diff --git a/src/main/groovy/io/openliberty/tools/gradle/tasks/InstallLibertyTask.groovy b/src/main/groovy/io/openliberty/tools/gradle/tasks/InstallLibertyTask.groovy
index ac705f96..933f6ecf 100644
--- a/src/main/groovy/io/openliberty/tools/gradle/tasks/InstallLibertyTask.groovy
+++ b/src/main/groovy/io/openliberty/tools/gradle/tasks/InstallLibertyTask.groovy
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /**
- * (C) Copyright IBM Corporation 2014, 2021.
+ * (C) Copyright IBM Corporation 2014, 2023.
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ class InstallLibertyTask extends AbstractLibertyTask {
     protected String detachedCoords
     protected String detachedConfigFilePath
     // default to install the latest Open Liberty kernel from Maven Central repository
-    protected String defaultRuntime = "io.openliberty:openliberty-kernel:[19.0.0.9,)"
+    protected String defaultRuntime = "io.openliberty:openliberty-kernel:[23.0.0.3,)"
 
     InstallLibertyTask() {
         configure({
diff --git a/src/test/groovy/io/openliberty/tools/gradle/BaseDevTest.groovy b/src/test/groovy/io/openliberty/tools/gradle/BaseDevTest.groovy
index 1212dad7..d655408a 100644
--- a/src/test/groovy/io/openliberty/tools/gradle/BaseDevTest.groovy
+++ b/src/test/groovy/io/openliberty/tools/gradle/BaseDevTest.groovy
@@ -26,10 +26,7 @@ import java.nio.file.Files;
 import java.nio.file.Path;
 
 class BaseDevTest extends AbstractIntegrationTest {
-    static final String projectName = "basic-dev-project";
-
-    static File resourceDir = new File("build/resources/test/dev-test/" + projectName);
-    static File buildDir = new File(integTestDir, "dev-test/" + projectName + System.currentTimeMillis()); // append timestamp in case previous build was not deleted
+    static File buildDir;
     static String buildFilename = "build.gradle";
     final String RUNNING_INSTALL_FEATURE = "Task :installFeature";
     final String RUNNING_GENERATE_FEATURES = "Task :generateFeatures";
@@ -57,14 +54,13 @@ class BaseDevTest extends AbstractIntegrationTest {
     // the correct file. Use logFile for "compilation was successful"
     // and errFile for "compilation had errors" or Liberty messages like 
     // "CWWKF0011I" or "The server installed the following features".
-    static File logFile = new File(buildDir, "output.log");
-    static File errFile = new File(buildDir, "stderr.log");
+    static File logFile;
+    static File errFile;
+    
     static Process process;
 
-    protected static void runDevMode() throws IOException, InterruptedException, FileNotFoundException {
-        System.out.println("Starting dev mode...");
-        startProcess("--generateFeatures=true", true);
-        System.out.println("Started dev mode");
+    protected static void runDevMode(File buildDirectory) throws IOException, InterruptedException, FileNotFoundException {
+        runDevMode("--generateFeatures=true", buildDirectory)
     }
 
     protected static void runDevMode(String params, File buildDirectory) throws IOException, InterruptedException, FileNotFoundException {
diff --git a/src/test/groovy/io/openliberty/tools/gradle/DevRecompileTest.groovy b/src/test/groovy/io/openliberty/tools/gradle/DevRecompileTest.groovy
index 76096594..f2e798ce 100644
--- a/src/test/groovy/io/openliberty/tools/gradle/DevRecompileTest.groovy
+++ b/src/test/groovy/io/openliberty/tools/gradle/DevRecompileTest.groovy
@@ -30,12 +30,16 @@ import java.nio.file.Files;
 import java.nio.file.Path;
 
 class DevRecompileTest extends BaseDevTest {
+    static final String projectName = "basic-dev-project";
+
+    static File resourceDir = new File("build/resources/test/dev-test/" + projectName);
+    static File buildDir = new File(integTestDir, "dev-test/" + projectName + System.currentTimeMillis()); // append timestamp in case previous build was not deleted
 
     @BeforeClass
     public static void setup() throws IOException, InterruptedException, FileNotFoundException {
         createDir(buildDir);
         createTestProject(buildDir, resourceDir, buildFilename);
-        runDevMode();
+        runDevMode(buildDir);
     }
 
     @Test
diff --git a/src/test/groovy/io/openliberty/tools/gradle/DevTest.groovy b/src/test/groovy/io/openliberty/tools/gradle/DevTest.groovy
index e883f21a..6f3990f0 100644
--- a/src/test/groovy/io/openliberty/tools/gradle/DevTest.groovy
+++ b/src/test/groovy/io/openliberty/tools/gradle/DevTest.groovy
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * (C) Copyright IBM Corporation 2020, 2022.
+ * (C) Copyright IBM Corporation 2020, 2023.
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -30,12 +30,16 @@ import java.nio.file.Files;
 import java.nio.file.Path;
 
 class DevTest extends BaseDevTest {
+    static final String projectName = "basic-dev-project";
+
+    static File resourceDir = new File("build/resources/test/dev-test/" + projectName);
+    static File buildDir = new File(integTestDir, "dev-test/" + projectName + System.currentTimeMillis()); // append timestamp in case previous build was not deleted
 
     @BeforeClass
     public static void setup() throws IOException, InterruptedException, FileNotFoundException {
         createDir(buildDir);
         createTestProject(buildDir, resourceDir, buildFilename);
-        runDevMode();
+        runDevMode(buildDir);
     }
 
     @Test
diff --git a/src/test/groovy/io/openliberty/tools/gradle/PollingDevTest.groovy b/src/test/groovy/io/openliberty/tools/gradle/PollingDevTest.groovy
index 5e6bd5b6..25ad3849 100644
--- a/src/test/groovy/io/openliberty/tools/gradle/PollingDevTest.groovy
+++ b/src/test/groovy/io/openliberty/tools/gradle/PollingDevTest.groovy
@@ -35,13 +35,7 @@ class PollingDevTest extends DevTest {
     public static void setup() throws IOException, InterruptedException, FileNotFoundException {
         createDir(buildDir);
         createTestProject(buildDir, resourceDir, buildFilename);
-        runDevModePolling();
+        runDevMode("--pollingTest --generateFeatures=true", buildDir)
     }
-    
-    private static void runDevModePolling() throws IOException, InterruptedException, FileNotFoundException {
-        System.out.println("Starting dev mode with polling...");
-        startProcess("--pollingTest --generateFeatures=true", true);
-        System.out.println("Started dev mode with polling");
-    }
-    
+        
 }