diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index c68c6ea..532ed8a 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -48,15 +48,18 @@
 		<maven.compiler.source>11</maven.compiler.source>
 		<maven.compiler.target>11</maven.compiler.target>
 		
+		<unimportant.version>[1.0.0,)</unimportant.version>
 		<license.skip>true</license.skip>
 	</properties>
 	
 	<dependencyManagement>
+		<!-- versions need to be explicit for central-publishing-maven-plugin -->
 		<dependencies>
 			<!-- APS provided libraries -->
 			<dependency>
 				<groupId>com.sun.xml.bind</groupId>
 				<artifactId>jaxb-impl</artifactId>
+				<version>${javax-jaxb.version}</version>
 				<scope>provided</scope>
 			</dependency>
 			
@@ -64,11 +67,13 @@
 			<dependency>
 			    <groupId>javax.xml.ws</groupId>
 			    <artifactId>jaxws-api</artifactId>
+				<version>${unimportant.version}</version>
 				<scope>provided</scope>
 			</dependency>
 			<dependency>
 			    <groupId>jakarta.xml.ws</groupId>
 			    <artifactId>jakarta.xml.ws-api</artifactId>
+				<version>${unimportant.version}</version>
 				<scope>provided</scope>
 			</dependency>
 			
@@ -76,11 +81,13 @@
 			<dependency>
 			    <groupId>javax.annotation</groupId>
 			    <artifactId>javax.annotation-api</artifactId>
+				<version>${javax-annotation.version}</version>
 				<scope>provided</scope>  <!-- v1.11.3 and earlier; exclude in v1.11.4 and later for conflict with jakarta-annotation-api -->
 			</dependency>
 			<dependency>
 			    <groupId>jakarta.annotation</groupId>
 			    <artifactId>jakarta.annotation-api</artifactId>
+				<version>${unimportant.version}</version>
 				<scope>provided</scope>  <!-- v1.11.4 and later; exclude in v1.11.3 and earlier for conflict with annotation-api -->
 			</dependency>
 			
@@ -88,16 +95,19 @@
 			<dependency>
 			    <groupId>javax.activation</groupId>
 			    <artifactId>activation</artifactId>
+				<version>${javax.activation.version}</version>
 				<scope>provided</scope>  <!-- v1.11.0 and earlier; exclude in v1.11.1 and later for conflict with jakarta-activation-api -->
 			</dependency>
 			<dependency>
 			    <groupId>com.sun.activation</groupId>
 			    <artifactId>javax.activation</artifactId>
+				<version>${javax.activation.version}</version>
 				<scope>provided</scope>  <!-- v1.11.3 and later; exclude in v1.11.2 and earlier for conflict with activation -->
 			</dependency>
 			<dependency>
 			    <groupId>jakarta.activation</groupId>
 			    <artifactId>jakarta.activation-api</artifactId>
+				<version>${unimportant.version}</version>
 				<scope>provided</scope>  <!-- v1.11.1 and later; exclude in v1.11.2 and earlier for conflict with activation -->
 			</dependency>
 			
@@ -105,53 +115,63 @@
 			<dependency>
 				<groupId>javax.xml.bind</groupId>
 				<artifactId>jaxb-api</artifactId>
+				<version>${javax-jaxb.version}</version>
 				<scope>provided</scope>  <!-- v1.11.0 and earlier; exclude in v1.11.1 and alter for conflict with jakarta.xml.bind-api -->
 			</dependency>
 			<dependency>
 				<groupId>jakarta.xml.bind</groupId>
 				<artifactId>jakarta.xml.bind-api</artifactId>
+				<version>${unimportant.version}</version>
 				<scope>provided</scope>  <!-- v1.11.3 and later; exclude in v1.11.2 and earlier for conflict with jaxb-api -->
 			</dependency>
 			
 			<dependency>
 				<groupId>com.fasterxml.jackson.core</groupId>
 				<artifactId>jackson-core</artifactId>
+				<version>${jackson.version}</version>
 				<scope>provided</scope>
 			</dependency>
 			<dependency>
 				<groupId>com.fasterxml.jackson.core</groupId>
 				<artifactId>jackson-databind</artifactId>
+				<version>${jackson.version}</version>
 				<scope>provided</scope>
 			</dependency>
 			<dependency>
 				<groupId>com.fasterxml.jackson.core</groupId>
 				<artifactId>jackson-annotations</artifactId>
+				<version>${jackson.version}</version>
 				<scope>provided</scope>
 			</dependency>
 			<dependency>
 				<groupId>com.fasterxml.jackson.dataformat</groupId>
 				<artifactId>jackson-dataformat-yaml</artifactId>
+				<version>${jackson.version}</version>
 				<scope>provided</scope>
 			</dependency>
 			
