diff --git a/tools/maven-plugin/src/main/java/com/kumuluz/ee/maven/plugin/RunExplodedMojo.java b/tools/maven-plugin/src/main/java/com/kumuluz/ee/maven/plugin/RunExplodedMojo.java
index 1e7c7b96..d5eed697 100644
--- a/tools/maven-plugin/src/main/java/com/kumuluz/ee/maven/plugin/RunExplodedMojo.java
+++ b/tools/maven-plugin/src/main/java/com/kumuluz/ee/maven/plugin/RunExplodedMojo.java
@@ -20,8 +20,6 @@
 */
 package com.kumuluz.ee.maven.plugin;
 
-import org.apache.maven.execution.MavenSession;
-import org.apache.maven.plugin.BuildPluginManager;
 import org.apache.maven.plugin.MojoExecutionException;
 import org.apache.maven.plugins.annotations.*;
 import org.apache.maven.project.MavenProject;
@@ -42,29 +40,63 @@
         requiresDependencyResolution = ResolutionScope.COMPILE_PLUS_RUNTIME,
         requiresDependencyCollection = ResolutionScope.COMPILE_PLUS_RUNTIME
 )
+@Execute(phase = LifecyclePhase.PACKAGE)
 public class RunExplodedMojo extends AbstractCopyDependenciesMojo {
 
+    private static final String CLASSPATH_FORMAT = "target%1$sclasses%2$starget%1$sdependency%1$s*";
+
     @Override
     public void execute() throws MojoExecutionException {
 
-        final String CLASSPATH_FORMAT = "target%1$sclasses%2$starget%1$sdependency%1$s*";
-
         copyDependencies();
 
         executeMojo(
                 plugin(
                         groupId("org.codehaus.mojo"),
                         artifactId("exec-maven-plugin"),
-                        version("1.6.0")
+                        version("3.1.0")
                 ),
-                goal("java"),
+                goal("exec"),
                 configuration(
-                        element(name("mainClass"), "com.kumuluz.ee.EeApplication"),
+                        element(name("executable"), javaCmd()),
+                        element(name("inheritIo"), "true"),
                         element(name("arguments"),
-                                element(name("argument"), "-classpath"),
-                                element(name("argument"), String.format(CLASSPATH_FORMAT, File.separator, File.pathSeparator)))
+                                element(name("argument"), "-cp"),
+                                element(name("argument"), String.format(CLASSPATH_FORMAT, File.separator, File.pathSeparator)),
+                                element(name("argument"), "com.kumuluz.ee.EeApplication"))
                 ),
                 executionEnvironment(project, session, buildPluginManager)
         );
     }
-}
+
+    public static String javaCmd() {
+        File javaCmd = fileForEnv("JAVACMD");
+
+        if (javaCmd != null) {
+            return javaCmd.getAbsolutePath();
+        }
+
+        File javaHome = fileForEnv("JAVA_HOME");
+        if (javaHome != null) {
+
+            String[] paths = {"jre/sh/java", "bin/java", "bin/java.exe"};
+
+            for( String path : paths ) {
+                File f = new File(javaHome, path);
+                if (f.isFile() && f.canExecute()) {
+                    return f.getAbsolutePath();
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        return "java";
+    }
+
+    private static File fileForEnv(String env) {
+        String s = System.getenv(env);
+        if (s == null || s.isEmpty()) {
+            return null;
+                } else {
+            return new File(s);
+                }
+        }
+    }