diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index dde789075d..0af43488f1 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -46,14 +46,6 @@
           </execution>
         </executions>
       </plugin>
-      <plugin>
-        <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
-        <artifactId>maven-compiler-plugin</artifactId>
-        <configuration>
-          <source>1.6</source>
-          <target>1.6</target>
-        </configuration>
-      </plugin>
       <plugin>
         <groupId>org.codehaus.mojo</groupId>
         <artifactId>findbugs-maven-plugin</artifactId>
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/kohsuke/github/HttpException.java b/src/main/java/org/kohsuke/github/HttpException.java
index 670cb491f4..16c8e68be2 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/kohsuke/github/HttpException.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/kohsuke/github/HttpException.java
@@ -49,7 +49,8 @@ public HttpException(String message, int responseCode, String responseMessage, S
      * @see HttpURLConnection#getResponseMessage()
      */
     public HttpException(String message, int responseCode, String responseMessage, String url, Throwable cause) {
-        super(message, cause);
+        super(message);
+        initCause(cause);
         this.responseCode = responseCode;
         this.responseMessage = responseMessage;
         this.url = url;
@@ -67,7 +68,8 @@ public HttpException(String message, int responseCode, String responseMessage, S
      */
     public HttpException(int responseCode, String responseMessage, String url, Throwable cause) {
         super("Server returned HTTP response code: " + responseCode + ", message: '" + responseMessage + "'" +
-                " for URL: " + url, cause);
+                " for URL: " + url);
+        initCause(cause);
         this.responseCode = responseCode;
         this.responseMessage = responseMessage;
         this.url = url;