 			<dependency>
 				<groupId>joda-time</groupId>
 				<artifactId>joda-time</artifactId>
+				<version>${joda-time.version}</version>
 				<scope>provided</scope>
 			</dependency>
 			<dependency>
 				<groupId>org.codehaus.woodstox</groupId>
 				<artifactId>stax2-api</artifactId>
+				<version>4.2.2</version>
 				<scope>provided</scope>
 			</dependency>
 			<dependency>
 				<groupId>org.codehaus.woodstox</groupId>
 				<artifactId>woodstox-core-asl</artifactId>
+				<version>${unimportant.version}</version>
 				<scope>provided</scope>
 			</dependency>
 			<dependency>
 				<groupId>org.apache.ws.xmlschema</groupId>
 				<artifactId>xmlschema-core</artifactId>
+				<version>${unimportant.version}</version>
 				<scope>provided</scope>
 			</dependency>
 			
@@ -162,11 +182,13 @@
 			<dependency>
 				<groupId>org.apache.cxf</groupId>
 				<artifactId>cxf-rt-transports-http</artifactId>
+				<version>${cxf.version}</version>
 				<scope>provided</scope>
 			</dependency>
 			<dependency>
 				<groupId>org.apache.cxf</groupId>
 				<artifactId>cxf-core</artifactId>
+				<version>${cxf.version}</version>
 				<scope>provided</scope>
 			</dependency>
 			
@@ -174,36 +196,43 @@
 			<dependency>
 				<groupId>org.jboss.spec.javax.rmi</groupId>
 				<artifactId>jboss-rmi-api_1.0_spec</artifactId>
+				<version>${unimportant.version}</version>
 				<scope>provided</scope>
 			</dependency>
 			<dependency>
 				<groupId>com.fasterxml.woodstox</groupId>
 				<artifactId>woodstox-core</artifactId>
+				<version>${unimportant.version}</version>
 				<scope>provided</scope>
 			</dependency>
 			<dependency>
 				<groupId>org.apache.geronimo.specs</groupId>
 				<artifactId>geronimo-jta_1.1_spec</artifactId>
+				<version>${unimportant.version}</version>
 				<scope>provided</scope>
 			</dependency>
 			<dependency>
 				<groupId>com.sun.xml.messaging.saaj</groupId>
 				<artifactId>saaj-impl</artifactId>
+				<version>${unimportant.version}</version>
 				<scope>provided</scope>
 			</dependency>
 			<dependency>
 				<groupId>jakarta.jws</groupId>
 				<artifactId>jakarta.jws-api</artifactId>
+				<version>${unimportant.version}</version>
 				<scope>provided</scope>
 			</dependency>
 			<dependency>
 				<groupId>jakarta.xml.soap</groupId>
 				<artifactId>jakarta.xml.soap-api</artifactId>
+				<version>${unimportant.version}</version>
 				<scope>provided</scope>
 			</dependency>
 			<dependency>
 				<groupId>com.sun.activation</groupId>
 				<artifactId>jakarta.activation</artifactId>
+				<version>${unimportant.version}</version>
 				<scope>provided</scope>
 			</dependency>
 		</dependencies>
@@ -221,18 +250,21 @@
 		<dependency>
 			<groupId>com.fasterxml.jackson.jakarta.rs</groupId>
 			<artifactId>jackson-jakarta-rs-json-provider</artifactId>
+			<version>${jackson.version}</version>
 			<scope>runtime</scope>
 		</dependency>
 		<!-- Package JackSON XML support -->
 		<dependency>
 			<groupId>com.fasterxml.jackson.dataformat</groupId>
 			<artifactId>jackson-dataformat-xml</artifactId>
+			<version>${jackson.version}</version>
 			<scope>runtime</scope>
 		</dependency>
 		<!-- Package JackSON joda-time support -->
 		<dependency>
 			<groupId>com.fasterxml.jackson.datatype</groupId>
 			<artifactId>jackson-datatype-joda</artifactId>
+			<version>${jackson.version}</version>
 			<scope>runtime</scope>
 		</dependency>
 	</dependencies>
@@ -377,6 +409,14 @@
 							<publishingServerId>central</publishingServerId>
 							<autoPublish>true</autoPublish>
 						</configuration>
+						<!-- for some reason this is required... -->
+						<executions>
+							<execution>
+								<id>deploy</id>
+								<phase>deploy</phase>
+								<goals><goal>publish</goal></goals>
+							</execution>
+						</executions>
 					</plugin>
 				</plugins>
 			</build>