diff --git a/gradle/wrapper/gradle-wrapper.jar b/gradle/wrapper/gradle-wrapper.jar
index 7a3265ee..5c2d1cf0 100644
Binary files a/gradle/wrapper/gradle-wrapper.jar and b/gradle/wrapper/gradle-wrapper.jar differ
diff --git a/gradle/wrapper/gradle-wrapper.properties b/gradle/wrapper/gradle-wrapper.properties
index d475d272..332b0430 100644
--- a/gradle/wrapper/gradle-wrapper.properties
+++ b/gradle/wrapper/gradle-wrapper.properties
@@ -16,6 +16,6 @@
 #
 distributionBase=GRADLE_USER_HOME
 distributionPath=wrapper/dists
+distributionUrl=https\://services.gradle.org/distributions/gradle-6.9.1-bin.zip
 zipStoreBase=GRADLE_USER_HOME
 zipStorePath=wrapper/dists
-distributionUrl=https\://services.gradle.org/distributions/gradle-5.5.1-bin.zip
diff --git a/gradlew b/gradlew
index d4ee78f8..8e25e6c1 100755
--- a/gradlew
+++ b/gradlew
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
 # you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
 # You may obtain a copy of the License at
 #
-#      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#      https://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
 #
 # Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
 # distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ APP_NAME="Gradle"
 APP_BASE_NAME=`basename "$0"`
 
 # Add default JVM options here. You can also use JAVA_OPTS and GRADLE_OPTS to pass JVM options to this script.
-DEFAULT_JVM_OPTS='-Dfile.encoding=UTF-8'
+DEFAULT_JVM_OPTS='"-Xmx64m" "-Xms64m"'
 
 # Use the maximum available, or set MAX_FD != -1 to use that value.
 MAX_FD="maximum"
diff --git a/gradlew.bat b/gradlew.bat
index ad0ff10f..9618d8d9 100644
--- a/gradlew.bat
+++ b/gradlew.bat
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@
 @rem you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
 @rem You may obtain a copy of the License at
 @rem
-@rem      http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+@rem      https://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
 @rem
 @rem Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
 @rem distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ set APP_BASE_NAME=%~n0
 set APP_HOME=%DIRNAME%
 
 @rem Add default JVM options here. You can also use JAVA_OPTS and GRADLE_OPTS to pass JVM options to this script.
-set DEFAULT_JVM_OPTS=-Dfile.encoding=UTF-8
+set DEFAULT_JVM_OPTS="-Xmx64m" "-Xms64m"
 
 @rem Find java.exe
 if defined JAVA_HOME goto findJavaFromJavaHome
diff --git a/tests/build.gradle b/tests/build.gradle
index 09adf178..d379b1bc 100644
--- a/tests/build.gradle
+++ b/tests/build.gradle
@@ -34,9 +34,13 @@ tasks.withType(Test) {
 }
 
 dependencies {
-    compile "org.scala-lang:scala-library:${gradle.scala.version}"
-    compile "org.apache.openwhisk:openwhisk-tests:${gradle.openwhisk.version}:tests"
-    compile "org.apache.openwhisk:openwhisk-tests:${gradle.openwhisk.version}:test-sources"
+    implementation "junit:junit:4.11"
+    implementation "org.scala-lang:scala-library:${gradle.scala.version}"
+    implementation "org.scalatest:scalatest_${gradle.scala.depVersion}:3.0.8"
+    implementation "io.spray:spray-json_${gradle.scala.depVersion}:1.3.5"
+    implementation "org.apache.openwhisk:openwhisk-common:${gradle.openwhisk.version}"
+    implementation "org.apache.openwhisk:openwhisk-tests:${gradle.openwhisk.version}:tests"
+    implementation "org.apache.openwhisk:openwhisk-tests:${gradle.openwhisk.version}:test-sources"
     implementation group: 'com.typesafe.akka', name: "akka-http2-support_${gradle.scala.depVersion}", version: "${gradle.akka_http.version}"
     implementation group: 'com.typesafe.akka', name: "akka-http-xml_${gradle.scala.depVersion}", version: "${gradle.akka_http.version}"
     implementation group: 'com.typesafe.akka', name: "akka-discovery_${gradle.scala.depVersion}", version: "${gradle.akka.version}"
diff --git a/tests/src/test/scala/runtime/sdk/SwiftSDKTests.scala b/tests/src/test/scala/runtime/sdk/SwiftSDKTests.scala
index c5c41c6c..f8eda042 100644
--- a/tests/src/test/scala/runtime/sdk/SwiftSDKTests.scala
+++ b/tests/src/test/scala/runtime/sdk/SwiftSDKTests.scala
@@ -69,11 +69,11 @@ abstract class SwiftSDKTests extends TestHelpers with WskTestHelpers with WskAct
       activation.response.success shouldBe true
 
