diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index ec95b4cf969..120cc06772d 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@
 		<version>24</version>
 	</parent>
 	<groupId>org.apache.systemds</groupId>
-	<version>3.1.0-SNAPSHOT</version>
+	<version>3.1.0</version>
 	<artifactId>systemds</artifactId>
 	<packaging>jar</packaging>
 	<name>Apache SystemDS</name>
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@
 
 	<scm>
 		<developerConnection>scm:git:https://github.com/apache/systemds.git</developerConnection>
-		<tag>HEAD</tag>
+		<tag>3.1.0-rc1</tag>
 	</scm>
 
 	<build>
@@ -212,7 +212,7 @@
 								<transformer implementation="org.apache.maven.plugins.shade.resource.ManifestResourceTransformer">
 									<mainClass>org.apache.sysds.api.DMLScript</mainClass>
 								</transformer>
-								<transformer implementation="org.apache.maven.plugins.shade.resource.ApacheLicenseResourceTransformer"></transformer>
+								<transformer implementation="org.apache.maven.plugins.shade.resource.ApacheLicenseResourceTransformer" />
 								<transformer implementation="org.apache.maven.plugins.shade.resource.IncludeResourceTransformer">
 									<resource>META-INF/LICENSE</resource>
 									<file>src/assembly/bin/LICENSE</file>
@@ -486,7 +486,7 @@
 												</goals>
 											</pluginExecutionFilter>
 											<action>
-												<ignore></ignore>
+												<ignore />
 											</action>
 										</pluginExecution>
 										<pluginExecution>
@@ -499,7 +499,7 @@
 												</goals>
 											</pluginExecutionFilter>
 											<action>
-												<ignore></ignore>
+												<ignore />
 											</action>
 										</pluginExecution>
 										<pluginExecution>
@@ -512,7 +512,7 @@
 												</goals>
 											</pluginExecutionFilter>
 											<action>
-												<ignore></ignore>
+												<ignore />
 											</action>
 										</pluginExecution>
 									</pluginExecutions>