diff --git a/adapters-api/src/test/java/io/nosqlbench/engine/api/activityconfig/OpsLoaderTest.java b/adapters-api/src/test/java/io/nosqlbench/engine/api/activityconfig/OpsLoaderTest.java
index 7bc4fa02f..483c5d759 100644
--- a/adapters-api/src/test/java/io/nosqlbench/engine/api/activityconfig/OpsLoaderTest.java
+++ b/adapters-api/src/test/java/io/nosqlbench/engine/api/activityconfig/OpsLoaderTest.java
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import io.nosqlbench.engine.api.activityconfig.yaml.OpsDoc;
 import io.nosqlbench.engine.api.activityconfig.yaml.OpsDocList;
 import org.junit.jupiter.api.Test;
 
+import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
 
@@ -29,7 +30,7 @@ public class OpsLoaderTest {
 
     @Test
     public void testTemplateVarSubstitution() {
-        OpsDocList opsDocs = OpsLoader.loadPath("activities/template_vars", Map.of(),"src/test/resources");
+        OpsDocList opsDocs = OpsLoader.loadPath("activities/template_vars", new HashMap<>(),"src/test/resources");
         assertThat(opsDocs).isNotNull();
         List<OpsDoc> docs = opsDocs.getStmtDocs();
         assertThat(docs).hasSize(1);
diff --git a/adapters-api/src/test/java/io/nosqlbench/engine/api/activityconfig/specifications/YamlSpecValidator.java b/adapters-api/src/test/java/io/nosqlbench/engine/api/activityconfig/specifications/YamlSpecValidator.java
index 23b1a21cc..65e2fbfb5 100644
--- a/adapters-api/src/test/java/io/nosqlbench/engine/api/activityconfig/specifications/YamlSpecValidator.java
+++ b/adapters-api/src/test/java/io/nosqlbench/engine/api/activityconfig/specifications/YamlSpecValidator.java
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ import org.apache.logging.log4j.Logger;
 import org.assertj.core.api.Assertions;
 
 import java.lang.reflect.Type;
+import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.stream.Collectors;
@@ -108,7 +109,7 @@ public class YamlSpecValidator implements STAssemblyValidator {
                 }.getType();
                 List<Map<String, Object>> expectedList = gson.fromJson(json, type);
 
-                OpsDocList stmtsDocs = OpsLoader.loadString(yaml, OpTemplateFormat.yaml, Map.of(), null);
+                OpsDocList stmtsDocs = OpsLoader.loadString(yaml, OpTemplateFormat.yaml, new HashMap<>(), null);
                 List<OpTemplate> stmts = stmtsDocs.getOps();
                 List<Map<String, Object>> stmt_objs = stmts.stream().map(OpTemplate::asData).collect(Collectors.toList());