diff --git a/archetypes/struts2-archetype-blank/src/main/resources/META-INF/maven/archetype-metadata.xml b/archetypes/struts2-archetype-blank/src/main/resources/META-INF/maven/archetype-metadata.xml
index 6485b2ce0..f1bca3741 100644
--- a/archetypes/struts2-archetype-blank/src/main/resources/META-INF/maven/archetype-metadata.xml
+++ b/archetypes/struts2-archetype-blank/src/main/resources/META-INF/maven/archetype-metadata.xml
@@ -22,13 +22,6 @@
             </includes>
         </fileSet>
 
-        <fileSet filtered="false" packaged="false">
-            <directory>src/main/resources</directory>
-            <includes>
-                <include>log4j.properties</include>
-            </includes>
-        </fileSet>
-
         <fileSet filtered="false" packaged="true">
             <directory>src/main/resources</directory>
             <includes>
@@ -40,6 +33,7 @@
             <directory>src/main/resources</directory>
             <includes>
                 <include>**/struts.xml</include>
+                <include>**/log4j2.xml</include>
                 <include>**/example.xml</include>
             </includes>
         </fileSet>
diff --git a/archetypes/struts2-archetype-blank/src/main/resources/archetype-resources/pom.xml b/archetypes/struts2-archetype-blank/src/main/resources/archetype-resources/pom.xml
index 70548396e..87883a7fa 100644
--- a/archetypes/struts2-archetype-blank/src/main/resources/archetype-resources/pom.xml
+++ b/archetypes/struts2-archetype-blank/src/main/resources/archetype-resources/pom.xml
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 
     <properties>
         <struts2.version>${project.version}</struts2.version>
+        <log4j2.version>${log4j2.version}</log4j2.version>
         <project.build.sourceEncoding>UTF-8</project.build.sourceEncoding>
     </properties>
 
@@ -34,16 +35,16 @@
             <scope>test</scope>
         </dependency>
 
-        <dependency>
-            <groupId>commons-logging</groupId>
-            <artifactId>commons-logging</artifactId>
-            <version>1.1.3</version>
-        </dependency>
 
         <dependency>
-            <groupId>log4j</groupId>
-            <artifactId>log4j</artifactId>
-            <version>1.2.17</version>
+            <groupId>org.apache.logging.log4j</groupId>
+            <artifactId>log4j-api</artifactId>
+            <version>\${log4j2.version}</version>
+        </dependency>
+        <dependency>
+            <groupId>org.apache.logging.log4j</groupId>
+            <artifactId>log4j-core</artifactId>
+            <version>\${log4j2.version}</version>
         </dependency>
 
         <dependency>
@@ -71,37 +72,34 @@
 
     <build>
         <plugins>
+            <plugin>
+                <artifactId>maven-compiler-plugin</artifactId>
+                <version>3.3</version>
+                <configuration>
+                    <encoding>UTF-8</encoding>
+                    <source>1.5</source>
+                    <target>1.5</target>
+                </configuration>
+            </plugin>
             <plugin>
                 <groupId>org.mortbay.jetty</groupId>
                 <artifactId>jetty-maven-plugin</artifactId>
-                <version>8.1.7.v20120910</version>
+                <version>8.1.16.v20140903</version>
                 <configuration>
                     <stopKey>CTRL+C</stopKey>
                     <stopPort>8999</stopPort>
                     <systemProperties>
                         <systemProperty>
-                            <name>log4j.configuration</name>
-                            <value>file:\${basedir}/src/main/resources/log4j.properties</value>
-                        </systemProperty>
-                        <systemProperty>
-                            <name>slf4j</name>
-                            <value>false</value>
+                            <name>xwork.loggerFactory</name>
+                            <value>com.opensymphony.xwork2.util.logging.log4j2.Log4j2LoggerFactory</value>
                         </systemProperty>
                     </systemProperties>
                     <scanIntervalSeconds>10</scanIntervalSeconds>
                     <webAppSourceDirectory>\${basedir}/src/main/webapp/</webAppSourceDirectory>
                     <webAppConfig>
-                        <contextPath>/\${artifactId}</contextPath>
                         <descriptor>\${basedir}/src/main/webapp/WEB-INF/web.xml</descriptor>
                     </webAppConfig>
                 </configuration>
-                <dependencies>
-                    <dependency>
-                        <groupId>log4j</groupId>
-                        <artifactId>log4j</artifactId>
-                        <version>1.2.17</version>
-                    </dependency>
-                </dependencies>
             </plugin>
         </plugins>
     </build>
diff --git a/archetypes/struts2-archetype-blank/src/main/resources/archetype-resources/src/main/resources/log4j.properties b/archetypes/struts2-archetype-blank/src/main/resources/archetype-resources/src/main/resources/log4j.properties
deleted file mode 100644
index a29a304b3..000000000
--- a/archetypes/struts2-archetype-blank/src/main/resources/archetype-resources/src/main/resources/log4j.properties
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,29 +0,0 @@
-#
-# Log4J Settings for log4j 1.2.x (via jakarta-commons-logging)
-#
-# The five logging levels used by Log are (in order):
-#
-#   1. DEBUG (the least serious)
-#   2. INFO
-#   3. WARN
-#   4. ERROR
-#   5. FATAL (the most serious)
-
-
-# Set root logger level to WARN and append to stdout
-log4j.rootLogger=WARN, stdout
-
-log4j.appender.stdout=org.apache.log4j.ConsoleAppender
-log4j.appender.stdout.layout=org.apache.log4j.PatternLayout
-
-# Pattern to output the caller's file name and line number.
-log4j.appender.stdout.layout.ConversionPattern=%d %5p (%c:%L) - %m%n
-
-# Print only messages of level ERROR or above in the package noModule.
-log4j.logger.noModule=ERROR
-
-# OpenSymphony Stuff
-log4j.logger.com.opensymphony=INFO
-
-# Struts2 Stuff
-log4j.logger.org.apache.struts2=INFO
diff --git a/archetypes/struts2-archetype-blank/src/main/resources/archetype-resources/src/main/resources/log4j2.xml b/archetypes/struts2-archetype-blank/src/main/resources/archetype-resources/src/main/resources/log4j2.xml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..6d27d1215
--- /dev/null
+++ b/archetypes/struts2-archetype-blank/src/main/resources/archetype-resources/src/main/resources/log4j2.xml
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
+<Configuration>
+    <Appenders>
+        <Console name="STDOUT" target="SYSTEM_OUT">
+            <PatternLayout pattern="%d %-5p [%t] %C{2} (%F:%L) - %m%n"/>
+        </Console>
+    </Appenders>
+    <Loggers>
+        <Logger name="com.opensymphony.xwork2" level="info"/>
+        <Logger name="org.apache.struts2" level="info"/>
+        <Logger name="\${groupId}" level="debug"/>
+        <Root level="warn">
+            <AppenderRef ref="STDOUT"/>
+        </Root>
+    </Loggers>
+</Configuration>
\ No newline at end of file