultMagnoliaPropertiesResolverTest.java
@@ -151,13 +151,29 @@ public class DefaultMagnoliaPropertiesResolverTest {
         assertEquals("WEB-INF/hello/magnolia.properties", locations.get(0));
     }
 
+    // @author Tobias Hochg├╝rtel <tobias.hochguertel@googlemail.com>
+    private static String OS = System.getProperty("os.name").toLowerCase();
+
+    /**
+     * Check's if we running on an Windows System
+     * @author Tobias Hochg├╝rtel <tobias.hochguertel@googlemail.com>
+     * @return boolean If Windows System: return true;
+     */
+    public static boolean isWindows() {
+        return (OS.indexOf("win") >= 0);
+    }
+
     @Test
     public void testEnvironmentPropertiesCanBeUsed() {
         // since we can't add properties to System.env, we just an env property whose value we can know otherwise.
         // This test will most likely fail on Windows (where the env property seems to be USERNAME), unless someone comes up with a brighter idea.
         final String user = System.getProperty("user.name");
 
-        expect(ctx.getInitParameter("magnolia.initialization.file")).andReturn("WEB-INF/${env/USER}/magnolia.properties");
+        if (isWindows()){
+        	expect(ctx.getInitParameter("magnolia.initialization.file")).andReturn("WEB-INF/${env/USERNAME}/magnolia.properties");
+        } else {
+        	expect(ctx.getInitParameter("magnolia.initialization.file")).andReturn("WEB-INF/${env/USER}/magnolia.properties");
+        }
         replay(ctx);
         final List<String> locations = new DefaultMagnoliaPropertiesResolver(ctx, initPaths).getLocations();
         assertEquals(1, locations.size());
diff --git a/magnolia-core/src/test/java/info/magnolia/module/delta/WorkspaceXmlConditionsUtilTest.java b/magnolia-core/src/test/java/info/magnolia/module/delta/WorkspaceXmlConditionsUtilTest.java
index 358a8a3..55f4d8f 100644
--- a/magnolia-core/src/test/java/info/magnolia/module/delta/WorkspaceXmlConditionsUtilTest.java
+++ b/magnolia-core/src/test/java/info/magnolia/module/delta/WorkspaceXmlConditionsUtilTest.java
@@ -51,6 +51,31 @@ public class WorkspaceXmlConditionsUtilTest {
     private List<Condition> conditions;
     private WorkspaceXmlConditionsUtil util;
 
+    // @author Tobias Hochg├╝rtel <tobias.hochguertel@googlemail.com>
+    private static String OS = System.getProperty("os.name").toLowerCase();
+
+    /**
+     * Check's if we running on an Windows System
+     * @author Tobias Hochg├╝rtel <tobias.hochguertel@googlemail.com>
+     * @return boolean If Windows System: return true;
+     */
+    public static boolean isWindows() {
+        return (OS.indexOf("win") >= 0);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Returns the System-specific Directory Seperator Token
+     *
+     * @author Tobias Hochg├╝rtel <tobias.hochguertel@googlemail.com>
+     * @return String If Windows System: "\\"; Else "/";
+     */
+    public static String getDirectorySeperatorToken() {
+        if (isWindows()) {
+        	return "\\";
+        }
+        return "/";
+    }
+
     @Before
     public void setUp() {
         SystemProperty.setProperty(SystemProperty.MAGNOLIA_REPOSITORIES_HOME, "src/test/resources/config/repositories");
@@ -68,7 +93,7 @@ public class WorkspaceXmlConditionsUtilTest {
         // THEN
         assertEquals(1,conditions.size());
         assertTrue(conditions.get(0) instanceof WarnCondition);
-        assertTrue("Received condition was expected to be comming from the outdated config!", conditions.get(0).getDescription().contains("/outdated/workspace.xml"));
+        assertTrue("Received condition was expected to be comming from the outdated config!", conditions.get(0).getDescription().contains( getDirectorySeperatorToken() + "outdated" + getDirectorySeperatorToken() + "workspace.xml"));
     }
 
 
@@ -82,7 +107,7 @@ public class WorkspaceXmlConditionsUtilTest {
         // THEN
         assertEquals(1,conditions.size());
         assertTrue(conditions.get(0) instanceof FalseCondition);
-        assertTrue("Received condition was expected to be comming from the outdated config!", conditions.get(0).getDescription().contains("/outdated/workspace.xml"));
+        assertTrue("Received condition was expected to be comming from the outdated config!", conditions.get(0).getDescription().contains( getDirectorySeperatorToken() + "outdated" + getDirectorySeperatorToken() + "workspace.xml"));
     }
 
     @Test
@@ -95,7 +120,7 @@ public class WorkspaceXmlConditionsUtilTest {
         // THEN
         assertEquals(1,conditions.size());
         assertTrue(conditions.get(0) instanceof FalseCondition);
-        assertTrue("Received condition was expected to be comming from the outdated config!", conditions.get(0).getDescription().contains("/outdated/workspace.xml"));
+        assertTrue("Received condition was expected to be comming from the outdated config!", conditions.get(0).getDescription().contains( getDirectorySeperatorToken() +"outdated" + getDirectorySeperatorToken() + "workspace.xml"));
     }
 
 
diff --git a/magnolia-core/src/test/java/info/magnolia/module/files/MD5CheckingFileExtractorOperationTest.java b/magnolia-core/src/test/java/info/magnolia/module/files/MD5CheckingFileExtractorOperationTest.java
index 130ce5f..daf8967 100644
--- a/magnolia-core/src/test/java/info/magnolia/module/files/MD5CheckingFileExtractorOperationTest.java
+++ b/magnolia-core/src/test/java/info/magnolia/module/files/MD5CheckingFileExtractorOperationTest.java
@@ -63,14 +63,35 @@ public class MD5CheckingFileExtractorOperationTest extends RepositoryTestCase {
     private InnerLog log;
     private Session configSession;
 
