diff --git a/build-coatjava.sh b/build-coatjava.sh
index 0f990134e3..dea396ae15 100755
--- a/build-coatjava.sh
+++ b/build-coatjava.sh
@@ -363,10 +363,6 @@ cp -r libexec $prefix_dir/
 which python3 >& /dev/null && python=python3 || python=python
 $python etc/bankdefs/util/bankSplit.py $prefix_dir/etc/bankdefs/hipo4 || exit 1
 
-# use maven to copy a CLARA jar to a separate directory:
-mvn org.apache.maven.plugins:maven-dependency-plugin:3.10.0:copy \
-     -Dartifact=org.jlab.coda:jclara:6.0-SNAPSHOT:jar -DoutputDirectory=$prefix_dir/lib/utils -DstripVersion=false
-
 # build (and test)
 unset CLAS12DIR
 if $runUnitTests; then
@@ -404,7 +400,8 @@ for pom in $(find reconstruction -name pom.xml); do
   install_jars $pom $prefix_dir/lib/services
 done
 install_jars common-tools/djl-runtime/pom.xml $prefix_dir/lib/services
-install_jars common-tools/coat-libs/pom.xml   $prefix_dir/lib/clas 'coat-libs-*.jar'
+install_jars common-tools/clara-io/pom.xml    $prefix_dir/lib/utils 'jclara-*.jar'
+install_jars common-tools/coat-libs/pom.xml   $prefix_dir/lib/clas  'coat-libs-*.jar'
 echo "installed coatjava to: $prefix_dir"
 
 # install clara
diff --git a/common-tools/clara-io/pom.xml b/common-tools/clara-io/pom.xml
index 643c120fc9..5bcec28b23 100644
--- a/common-tools/clara-io/pom.xml
+++ b/common-tools/clara-io/pom.xml
@@ -55,4 +55,29 @@
 
   </dependencies>
 
+  <!-- copy the CLARA jar for runtime usage -->
+  <build>
+    <plugins>
+      <plugin>
+        <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
+        <artifactId>maven-dependency-plugin</artifactId>
+        <executions>
+          <execution>
+            <id>copy-jclara</id>
+            <phase>package</phase>
+            <goals>
+              <goal>copy-dependencies</goal>
+            </goals>
+            <configuration>
+              <outputDirectory>${project.build.directory}/lib/utils</outputDirectory>
+              <includeGroupIds>org.jlab.coda</includeGroupIds>
+              <includeArtifactIds>jclara</includeArtifactIds>
+              <includeTypes>jar</includeTypes>
+            </configuration>
+          </execution>
+        </executions>
+      </plugin>
+    </plugins>
+  </build>
+
 </project>
diff --git a/common-tools/djl-runtime/pom.xml b/common-tools/djl-runtime/pom.xml
index edaed6dc51..25e55fbe30 100644
--- a/common-tools/djl-runtime/pom.xml
+++ b/common-tools/djl-runtime/pom.xml
@@ -95,7 +95,6 @@
       <plugin>
         <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
         <artifactId>maven-dependency-plugin</artifactId>
-        <version>3.11.0</version>
         <executions>
           <execution>
             <id>copy-djl-runtime</id>