diff --git a/a2a/pom.xml b/a2a/pom.xml
index 5435fa435..caeada5f8 100644
--- a/a2a/pom.xml
+++ b/a2a/pom.xml
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@
     <junit4.version>4.13.2</junit4.version>
     <!-- Load mockito-core as a startup -javaagent so the inline mock maker does not rely on
          runtime self-attachment, which newer JDKs block. -->
-    <mockito.javaagent.arg>-javaagent:${org.mockito:mockito-core:jar}</mockito.javaagent.arg>
+    <mockito.javaagent.arg>"-javaagent:${org.mockito:mockito-core:jar}"</mockito.javaagent.arg>
   </properties>
 
   <dependencies>
diff --git a/contrib/firestore-session-service/pom.xml b/contrib/firestore-session-service/pom.xml
index 8d8cb87a4..0a9e65b44 100644
--- a/contrib/firestore-session-service/pom.xml
+++ b/contrib/firestore-session-service/pom.xml
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
     <properties>
         <!-- Load mockito-core as a startup -javaagent so the inline mock maker does not rely
              on runtime self-attachment, which newer JDKs block. -->
-        <mockito.javaagent.arg>-javaagent:${org.mockito:mockito-core:jar}</mockito.javaagent.arg>
+        <mockito.javaagent.arg>"-javaagent:${org.mockito:mockito-core:jar}"</mockito.javaagent.arg>
     </properties>
 
     <dependencies>
diff --git a/contrib/langchain4j/pom.xml b/contrib/langchain4j/pom.xml
index 20c2c6588..35479454d 100644
--- a/contrib/langchain4j/pom.xml
+++ b/contrib/langchain4j/pom.xml
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
     <properties>
         <!-- Load mockito-core as a startup -javaagent so the inline mock maker does not rely
              on runtime self-attachment, which newer JDKs block. -->
-        <mockito.javaagent.arg>-javaagent:${org.mockito:mockito-core:jar}</mockito.javaagent.arg>
+        <mockito.javaagent.arg>"-javaagent:${org.mockito:mockito-core:jar}"</mockito.javaagent.arg>
     </properties>
 
     <dependencyManagement>
diff --git a/contrib/planners/pom.xml b/contrib/planners/pom.xml
index 33617c667..402d4c044 100644
--- a/contrib/planners/pom.xml
+++ b/contrib/planners/pom.xml
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
     <properties>
         <!-- Load mockito-core as a startup -javaagent so the inline mock maker does not rely
              on runtime self-attachment, which newer JDKs block. -->
-        <mockito.javaagent.arg>-javaagent:${org.mockito:mockito-core:jar}</mockito.javaagent.arg>
+        <mockito.javaagent.arg>"-javaagent:${org.mockito:mockito-core:jar}"</mockito.javaagent.arg>
     </properties>
 
     <dependencies>
diff --git a/contrib/spring-ai/pom.xml b/contrib/spring-ai/pom.xml
index 39145a9ef..6e97872bf 100644
--- a/contrib/spring-ai/pom.xml
+++ b/contrib/spring-ai/pom.xml
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@
         <testcontainers.version>1.21.3</testcontainers.version>
         <!-- Load mockito-core as a startup -javaagent so the inline mock maker does not rely
              on runtime self-attachment, which newer JDKs block. -->
-        <mockito.javaagent.arg>-javaagent:${org.mockito:mockito-core:jar}</mockito.javaagent.arg>
+        <mockito.javaagent.arg>"-javaagent:${org.mockito:mockito-core:jar}"</mockito.javaagent.arg>
     </properties>
 
     <dependencyManagement>
diff --git a/core/pom.xml b/core/pom.xml
index caaf149fb..f14f7aae6 100644
--- a/core/pom.xml
+++ b/core/pom.xml
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
   <properties>
     <!-- Load mockito-core as a startup -javaagent so the inline mock maker does not rely on
          runtime self-attachment, which newer JDKs block. -->
-    <mockito.javaagent.arg>-javaagent:${org.mockito:mockito-core:jar}</mockito.javaagent.arg>
+    <mockito.javaagent.arg>"-javaagent:${org.mockito:mockito-core:jar}"</mockito.javaagent.arg>
   </properties>
 
   <dependencies>
diff --git a/dev/pom.xml b/dev/pom.xml
index c128af739..15e3d7ffa 100644
--- a/dev/pom.xml
+++ b/dev/pom.xml
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@
   <properties>
     <!-- Load mockito-core as a startup -javaagent so the inline mock maker does not rely on
          runtime self-attachment, which newer JDKs block. -->
-    <mockito.javaagent.arg>-javaagent:${org.mockito:mockito-core:jar}</mockito.javaagent.arg>
+    <mockito.javaagent.arg>"-javaagent:${org.mockito:mockito-core:jar}"</mockito.javaagent.arg>
   </properties>
 
   <dependencyManagement>
diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index befd679f9..1ecea26d9 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -86,7 +86,8 @@
     <!-- Prepended to the surefire JVM args. Empty by default; any module whose tests resolve
          mockito-core (directly or transitively) must set it to
          "-javaagent:${org.mockito:mockito-core:jar}" so the inline mock maker loads as a
-         startup agent instead of self-attaching at runtime, which newer JDKs block. -->
+         startup agent instead of self-attaching at runtime, which newer JDKs block. Keep the
+         quotes: they make a jar path with spaces a single JVM argument. -->
     <mockito.javaagent.arg/>
     <surefire.argLine>${mockito.javaagent.arg} @{jacoco.agent.argLine} --add-opens=java.base/java.nio=ALL-UNNAMED --add-opens=java.base/sun.nio.ch=ALL-UNNAMED --add-opens=java.base/java.util.concurrent=ALL-UNNAMED --add-opens=java.base/java.text=ALL-UNNAMED --add-opens=java.base/java.util=ALL-UNNAMED --add-opens=java.base/java.lang=ALL-UNNAMED --add-opens=java.base/java.lang.reflect=ALL-UNNAMED --add-opens=java.base/jdk.internal.misc=ALL-UNNAMED -Dio.netty.tryReflectionSetAccessible=true</surefire.argLine>
   </properties>