diff --git a/org.eclipse.sisu.inject/pom.xml b/org.eclipse.sisu.inject/pom.xml
index dc13010b..b83c5d42 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.sisu.inject/pom.xml
+++ b/org.eclipse.sisu.inject/pom.xml
@@ -181,7 +181,7 @@
                 <artifactItem>
                   <groupId>org.ow2.asm</groupId>
                   <artifactId>asm</artifactId>
-                  <version>9.7</version>
+                  <version>${asmVersion}</version>
                 </artifactItem>
                 <artifactItem>
                   <groupId>cglib</groupId>
@@ -229,7 +229,7 @@
                 <artifactItem>
                   <groupId>org.ow2.asm</groupId>
                   <artifactId>asm</artifactId>
-                  <version>9.7</version>
+                  <version>${asmVersion}</version>
                 </artifactItem>
                 <artifactItem>
                   <groupId>com.google.inject</groupId>
@@ -277,7 +277,7 @@
                 <artifactItem>
                   <groupId>org.ow2.asm</groupId>
                   <artifactId>asm</artifactId>
-                  <version>9.7</version>
+                  <version>${asmVersion}</version>
                 </artifactItem>
                 <artifactItem>
                   <groupId>com.google.inject</groupId>
diff --git a/org.eclipse.sisu.plexus/pom.xml b/org.eclipse.sisu.plexus/pom.xml
index f69b3c8f..a9c56fd5 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.sisu.plexus/pom.xml
+++ b/org.eclipse.sisu.plexus/pom.xml
@@ -220,7 +220,7 @@
                 <artifactItem>
                   <groupId>org.ow2.asm</groupId>
                   <artifactId>asm</artifactId>
-                  <version>9.5</version>
+                  <version>${asmVersion}</version>
                 </artifactItem>
                 <artifactItem>
                   <groupId>com.google.inject</groupId>
@@ -258,7 +258,7 @@
                 <artifactItem>
                   <groupId>org.ow2.asm</groupId>
                   <artifactId>asm</artifactId>
-                  <version>9.5</version>
+                  <version>${asmVersion}</version>
                 </artifactItem>
                 <artifactItem>
                   <groupId>com.google.inject</groupId>
diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index f287e16a..eb0e20b2 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -129,6 +129,8 @@
     <mavenBuildVersion>3.6.3</mavenBuildVersion>
     <javaBuildVersion>11</javaBuildVersion>
     <mavenPluginToolsVersion>3.13.0</mavenPluginToolsVersion>
+    <!-- Note: this version is used in tests, to update embedded asm use bin/update_asm.sh -->
+    <asmVersion>9.7</asmVersion>
   </properties>
 
   <dependencyManagement>