diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index 50ac2dd4..939fd38b 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -9,8 +9,10 @@
     <description>JGroups RAFT implementation</description>
 
     <properties>
+        <project.build.sourceEncoding>UTF-8</project.build.sourceEncoding>
         <maven.compiler.source>11</maven.compiler.source>
         <maven.compiler.target>11</maven.compiler.target>
+        <maven.compiler.release>11</maven.compiler.release>
 
         <!-- nexus-staging-maven-plugin -->
         <autoReleaseAfterClose>true</autoReleaseAfterClose>
@@ -344,7 +346,7 @@
                             <goal>run</goal>
                         </goals>
                         <configuration>
-                            <tasks>
+                            <target>
                                 <property name="compile_classpath" refid="maven.compile.classpath" />
                                 <property name="plugin_classpath" refid="maven.plugin.classpath" />
                                 <delete dir="${project.build.directory}/schema" failonerror="false" />
@@ -356,7 +358,7 @@
                                     </classpath>
                                     <arg line="-o ${project.build.directory}/schema" />
                                 </java>
-                            </tasks>
+                            </target>
                         </configuration>
                     </execution>
                 </executions>
@@ -469,7 +471,7 @@
                 <plugin>
                     <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
                     <artifactId>maven-compiler-plugin</artifactId>
-                    <version>3.0</version>
+                    <version>3.12.1</version>
                 </plugin>
                 <plugin>
                     <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
diff --git a/src/org/jgroups/perf/CounterPerf.java b/src/org/jgroups/perf/CounterPerf.java
index 9432b6a1..2f88af10 100644
--- a/src/org/jgroups/perf/CounterPerf.java
+++ b/src/org/jgroups/perf/CounterPerf.java
@@ -108,8 +108,8 @@ public void init(String props, String name, int bind_port, boolean use_fibers, S
             System.out.println("Histogram enabled! Will be stored into " + histogramPath);
         }
         thread_factory=new DefaultThreadFactory("updater", false, true)
-          .useFibers(use_fibers);
-        if(use_fibers && Util.fibersAvailable())
+          .useVirtualThreads(use_fibers);
+        if(use_fibers && Util.virtualThreadsAvailable())
             System.out.println("-- using fibers instead of threads");
 
         channel=new JChannel(props).setName(name);
diff --git a/src/org/jgroups/protocols/raft/ELECTION.java b/src/org/jgroups/protocols/raft/ELECTION.java
index a815b7e9..77596a15 100644
--- a/src/org/jgroups/protocols/raft/ELECTION.java
+++ b/src/org/jgroups/protocols/raft/ELECTION.java
@@ -51,7 +51,6 @@ public class ELECTION extends BaseElection {
     protected void handleView(View v) {
         Majority result=Utils.computeMajority(view, v, raft().majority(), raft.leader());
         log.debug("%s: existing view: %s, new view: %s, result: %s", local_addr, this.view, v, result);
-        System.out.printf("%s: existing view: %s, new view: %s, result: %s%n", local_addr, this.view, v, result);
         List<Address> joiners=View.newMembers(this.view, v);
         boolean has_new_members=joiners != null && !joiners.isEmpty();
         this.view=v;
diff --git a/src/org/jgroups/protocols/raft/RAFT.java b/src/org/jgroups/protocols/raft/RAFT.java
index a66680a9..d205a0f6 100644
--- a/src/org/jgroups/protocols/raft/RAFT.java
+++ b/src/org/jgroups/protocols/raft/RAFT.java
@@ -420,6 +420,7 @@ public long createNewTerm() {
         return raft_state.advanceTermForElection();
     }
 
+    @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
     public static <T> T findProtocol(Class<T> clazz, final Protocol start, boolean down) {
         Protocol prot=start;
         while(prot != null && clazz != null) {
diff --git a/src/org/jgroups/protocols/raft/election/BaseElection.java b/src/org/jgroups/protocols/raft/election/BaseElection.java
index 8d8a8975..2bf7501c 100644
--- a/src/org/jgroups/protocols/raft/election/BaseElection.java
+++ b/src/org/jgroups/protocols/raft/election/BaseElection.java
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ public void resetStats() {
 
     public void init() throws Exception {
         super.init();
-        raft=findProtocol(RAFT.class);
+        raft=RAFT.findProtocol(RAFT.class, this, false);
     }
 
