diff --git a/.vscode/settings.json b/.vscode/settings.json
index 9e8368e..a7d4f90 100644
--- a/.vscode/settings.json
+++ b/.vscode/settings.json
@@ -11,5 +11,6 @@
     "java.project.referencedLibraries": [
         "${HOME}/.bld/dist/bld-1.9.0.jar",
         "lib/**/*.jar"
-    ]
+    ],
+    "java.compile.nullAnalysis.mode": "automatic"
 }
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 820b0d9..c223a6e 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -37,5 +37,5 @@ not provided by the extension. For example:
 
 ```java
 repositories = List.of(MAVEN_CENTRAL);
-scope(test).include(dependency("com.puppycrawl.tools", "checkstyle", version(10, 14, 2)));
+scope(test).include(dependency("com.puppycrawl.tools", "checkstyle", version(10, 15, 0)));
 ```
diff --git a/config/pmd.xml b/config/pmd.xml
index c60ff7e..3d3203c 100644
--- a/config/pmd.xml
+++ b/config/pmd.xml
@@ -19,12 +19,13 @@
         </properties>
     </rule>
 
+
     <!-- CODE STYLE -->
     <rule ref="category/java/codestyle.xml">
         <exclude name="AtLeastOneConstructor"/>
         <exclude name="ClassNamingConventions"/>
-        <exclude name="ConfusingTernary"/>
         <exclude name="CommentDefaultAccessModifier"/>
+        <exclude name="ConfusingTernary"/>
         <exclude name="FieldNamingConventions"/>
         <exclude name="LocalVariableCouldBeFinal"/>
         <exclude name="LongVariable"/>
@@ -34,8 +35,9 @@
         <exclude name="ShortClassName"/>
         <exclude name="ShortMethodName"/>
         <exclude name="ShortVariable"/>
-        <exclude name="UselessParentheses"/>
+        <exclude name="UseExplicitTypes"/>
         <exclude name="UseUnderscoresInNumericLiterals"/>
+        <exclude name="UselessParentheses"/>
     </rule>
 
     <rule ref="category/java/codestyle.xml/UnnecessaryImport">
@@ -51,8 +53,6 @@
         <exclude name="AvoidUncheckedExceptionsInSignatures"/>
         <exclude name="CognitiveComplexity"/>
         <exclude name="CyclomaticComplexity"/>
-        <exclude name="ExcessiveClassLength"/>
-        <exclude name="ExcessiveMethodLength"/>
         <exclude name="ExcessiveParameterList"/>
         <exclude name="ExcessivePublicCount"/>
         <exclude name="GodClass"/>
@@ -106,4 +106,4 @@
     <!-- SECURITY -->
     <rule ref="category/java/security.xml">
     </rule>
-</ruleset>
\ No newline at end of file
+</ruleset>
diff --git a/examples/lib/bld/bld-wrapper.properties b/examples/lib/bld/bld-wrapper.properties
index 44fb503..b3d6546 100644
--- a/examples/lib/bld/bld-wrapper.properties
+++ b/examples/lib/bld/bld-wrapper.properties
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 bld.downloadExtensionJavadoc=false
 bld.downloadExtensionSources=true
-bld.extensions=com.uwyn.rife2:bld-checkstyle:0.9.5
+bld.extensions=com.uwyn.rife2:bld-checkstyle:0.9.6
 bld.repositories=MAVEN_LOCAL,MAVEN_CENTRAL,RIFE2_SNAPSHOTS,RIFE2_RELEASES
 bld.downloadLocation=
 bld.sourceDirectories=
diff --git a/examples/src/bld/java/com/example/ExamplesBuild.java b/examples/src/bld/java/com/example/ExamplesBuild.java
index 75c12b0..8900bce 100644
--- a/examples/src/bld/java/com/example/ExamplesBuild.java
+++ b/examples/src/bld/java/com/example/ExamplesBuild.java
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ public ExamplesBuild() {
         
         repositories = List.of(MAVEN_CENTRAL);
 
-        scope(test).include(dependency("com.puppycrawl.tools", "checkstyle", version(10, 14, 2)));
+        scope(test).include(dependency("com.puppycrawl.tools", "checkstyle", version(10, 15, 0)));
 
         testOperation().mainClass("com.example.ExamplesTest");
     }
diff --git a/lib/bld/bld-wrapper.properties b/lib/bld/bld-wrapper.properties
index bce2521..294731d 100644
--- a/lib/bld/bld-wrapper.properties
+++ b/lib/bld/bld-wrapper.properties
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 bld.downloadExtensionJavadoc=false
 bld.downloadExtensionSources=true
-bld.extension-pmd=com.uwyn.rife2:bld-pmd:0.9.7
+bld.extension-pmd=com.uwyn.rife2:bld-pmd:0.9.8
 bld.extension-jacoco=com.uwyn.rife2:bld-jacoco-report:0.9.3
 bld.repositories=MAVEN_CENTRAL,MAVEN_LOCAL,RIFE2_SNAPSHOTS,RIFE2_RELEASES
 bld.downloadLocation=
diff --git a/src/bld/java/rife/bld/extension/CheckstyleOperationBuild.java b/src/bld/java/rife/bld/extension/CheckstyleOperationBuild.java
index a473c61..75dc620 100644
--- a/src/bld/java/rife/bld/extension/CheckstyleOperationBuild.java
+++ b/src/bld/java/rife/bld/extension/CheckstyleOperationBuild.java
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ public class CheckstyleOperationBuild extends Project {
     public CheckstyleOperationBuild() {
         pkg = "rife.bld.extension";
         name = "CheckstyleOperation";
-        version = version(0, 9, 5);
+        version = version(0, 9, 6);
 
         javaRelease = 17;
         downloadSources = true;
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ public CheckstyleOperationBuild() {
         scope(compile)
                 .include(dependency("com.uwyn.rife2", "bld", version(1, 9, 0)));
         scope(test)
-                .include(dependency("com.puppycrawl.tools", "checkstyle", version(10, 14, 2)))
+                .include(dependency("com.puppycrawl.tools", "checkstyle", version(10, 15, 0)))
                 .include(dependency("org.junit.jupiter", "junit-jupiter", version(5, 10, 2)))
                 .include(dependency("org.junit.platform", "junit-platform-console-standalone", version(1, 10, 2)))
                 .include(dependency("org.assertj", "assertj-core", version(3, 25, 3)));
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ public CheckstyleOperationBuild() {
                 .license(
                         new PublishLicense()
                                 .name("The Apache License, Version 2.0")
-                                .url("http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0.txt")
+                                .url("https://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0.txt")
                 )
                 .scm(
                         new PublishScm()