diff --git a/core/pom.xml b/core/pom.xml
index 71b0ab67f..d562630fa 100644
--- a/core/pom.xml
+++ b/core/pom.xml
@@ -288,29 +288,20 @@
         <dependency>
             <groupId>commons-fileupload</groupId>
             <artifactId>commons-fileupload</artifactId>
-            <version>1.1.1</version>
-            <optional>true</optional>
+            <version>1.2.1</version>
         </dependency>
         <dependency>
             <groupId>commons-io</groupId>
             <artifactId>commons-io</artifactId>
-            <version>1.0</version>
-            <optional>true</optional>
+            <version>1.3.2</version>
         </dependency>
-
-        <dependency>
-            <groupId>commons-lang</groupId>
-            <artifactId>commons-lang</artifactId>
-            <version>2.1</version>
-            <optional>true</optional>
-        </dependency>
-
+        
         <!-- Mocks for unit testing (by Spring) -->
         <dependency>
             <groupId>org.springframework</groupId>
             <artifactId>spring-mock</artifactId>
             <version>2.0.8</version>
-            <optional>true</optional>
+            <scope>test</scope>
         </dependency>
 
         <dependency>
@@ -405,6 +396,7 @@
             <groupId>org.apache.struts</groupId>
             <artifactId>struts-annotations</artifactId>
             <version>1.0.3-20080216.121126-3</version>
+            <scope>compile</scope>
             <optional>true</optional>
         </dependency>
 
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/struts2/dispatcher/multipart/JakartaMultiPartRequest.java b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/struts2/dispatcher/multipart/JakartaMultiPartRequest.java
index 54e82e3b7..a58b2cb0f 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/struts2/dispatcher/multipart/JakartaMultiPartRequest.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/struts2/dispatcher/multipart/JakartaMultiPartRequest.java
@@ -87,6 +87,7 @@ public class JakartaMultiPartRequest implements MultiPartRequest {
         try {
             ServletFileUpload upload = new ServletFileUpload(fac);
             upload.setSizeMax(maxSize);
+
             List items = upload.parseRequest(createRequestContext(servletRequest));
 
             for (Object item1 : items) {
@@ -298,6 +299,10 @@ public class JakartaMultiPartRequest implements MultiPartRequest {
             }
 
             public InputStream getInputStream() throws IOException {
+                InputStream in = req.getInputStream();
+                if (in == null) {
+                    throw new IOException("Missing content in the request");
+                }
                 return req.getInputStream();
             }
         };
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/struts2/util/StrutsTestCaseHelper.java b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/struts2/util/StrutsTestCaseHelper.java
index 4d62bea5e..ad86b6715 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/apache/struts2/util/StrutsTestCaseHelper.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/apache/struts2/util/StrutsTestCaseHelper.java
@@ -24,13 +24,14 @@ import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.Map;
 
 import org.apache.struts2.dispatcher.Dispatcher;
-import org.springframework.mock.web.MockServletContext;
 
 import com.opensymphony.xwork2.ActionContext;
 import com.opensymphony.xwork2.util.LocalizedTextUtil;
 import com.opensymphony.xwork2.util.ValueStack;
 import com.opensymphony.xwork2.util.ValueStackFactory;
 
+import javax.servlet.ServletContext;
+
 /**
  * Generic test setup methods to be used with any unit testing framework. 
  */
@@ -44,11 +45,11 @@ public class StrutsTestCaseHelper {
         LocalizedTextUtil.clearDefaultResourceBundles();
     }
     
-    public static Dispatcher initDispatcher(Map<String,String> params) {
+    public static Dispatcher initDispatcher(ServletContext ctx, Map<String,String> params) {
         if (params == null) {
             params = new HashMap<String,String>();
         }
-        Dispatcher du = new Dispatcher(new MockServletContext(), params);
+        Dispatcher du = new Dispatcher(ctx, params);
         du.init();
         Dispatcher.setInstance(du);
         
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/apache/struts2/StrutsTestCase.java b/core/src/test/java/org/apache/struts2/StrutsTestCase.java
index c3583aa91..bb39d7534 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/org/apache/struts2/StrutsTestCase.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/apache/struts2/StrutsTestCase.java
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ import java.util.logging.SimpleFormatter;
 
 import org.apache.struts2.dispatcher.Dispatcher;
 import org.apache.struts2.util.StrutsTestCaseHelper;
+import org.springframework.mock.web.MockServletContext;
 
 import com.opensymphony.xwork2.XWorkTestCase;
 import com.opensymphony.xwork2.util.logging.LoggerFactory;
@@ -81,7 +82,7 @@ public abstract class StrutsTestCase extends XWorkTestCase {
     }
     
     protected Dispatcher initDispatcher(Map<String,String> params) {
-        Dispatcher du = StrutsTestCaseHelper.initDispatcher(params);
+        Dispatcher du = StrutsTestCaseHelper.initDispatcher(new MockServletContext(), params);
         configurationManager = du.getConfigurationManager();
         configuration = configurationManager.getConfiguration();
         container = configuration.getContainer();
diff --git a/plugins/junit/src/main/java/org/apache/struts2/StrutsTestCase.java b/plugins/junit/src/main/java/org/apache/struts2/StrutsTestCase.java
index 6a208edf4..1a2b806e1 100644
--- a/plugins/junit/src/main/java/org/apache/struts2/StrutsTestCase.java
+++ b/plugins/junit/src/main/java/org/apache/struts2/StrutsTestCase.java
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ import java.util.logging.SimpleFormatter;
 
 import org.apache.struts2.dispatcher.Dispatcher;
 import org.apache.struts2.util.StrutsTestCaseHelper;
+import org.springframework.mock.web.MockServletContext;
 
 import com.opensymphony.xwork2.XWorkTestCase;
 import com.opensymphony.xwork2.util.logging.LoggerFactory;
@@ -81,7 +82,7 @@ public abstract class StrutsTestCase extends XWorkTestCase {
     }
     
     protected Dispatcher initDispatcher(Map<String,String> params) {
-        Dispatcher du = StrutsTestCaseHelper.initDispatcher(params);
+        Dispatcher du = StrutsTestCaseHelper.initDispatcher(new MockServletContext(), params);
         configurationManager = du.getConfigurationManager();
         configuration = configurationManager.getConfiguration();
         container = configuration.getContainer();
diff --git a/plugins/testng/src/main/java/org/apache/struts2/StrutsTestCase.java b/plugins/testng/src/main/java/org/apache/struts2/StrutsTestCase.java
index d75610bee..fdff514ba 100644
--- a/plugins/testng/src/main/java/org/apache/struts2/StrutsTestCase.java
+++ b/plugins/testng/src/main/java/org/apache/struts2/StrutsTestCase.java
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ import org.apache.struts2.dispatcher.Dispatcher;
 import org.apache.struts2.util.StrutsTestCaseHelper;
 import org.testng.annotations.AfterTest;
 import org.testng.annotations.BeforeTest;
+import org.springframework.mock.web.MockServletContext;
 
 import com.opensymphony.xwork2.TestNGXWorkTestCase;
 
@@ -42,7 +43,7 @@ public class StrutsTestCase extends TestNGXWorkTestCase {
     }
     
     protected Dispatcher initDispatcher(Map<String,String> params) {
-        Dispatcher du = StrutsTestCaseHelper.initDispatcher(params);
+        Dispatcher du = StrutsTestCaseHelper.initDispatcher(new MockServletContext(), params);
         configurationManager = du.getConfigurationManager();
         configuration = configurationManager.getConfiguration();
         container = configuration.getContainer();