     public void stop() {
@@ -326,12 +326,4 @@ public synchronized BaseElection stopVotingThread() {
         }
         return this;
     }
-
-    protected <T extends Protocol> T findProtocol(Class<T> clazz) {
-        for(Protocol p=up_prot; p != null; p=p.getUpProtocol()) {
-            if(clazz.isAssignableFrom(p.getClass()))
-                return (T)p;
-        }
-        throw new IllegalStateException(clazz.getSimpleName() + " not found above " + this.getClass().getSimpleName());
-    }
 }
diff --git a/src/org/jgroups/raft/blocks/ReplicatedStateMachine.java b/src/org/jgroups/raft/blocks/ReplicatedStateMachine.java
index 1c550917..92e73589 100644
--- a/src/org/jgroups/raft/blocks/ReplicatedStateMachine.java
+++ b/src/org/jgroups/raft/blocks/ReplicatedStateMachine.java
@@ -275,7 +275,7 @@ protected V invoke(byte command, K key, V val, boolean ignore_return_value) thro
 
         byte[] buf=out.buffer();
         byte[] rsp=raft.set(buf, 0, out.position(), repl_timeout, TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS);
-        return ignore_return_value || rsp == null ? null: (V)Util.objectFromByteBuffer(rsp, 0, rsp.length, class_loader);
+        return ignore_return_value || rsp == null ? null: Util.objectFromByteBuffer(rsp, 0, rsp.length, class_loader);
     }
 
     protected void notifyPut(K key, V val, V old_val) {
diff --git a/src/org/jgroups/raft/testfwk/PartitionedRaftCluster.java b/src/org/jgroups/raft/testfwk/PartitionedRaftCluster.java
index 6d8dc5d6..5964b028 100644
--- a/src/org/jgroups/raft/testfwk/PartitionedRaftCluster.java
+++ b/src/org/jgroups/raft/testfwk/PartitionedRaftCluster.java
@@ -21,15 +21,15 @@ public class PartitionedRaftCluster extends MockRaftCluster {
     protected final Map<Address, RaftNode> nodes = new ConcurrentHashMap<>();
 
     @Override
-    public PartitionedRaftCluster clear() {
+    public <T extends MockRaftCluster> T clear() {
         nodes.clear();
         return self();
     }
 
     @Override
-    public PartitionedRaftCluster add(Address addr, RaftNode node) {
+    public <T extends MockRaftCluster> T add(Address addr, RaftNode node) {
         nodes.put(addr, node);
-        return this;
+        return self();
     }
 
     @Override
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ public int size() {
     }
 
     @Override
-    public PartitionedRaftCluster remove(Address addr) {
+    public <T extends MockRaftCluster> T remove(Address addr) {
         nodes.remove(addr);
         return self();
     }
diff --git a/src/org/jgroups/raft/testfwk/RaftCluster.java b/src/org/jgroups/raft/testfwk/RaftCluster.java
index 9d140504..1fbcd17b 100644
--- a/src/org/jgroups/raft/testfwk/RaftCluster.java
+++ b/src/org/jgroups/raft/testfwk/RaftCluster.java
@@ -23,16 +23,23 @@ public class RaftCluster extends MockRaftCluster {
     protected boolean                     async;
 
     @Override
-    public RaftCluster add(Address addr, RaftNode node) {
+    public <T extends MockRaftCluster> T add(Address addr, RaftNode node) {
         nodes.put(addr, node);
-        return this;
+        return self();
     }
 
     @Override
-    public RaftCluster remove(Address addr)             {nodes.remove(addr); return this;}
+    public <T extends MockRaftCluster> T remove(Address addr) {
+        nodes.remove(addr);
+        return self();
+    }
 
     @Override
-    public RaftCluster clear()                          {nodes.clear(); return this;}
+    public <T extends MockRaftCluster> T clear() {
+        nodes.clear();
+        return self();
+    }
+
     public boolean     dropTraffic()                    {return !dropped_members.isEmpty();}
     public RaftCluster dropTrafficTo(Address a)         {move(a, nodes, dropped_members); return this;}
     public RaftCluster clearDroppedTrafficTo(Address a) {move(a, dropped_members, nodes); return this;}
diff --git a/src/org/jgroups/raft/testfwk/RaftNode.java b/src/org/jgroups/raft/testfwk/RaftNode.java
index be280326..ee2845de 100644
--- a/src/org/jgroups/raft/testfwk/RaftNode.java
+++ b/src/org/jgroups/raft/testfwk/RaftNode.java
@@ -129,6 +129,7 @@ public String toString() {
 
