diff --git a/.travis/common-functions.sh b/.travis/common-functions.sh
index 3148dd9796..9a8cf3c4b0 100755
--- a/.travis/common-functions.sh
+++ b/.travis/common-functions.sh
@@ -55,5 +55,5 @@ function travis_isWindows() {
 }
 
 function get_pom_version() {
-    echo $(./mvnw -q -Dexec.executable="echo" -Dexec.args='${project.version}' --non-recursive org.codehaus.mojo:exec-maven-plugin:3.0.0:exec)
+    echo $(echo -e 'setns x=http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0\ncat /x:project/x:version/text()' | xmllint --shell pom.xml | grep -v /)
 }
diff --git a/do-release.sh b/do-release.sh
index 25d5785ed3..64e5d147f2 100755
--- a/do-release.sh
+++ b/do-release.sh
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ echo "Releasing PMD"
 echo "-------------------------------------------"
 
 # see also https://gist.github.com/pdunnavant/4743895
-CURRENT_VERSION=$(./mvnw -q -Dexec.executable="echo" -Dexec.args='${project.version}' --non-recursive org.codehaus.mojo:exec-maven-plugin:3.0.0:exec)
+CURRENT_VERSION=$(echo -e 'setns x=http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0\ncat /x:project/x:version/text()' | xmllint --shell pom.xml | grep -v /)
 RELEASE_VERSION=${CURRENT_VERSION%-SNAPSHOT}
 MAJOR=$(echo $RELEASE_VERSION | cut -d . -f 1)
 MINOR=$(echo $RELEASE_VERSION | cut -d . -f 2)