diff --git a/maven-core/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/project/ProjectModelResolverTest.java b/maven-core/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/project/ProjectModelResolverTest.java
index 9c1b19c08719..0b914111b790 100644
--- a/maven-core/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/project/ProjectModelResolverTest.java
+++ b/maven-core/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/project/ProjectModelResolverTest.java
@@ -33,8 +33,8 @@
 import org.eclipse.aether.impl.RemoteRepositoryManager;
 import org.eclipse.aether.repository.RemoteRepository;
 
-import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.startsWith;
-import static org.junit.Assert.assertThat;
+import static org.hamcrest.MatcherAssert.assertThat;
+import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.containsString;
 
 /**
  * Test cases for the project {@code ModelResolver} implementation.
@@ -62,7 +62,7 @@ public void testResolveParentThrowsUnresolvableModelExceptionWhenNotFound() thro
             fail("Expected 'UnresolvableModelException' not thrown.");
         } catch (final UnresolvableModelException e) {
             assertNotNull(e.getMessage());
-            assertThat(e.getMessage(), startsWith("Could not find artifact org.apache:apache:pom:0 in central"));
+            assertThat(e.getMessage(), containsString("Could not find artifact org.apache:apache:pom:0 in central"));
         }
     }
 
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@ public void testResolveDependencyThrowsUnresolvableModelExceptionWhenNotFound()
             fail("Expected 'UnresolvableModelException' not thrown.");
         } catch (final UnresolvableModelException e) {
             assertNotNull(e.getMessage());
-            assertThat(e.getMessage(), startsWith("Could not find artifact org.apache:apache:pom:0 in central"));
+            assertThat(e.getMessage(), containsString("Could not find artifact org.apache:apache:pom:0 in central"));
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/maven-resolver-provider/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/repository/internal/DefaultModelResolverTest.java b/maven-resolver-provider/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/repository/internal/DefaultModelResolverTest.java
index 9acf3b61f2a8..21aa83e2101f 100644
--- a/maven-resolver-provider/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/repository/internal/DefaultModelResolverTest.java
+++ b/maven-resolver-provider/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/repository/internal/DefaultModelResolverTest.java
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ public void testResolveParentThrowsUnresolvableModelExceptionWhenNotFound() thro
             fail("Expected 'UnresolvableModelException' not thrown.");
         } catch (final UnresolvableModelException e) {
             assertNotNull(e.getMessage());
-            assertTrue(e.getMessage().startsWith("Could not find artifact ut.simple:artifact:pom:0 in repo"));
+            assertTrue(e.getMessage().contains("Could not find artifact ut.simple:artifact:pom:0 in repo"));
         }
     }
 
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ public void testResolveDependencyThrowsUnresolvableModelExceptionWhenNotFound()
             fail("Expected 'UnresolvableModelException' not thrown.");
         } catch (final UnresolvableModelException e) {
             assertNotNull(e.getMessage());
-            assertTrue(e.getMessage().startsWith("Could not find artifact ut.simple:artifact:pom:0 in repo"));
+            assertTrue(e.getMessage().contains("Could not find artifact ut.simple:artifact:pom:0 in repo"));
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index b92b17b028e8..83452b044091 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ under the License.
     <securityDispatcherVersion>2.0</securityDispatcherVersion>
     <cipherVersion>2.0</cipherVersion>
     <jxpathVersion>1.3</jxpathVersion>
-    <resolverVersion>1.9.5</resolverVersion>
+    <resolverVersion>1.9.6</resolverVersion>
     <slf4jVersion>1.7.36</slf4jVersion>
     <xmlunitVersion>2.2.1</xmlunitVersion>
     <powermockVersion>1.7.4</powermockVersion>