diff --git a/jabber-workitem/pom.xml b/jabber-workitem/pom.xml
index c38e6b046..75f6c1bb2 100644
--- a/jabber-workitem/pom.xml
+++ b/jabber-workitem/pom.xml
@@ -18,11 +18,15 @@
 
   <dependencies>
     <dependency>
-      <groupId>jivesoftware</groupId>
-      <artifactId>smack</artifactId>
+      <groupId>org.igniterealtime.smack</groupId>
+      <artifactId>smack-core</artifactId>
+      <optional>true</optional>
+    </dependency>
+    <dependency>
+      <groupId>org.igniterealtime.smack</groupId>
+      <artifactId>smack-tcp</artifactId>
       <optional>true</optional>
     </dependency>
-
     <dependency>
       <groupId>org.kie</groupId>
       <artifactId>kie-api</artifactId>
@@ -49,6 +53,11 @@
       <artifactId>mockito-core</artifactId>
       <scope>test</scope>
     </dependency>
+    <dependency>
+    <groupId>org.mockito</groupId>
+    <artifactId>mockito-inline</artifactId>
+     <scope>test</scope>
+</dependency>
     <dependency>
       <groupId>org.slf4j</groupId>
       <artifactId>slf4j-api</artifactId>
diff --git a/jabber-workitem/src/main/java/org/jbpm/process/workitem/jabber/JabberWorkItemHandler.java b/jabber-workitem/src/main/java/org/jbpm/process/workitem/jabber/JabberWorkItemHandler.java
index f0161f02d..05b642083 100644
--- a/jabber-workitem/src/main/java/org/jbpm/process/workitem/jabber/JabberWorkItemHandler.java
+++ b/jabber-workitem/src/main/java/org/jbpm/process/workitem/jabber/JabberWorkItemHandler.java
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
 import org.jivesoftware.smack.ChatManager;
 import org.jivesoftware.smack.ConnectionConfiguration;
 import org.jivesoftware.smack.XMPPConnection;
+import org.jivesoftware.smack.tcp.XMPPTCPConnection;
 import org.jivesoftware.smack.packet.Message;
 import org.jivesoftware.smack.packet.Presence;
 import org.kie.api.runtime.process.WorkItem;
@@ -117,11 +118,11 @@ public void executeWorkItem(WorkItem workItem,
 
             if (server != null && !server.equals("") && port != 0) {
                 if (connection == null) {
-                    connection = new XMPPConnection(conf);
+                    connection = new XMPPTCPConnection(conf);
                 }
             } else {
                 if (connection == null) {
-                    connection = new XMPPConnection(service);
+                    connection = new XMPPTCPConnection(service);
                 }
             }
 
@@ -138,7 +139,7 @@ public void executeWorkItem(WorkItem workItem,
 
             for (String toUser : toUsers) {
 
-                ChatManager chatmanager = connection.getChatManager();
+                ChatManager chatmanager = ChatManager.getInstanceFor(connection);
                 Chat chat = chatmanager.createChat(toUser,
                                                    null);
 
diff --git a/jabber-workitem/src/test/java/org/jbpm/process/workitem/jabber/JabberWorkItemHandlerTest.java b/jabber-workitem/src/test/java/org/jbpm/process/workitem/jabber/JabberWorkItemHandlerTest.java
index 55c9329cc..9653a7b40 100644
--- a/jabber-workitem/src/test/java/org/jbpm/process/workitem/jabber/JabberWorkItemHandlerTest.java
+++ b/jabber-workitem/src/test/java/org/jbpm/process/workitem/jabber/JabberWorkItemHandlerTest.java
@@ -29,9 +29,13 @@
 import org.junit.runner.RunWith;
 import org.mockito.ArgumentCaptor;
 import org.mockito.Mock;
+import org.mockito.MockedStatic;
 import org.mockito.junit.MockitoJUnitRunner;
 
 import static org.junit.Assert.*;
+import static org.mockito.ArgumentMatchers.any;
+import static org.mockito.ArgumentMatchers.anyObject;
+import static org.mockito.ArgumentMatchers.anyString;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.*;
 
 @RunWith(MockitoJUnitRunner.Silent.class)
@@ -53,14 +57,16 @@ public class JabberWorkItemHandlerTest {
     public void testSendMessage() throws Exception {
         ArgumentCaptor<Message> messageCaptor = ArgumentCaptor.forClass(Message.class);
 
+        try (MockedStatic<ChatManager> chatManagerMock = mockStatic(ChatManager.class)) {
+
         doNothing().when(xmppConnection).connect();
         doNothing().when(xmppConnection).login(anyString(),
                                                anyString());
         doNothing().when(xmppConnection).sendPacket(any(Presence.class));
         doNothing().when(xmppConnection).disconnect();
-        when(xmppConnection.getChatManager()).thenReturn(chatManager);
-        when(chatManager.createChat(anyString(),
-                                    anyObject())).thenReturn(chat);
+
+        chatManagerMock.when(() -> ChatManager.getInstanceFor(xmppConnection)).thenReturn(chatManager);
+        when(chatManager.createChat(anyString(), anyObject())).thenReturn(chat);
 
         TestWorkItemManager manager = new TestWorkItemManager();
         WorkItemImpl workItem = new WorkItemImpl();
@@ -91,23 +97,26 @@ public void testSendMessage() throws Exception {
                      manager.getResults().size());
         assertTrue(manager.getResults().containsKey(workItem.getId()));
 
-        verify(chat).sendMessage(messageCaptor.capture());
+        verify(chat).sendMessage(messageCaptor.capture()); 
         assertEquals("hello world",
-                     messageCaptor.getValue().getBody());
+                     messageCaptor.getValue().getBody()); 
+        }
     }
 
     @Test(expected = WorkItemHandlerRuntimeException.class)
     public void testSendMessageInvalidParams() throws Exception {
         ArgumentCaptor<Message> messageCaptor = ArgumentCaptor.forClass(Message.class);
 
+        try (MockedStatic<ChatManager> chatManagerMock = mockStatic(ChatManager.class)) {
+
         doNothing().when(xmppConnection).connect();
         doNothing().when(xmppConnection).login(anyString(),
                                                anyString());
         doNothing().when(xmppConnection).sendPacket(any(Presence.class));
         doNothing().when(xmppConnection).disconnect();
-        when(xmppConnection.getChatManager()).thenReturn(chatManager);
-        when(chatManager.createChat(anyString(),
-                                    anyObject())).thenReturn(chat);
+
+        chatManagerMock.when(() -> ChatManager.getInstanceFor(xmppConnection)).thenReturn(chatManager);
+        when(chatManager.createChat(anyString(), anyObject())).thenReturn(chat);
 
         TestWorkItemManager manager = new TestWorkItemManager();
         WorkItemImpl workItem = new WorkItemImpl();
@@ -122,5 +131,6 @@ public void testSendMessageInvalidParams() throws Exception {
         assertNotNull(manager.getResults());
         assertEquals(0,
                      manager.getResults().size());
-    }
+        }
+   }
 }