diff --git a/maven-javadoc-plugin/pom.xml b/maven-javadoc-plugin/pom.xml
index 1f268eafcf..3b132c2a7b 100644
--- a/maven-javadoc-plugin/pom.xml
+++ b/maven-javadoc-plugin/pom.xml
@@ -193,9 +193,9 @@ under the License.
 
     <!-- misc -->
     <dependency>
-      <groupId>commons-lang</groupId>
-      <artifactId>commons-lang</artifactId>
-      <version>2.6</version>
+      <groupId>org.apache.commons</groupId>
+      <artifactId>commons-lang3</artifactId>
+      <version>3.5</version>
     </dependency>
     <dependency>
       <groupId>commons-io</groupId>
diff --git a/maven-javadoc-plugin/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/javadoc/AbstractFixJavadocMojo.java b/maven-javadoc-plugin/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/javadoc/AbstractFixJavadocMojo.java
index 2e77419801..c1b9a7d9e1 100644
--- a/maven-javadoc-plugin/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/javadoc/AbstractFixJavadocMojo.java
+++ b/maven-javadoc-plugin/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/javadoc/AbstractFixJavadocMojo.java
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@
 import com.thoughtworks.qdox.model.TypeVariable;
 import com.thoughtworks.qdox.parser.ParseException;
 import org.apache.commons.io.IOUtils;
-import org.apache.commons.lang.ClassUtils;
+import org.apache.commons.lang3.ClassUtils;
 import org.apache.maven.artifact.Artifact;
 import org.apache.maven.artifact.DependencyResolutionRequiredException;
 import org.apache.maven.artifact.repository.ArtifactRepository;
diff --git a/maven-javadoc-plugin/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/javadoc/AbstractJavadocMojo.java b/maven-javadoc-plugin/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/javadoc/AbstractJavadocMojo.java
index e0593a4a85..f8f2d06725 100644
--- a/maven-javadoc-plugin/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/javadoc/AbstractJavadocMojo.java
+++ b/maven-javadoc-plugin/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/javadoc/AbstractJavadocMojo.java
@@ -53,8 +53,9 @@
 import java.util.Set;
 import java.util.StringTokenizer;
 
-import org.apache.commons.lang.ClassUtils;
-import org.apache.commons.lang.SystemUtils;
+import org.apache.commons.lang3.ClassUtils;
+import org.apache.commons.lang3.JavaVersion;
+import org.apache.commons.lang3.SystemUtils;
 import org.apache.maven.artifact.Artifact;
 import org.apache.maven.artifact.factory.ArtifactFactory;
 import org.apache.maven.artifact.handler.ArtifactHandler;
@@ -288,6 +289,8 @@ public abstract class AbstractJavadocMojo
      */
     private static final float SINCE_JAVADOC_1_8 = 1.8f;
 
+    private static final float JAVA_VERSION_FLOAT = JavadocUtil.parseJavadocVersion(SystemUtils.JAVA_VERSION);
+
     // ----------------------------------------------------------------------
     // Mojo components
     // ----------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -3632,7 +3635,7 @@ private String getJavadocExecutable()
         }
         // For Apple's JDK 1.6.x (and older?) on Mac OSX
         // CHECKSTYLE_OFF: MagicNumber
-        else if ( SystemUtils.IS_OS_MAC_OSX && SystemUtils.JAVA_VERSION_FLOAT < 1.7f )
+        else if ( SystemUtils.IS_OS_MAC_OSX && !SystemUtils.isJavaVersionAtLeast(JavaVersion.JAVA_1_7) )
         // CHECKSTYLE_ON: MagicNumber
         {
             javadocExe = new File( SystemUtils.getJavaHome() + File.separator + "bin", javadocCommand );
@@ -3693,27 +3696,27 @@ private void setFJavadocVersion( File jExecutable )
             if ( getLog().isWarnEnabled() )
             {
                 getLog().warn( "Unable to find the javadoc version: " + e.getMessage() );
-                getLog().warn( "Using the Java version instead of, i.e. " + SystemUtils.JAVA_VERSION_FLOAT );
+                getLog().warn( "Using the Java version instead of, i.e. " + JAVA_VERSION_FLOAT );
             }
-            jVersion = SystemUtils.JAVA_VERSION_FLOAT;
+            jVersion = JAVA_VERSION_FLOAT;
         }
         catch ( CommandLineException e )
         {
             if ( getLog().isWarnEnabled() )
             {
                 getLog().warn( "Unable to find the javadoc version: " + e.getMessage() );
-                getLog().warn( "Using the Java version instead of, i.e. " + SystemUtils.JAVA_VERSION_FLOAT );
+                getLog().warn( "Using the Java version instead of, i.e. " + JAVA_VERSION_FLOAT );
             }
-            jVersion = SystemUtils.JAVA_VERSION_FLOAT;
+            jVersion = JAVA_VERSION_FLOAT;
         }
         catch ( IllegalArgumentException e )
         {
             if ( getLog().isWarnEnabled() )
             {
                 getLog().warn( "Unable to find the javadoc version: " + e.getMessage() );
-                getLog().warn( "Using the Java version instead of, i.e. " + SystemUtils.JAVA_VERSION_FLOAT );
+                getLog().warn( "Using the Java version instead of, i.e. " + JAVA_VERSION_FLOAT );
             }
-            jVersion = SystemUtils.JAVA_VERSION_FLOAT;
+            jVersion = JAVA_VERSION_FLOAT;
         }
 
         if ( StringUtils.isNotEmpty( javadocVersion ) )
diff --git a/maven-javadoc-plugin/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/javadoc/JavadocUtil.java b/maven-javadoc-plugin/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/javadoc/JavadocUtil.java
index 1b597ce59e..3047434a29 100644
--- a/maven-javadoc-plugin/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/javadoc/JavadocUtil.java
+++ b/maven-javadoc-plugin/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/javadoc/JavadocUtil.java
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
  * under the License.
  */
 
-import org.apache.commons.lang.SystemUtils;
+import org.apache.commons.lang3.SystemUtils;
 import org.apache.http.HttpHost;
 import org.apache.http.HttpResponse;
 import org.apache.http.HttpStatus;
diff --git a/maven-javadoc-plugin/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/javadoc/JavadocReportTest.java b/maven-javadoc-plugin/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/javadoc/JavadocReportTest.java
index 56c573e035..16388968a7 100644
--- a/maven-javadoc-plugin/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/javadoc/JavadocReportTest.java
+++ b/maven-javadoc-plugin/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/javadoc/JavadocReportTest.java
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
 
-import org.apache.commons.lang.SystemUtils;
+import org.apache.commons.lang3.SystemUtils;
 import org.apache.maven.execution.MavenSession;
 import org.apache.maven.model.Plugin;
 import org.apache.maven.plugin.LegacySupport;
diff --git a/maven-javadoc-plugin/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/javadoc/JavadocUtilTest.java b/maven-javadoc-plugin/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/javadoc/JavadocUtilTest.java
index 706ba3c4c6..51f4029557 100644
--- a/maven-javadoc-plugin/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/javadoc/JavadocUtilTest.java
+++ b/maven-javadoc-plugin/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/plugin/javadoc/JavadocUtilTest.java
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.regex.PatternSyntaxException;
 
-import org.apache.commons.lang.builder.EqualsBuilder;
+import org.apache.commons.lang3.builder.EqualsBuilder;
 import org.apache.maven.plugin.javadoc.ProxyServer.AuthAsyncProxyServlet;
 import org.apache.maven.settings.Proxy;
 import org.apache.maven.settings.Settings;