       // should have a field named "activationId" which is the date action's activationId
-      activation.response.result.get.fields("activationId").toString.length should be >= 32
+      activation.response.result.get.asJsObject.fields("activationId").toString.length should be >= 32
 
       // check for "date" field that comes from invoking the date action
       org.apache.openwhisk.utils.JsHelpers
-        .fieldPathExists(activation.response.result.get, "response", "result", "date") should be(true)
+        .fieldPathExists(activation.response.result.get.asJsObject, "response", "result", "date") should be(true)
     }
   }
 
@@ -98,10 +98,11 @@ abstract class SwiftSDKTests extends TestHelpers with WskTestHelpers with WskAct
       val run = wsk.action.invoke(actionName, params)
       withActivation(wsk.activation, run, initialWait = 5 seconds, totalWait = activationPollDuration) { activation =>
         // should not have a "response"
-        org.apache.openwhisk.utils.JsHelpers.fieldPathExists(activation.response.result.get, "response") shouldBe false
+        org.apache.openwhisk.utils.JsHelpers
+          .fieldPathExists(activation.response.result.get.asJsObject, "response") shouldBe false
 
         // should have a field named "activationId" which is the date action's activationId
-        activation.response.result.get.fields("activationId").toString.length should be >= 32
+        activation.response.result.get.asJsObject.fields("activationId").toString.length should be >= 32
       }
   }
 
@@ -146,7 +147,7 @@ abstract class SwiftSDKTests extends TestHelpers with WskTestHelpers with WskAct
       activation.response.success shouldBe true
 
       // should have a field named "activationId" which is the date action's activationId
-      activation.response.result.get.fields("activationId").toString.length should be >= 32
+      activation.response.result.get.asJsObject.fields("activationId").toString.length should be >= 32
 
       // should result in an activation for triggerName
       val triggerActivations = wsk.activation.pollFor(1, Some(triggerName), retries = 20)
@@ -186,7 +187,7 @@ abstract class SwiftSDKTests extends TestHelpers with WskTestHelpers with WskAct
       activation.response.success shouldBe true
 
       // should have a field named "name" which is the name of the trigger created
-      activation.response.result.get.fields("name") shouldBe JsString(triggerName)
+      activation.response.result.get.asJsObject.fields("name") shouldBe JsString(triggerName)
     }
   }
 
@@ -237,10 +238,16 @@ abstract class SwiftSDKTests extends TestHelpers with WskTestHelpers with WskAct
       activation.response.success shouldBe true
 
       // should have a field named "trigger" which is the name of the trigger associated with the rule
-      activation.response.result.get.fields("trigger").asJsObject.fields("name") shouldBe ruleTriggerName.toJson
+      activation.response.result.get.asJsObject
+        .fields("trigger")
+        .asJsObject
+        .fields("name") shouldBe ruleTriggerName.toJson
 
       // should have a field named "action" which is the name of the action associated with the rule
-      activation.response.result.get.fields("action").asJsObject.fields("name") shouldBe ruleActionName.toJson
+      activation.response.result.get.asJsObject
+        .fields("action")
+        .asJsObject
+        .fields("name") shouldBe ruleActionName.toJson
     }
   }