+    // @author Tobias Hochg├╝rtel <tobias.hochguertel@googlemail.com>
+    private static String OS = System.getProperty("os.name").toLowerCase();
+    private String md5sumExpected;
+
+    /**
+     * Check's if we running on an Windows System
+     * @author Tobias Hochg├╝rtel <tobias.hochguertel@googlemail.com>
+     * @return boolean If Windows System: return true;
+     */
+    public static boolean isWindows() {
+        return (OS.indexOf("win") >= 0);
+    }
+
     @Override
     @Before
     public void setUp() throws Exception {
         super.setUp();
         configSession = MgnlContext.getJCRSession(RepositoryConstants.CONFIG);
+
         fileInfoNode = NodeUtil.createPath(configSession.getRootNode(), fileInfoNodePath, NodeTypes.ContentNode.NAME);
         assertNotNull(getClass().getResourceAsStream(resourcePath));
 
+        // @author Tobias Hochg├╝rtel <tobias.hochguertel@googlemail.com>
+    	if (isWindows()){
+    		md5sumExpected = "dff8984527123a3857642b5e4f17f24c";
+    	} else {
+    		md5sumExpected = "37fcdd006d3c514226f743a95da53622";
+    	}
+
         // We need a randomly named (to enable test to be run in parallel), not yet physically existing file
         testOut = File.createTempFile("MD5-temp", null);
         // remove the file but keep the reference - file will be (re-)created by the class under test
@@ -96,7 +117,7 @@ public class MD5CheckingFileExtractorOperationTest extends RepositoryTestCase {
         assertEquals("File should have been re-extracted", true, testOut.exists());
         assertEquals(IOUtils.toString(new FileInputStream(testOut)), IOUtils.toString(getClass().getResourceAsStream(resourcePath)));
         assertTrue("md5 property was created", fileInfoNode.hasProperty("md5"));
-        assertEquals("37fcdd006d3c514226f743a95da53622", fileInfoNode.getProperty("md5").getString());
+        assertEquals(md5sumExpected, fileInfoNode.getProperty("md5").getString());
     }
 
     @Test
@@ -105,6 +126,7 @@ public class MD5CheckingFileExtractorOperationTest extends RepositoryTestCase {
         MD5CheckingFileExtractorOperation op = new MD5CheckingFileExtractorOperation(log, configSession, resourcePath, testOut.getAbsolutePath());
         // create it
         op.extract();
+
         // modify the md5 property
         fileInfoNode.getProperty("md5").setValue("x");
 
@@ -112,8 +134,8 @@ public class MD5CheckingFileExtractorOperationTest extends RepositoryTestCase {
         op.extract();
 
         // THEN
-        assertEquals("File should have been re-extracted", "Can't extract /info/magnolia/test/mock/testcontent.properties as this file was probably modified locally: expected MD5 [x] but current MD5 is [37fcdd006d3c514226f743a95da53622].", log.getMessage());
-        assertEquals(IOUtils.toString(new FileInputStream(testOut)), IOUtils.toString(getClass().getResourceAsStream(resourcePath)));
+        assertEquals("File should have been re-extracted","Can't extract /info/magnolia/test/mock/testcontent.properties as this file was probably modified locally: expected MD5 [x] but current MD5 is [" + md5sumExpected + "].",log.getMessage());
+        assertEquals(IOUtils.toString(new FileInputStream(testOut)),IOUtils.toString(getClass().getResourceAsStream(resourcePath)));
     }
 
     private class InnerLog implements FileExtractionLogger {
diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index 0afd797..6000310 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -85,9 +85,34 @@ for Java Content Repositories (JCR).
     </resources>
     <plugins>
       <plugin>
+        <!-- this is our default - sub projects can of course override this as needed -->
+        <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
+        <artifactId>maven-compiler-plugin</artifactId>
+        <configuration>
+          <source>${javaVersion}</source>
+          <target>${javaVersion}</target>
+          <encoding>UTF-8</encoding>
+        </configuration>
+        <executions>
+          <execution>
+            <id>compile-tests</id>
+            <phase>process-test-sources</phase>
+            <goals>
+              <goal>testCompile</goal>
+            </goals>
+            <configuration>
+              <source>${javaVersionForTests}</source>
+              <target>${javaVersionForTests}</target>
+              <encoding>UTF-8</encoding>
+            </configuration>
+          </execution>
+        </executions>
+      </plugin>
+      <plugin>
         <artifactId>maven-surefire-plugin</artifactId>
         <configuration>
           <useManifestOnlyJar>false</useManifestOnlyJar>
+          <redirectTestOutputToFile>true</redirectTestOutputToFile>
         </configuration>
       </plugin>
       <plugin>