     }
 
+    @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
     protected <T extends Protocol> T find(Class<T> cl) {
         for(Protocol p: prots) {
             if(p.getClass().isAssignableFrom(cl))
diff --git a/src/org/jgroups/raft/util/AnalyzeLog.java b/src/org/jgroups/raft/util/AnalyzeLog.java
index 09d06444..ebe43b48 100644
--- a/src/org/jgroups/raft/util/AnalyzeLog.java
+++ b/src/org/jgroups/raft/util/AnalyzeLog.java
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ public class AnalyzeLog {
     protected Function<DataInput,String> snapshot_reader=CounterService::readAndDumpSnapshot;
     protected PersistentState persistent_state;
 
+    @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
     public AnalyzeLog logClass(String cl) throws ClassNotFoundException {
         log_class=(Class<? extends Log>)Class.forName(cl);
         return this;
diff --git a/src/org/jgroups/raft/util/ArrayRingBuffer.java b/src/org/jgroups/raft/util/ArrayRingBuffer.java
index 51052a20..9cc514c1 100644
--- a/src/org/jgroups/raft/util/ArrayRingBuffer.java
+++ b/src/org/jgroups/raft/util/ArrayRingBuffer.java
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ public ArrayRingBuffer(final long headSequence) {
    }
 
    public ArrayRingBuffer(final int initialSize, final long headSequence) {
-      this.elements = (T[]) (initialSize == 0 ? EMPTY : new Object[initialSize]);
+      this.elements = allocate(initialSize);
       this.headSequence = headSequence;
       this.tailSequence = headSequence;
       if (headSequence < 0) {
@@ -282,7 +282,7 @@ private void growCapacity(int delta) {
          // see ArrayList::newCapacity
          throw new OutOfMemoryError();
       }
-      final T[] newElements = (T[]) new Object[newCapacity];
+      final T[] newElements = allocate(newCapacity);
       final int size = size();
       final long headSequence = this.headSequence;
       long oldIndex = headSequence;
@@ -305,4 +305,9 @@ private void growCapacity(int delta) {
    private static int findNextPositivePowerOfTwo(final int value) {
       return 1 << (Integer.SIZE - Integer.numberOfLeadingZeros(value - 1));
    }
+
+   @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
+   private static <T> T[] allocate(int capacity) {
+      return (T[]) (capacity == 0 ? EMPTY : new Object[capacity]);
+   }
 }
diff --git a/tests/junit-functional/org/jgroups/tests/SynchronousTests.java b/tests/junit-functional/org/jgroups/tests/SynchronousTests.java
index 09bbebd0..12da3b14 100644
--- a/tests/junit-functional/org/jgroups/tests/SynchronousTests.java
+++ b/tests/junit-functional/org/jgroups/tests/SynchronousTests.java
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@ public class SynchronousTests extends BaseRaftClusterTest<RaftCluster> {
     }
 
     @Override
+    @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
     protected void passDataProviderParameters(Object[] args) {
         logClass = (Class<? extends Log>) args[0];
     }
diff --git a/tests/junit-functional/org/jgroups/tests/harness/BaseRaftClusterTest.java b/tests/junit-functional/org/jgroups/tests/harness/BaseRaftClusterTest.java
index 196163d8..6d26096a 100644
--- a/tests/junit-functional/org/jgroups/tests/harness/BaseRaftClusterTest.java
+++ b/tests/junit-functional/org/jgroups/tests/harness/BaseRaftClusterTest.java
@@ -289,6 +289,7 @@ private Address createAddress(String name) {
         return ExtendedUUID.randomUUID(name).put(RAFT.raft_id_key, Util.stringToBytes(name));
     }
 
+    @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
     private <P extends Protocol> P findProtocol(Protocol[] stack, Class<P> clazz) {
         for (Protocol protocol : stack) {
             if (clazz.isAssignableFrom(protocol.getClass()))
diff --git a/tests/junit-functional/org/jgroups/tests/harness/BaseStateMachineTest.java b/tests/junit-functional/org/jgroups/tests/harness/BaseStateMachineTest.java
index 2095ed2b..4b4d5f5e 100644
--- a/tests/junit-functional/org/jgroups/tests/harness/BaseStateMachineTest.java
+++ b/tests/junit-functional/org/jgroups/tests/harness/BaseStateMachineTest.java
@@ -92,8 +92,8 @@ protected final T stateMachine(int index) {
      * @param r: {@link RAFT} instance to retrieve the {@link StateMachine}.
      * @return The {@link StateMachine} cast to type T.
      */
+    @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
     protected final T stateMachine(RAFT r) {
-        // noinspection unchecked
         return (T) r.stateMachine();
     }