diff --git a/.github/workflows/maven.yml b/.github/workflows/maven.yml
index 19629fe7..bd524b07 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/maven.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/maven.yml
@@ -22,4 +22,6 @@ jobs:
         mvn --batch-mode
         -Dgcf.skipInstallHooks=true
         -Dmaven.test.redirectTestOutputToFile=true
+        -Ddownload.unpack=true
+        -Ddownload.unpackWhenChanged=false
         clean verify
diff --git a/PROGRAMMER_GUIDE.md b/PROGRAMMER_GUIDE.md
index 277863d2..9c42b494 100644
--- a/PROGRAMMER_GUIDE.md
+++ b/PROGRAMMER_GUIDE.md
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ ERDDAP™ uses Maven to load code dependencies as well as some static reference
 
   - [erddapContent.zip](https://github.com/ERDDAP/erddapContent/releases/download/content1.0.0/erddapContent.zip) (version 1.0.0, 20333 bytes, MD5=2B8D2A5AE5ED73E3A42B529C168C60B5, dated 2024-10-14) and unzip it into _tomcat_, creating _tomcat_/content/erddap .
 
-NOTE: By default Maven will cache static reference and test data archive downloads and only extract them when a new version is downloaded. To skip downloading entirely, you may set the `skipResourceDownload` and/or `skipTestResourceDownload` properties to Maven (e.g. `mvn -DskipResourceDownload package`). To force extraction, set `-Ddownload.unpack`.
+NOTE: By default Maven will cache static reference and test data archive downloads and only extract them when a new version is downloaded. To skip downloading entirely, you may set the `skipResourceDownload` and/or `skipTestResourceDownload` properties to Maven (e.g. `mvn -DskipResourceDownload package`). To force extraction, set `-Ddownload.unpack=true` and `-Ddownload.unpackWhenChanged=false`.
 
 - ERDDAP™ and its subcomponents have very liberal, open-source [licenses](https://erddap.github.io/setup.html#license), so you can use and modify the source code for any purpose, for-profit or not-for-profit. Note that ERDDAP™ and many subcomponents have licenses that require that you acknowledge the source of the code that you are using. See [Credits](https://erddap.github.io/setup.html#credits). Whether required or not, it is just good form to acknowledge all of these contributors.
    
diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index 7cd59678..fdf7341e 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@
         <test.resources.version>test1.04</test.resources.version>
         <jettyVersion>12.0.14</jettyVersion>
         <error-prone.version>2.27.0</error-prone.version>
+        <download.unpackWhenChanged>true</download.unpackWhenChanged>
     </properties>
 
     <repositories>
@@ -269,7 +270,7 @@
                         </goals>
                         <configuration>
                             <url>https://github.com/ERDDAP/erddapContent/releases/download/${erddapcontent.download.version}/erddapContent.zip</url>
-                            <unpackWhenChanged>true</unpackWhenChanged>
+                            <unpackWhenChanged>${download.unpackWhenChanged}</unpackWhenChanged>
                             <outputDirectory>${project.basedir}</outputDirectory>
                             <skip>${skipResourceDownload}</skip>
                         </configuration>
@@ -282,7 +283,7 @@
                         </goals>
                         <configuration>
                             <url>https://github.com/ERDDAP/ERDDAPRefFiles/releases/download/${erddapreffiles.download.version}/etopo1_ice_g_i2.zip</url>
-                            <unpackWhenChanged>true</unpackWhenChanged>
+                            <unpackWhenChanged>${download.unpackWhenChanged}</unpackWhenChanged>
                             <outputDirectory>${project.basedir}/WEB-INF/ref/</outputDirectory>
                             <skip>${skipResourceDownload}</skip>
                         </configuration>
@@ -295,7 +296,7 @@
                         </goals>
                         <configuration>
                             <url>https://github.com/ERDDAP/ERDDAPRefFiles/releases/download/${erddapreffiles.download.version}/ref_files.zip</url>
-                            <unpackWhenChanged>true</unpackWhenChanged>
+                            <unpackWhenChanged>${download.unpackWhenChanged}</unpackWhenChanged>
                             <outputDirectory>${project.basedir}/WEB-INF/ref/</outputDirectory>
                             <skip>${skipResourceDownload}</skip>
                         </configuration>
@@ -309,7 +310,7 @@
                         </goals>
                         <configuration>
                             <url>https://github.com/ERDDAP/erddapTest/releases/download/${test.resources.version}/data.zip</url>
-                            <unpackWhenChanged>true</unpackWhenChanged>
+                            <unpackWhenChanged>${download.unpackWhenChanged}</unpackWhenChanged>
                             <outputDirectory>${project.basedir}/test-data</outputDirectory>
                             <skip>${skipTestResourceDownload}</skip>
                         </configuration>
@@ -322,7 +323,7 @@
                         </goals>
                         <configuration>
                             <url>https://github.com/ERDDAP/erddapTest/releases/download/${test.resources.version}/largeFiles.zip</url>
-                            <unpackWhenChanged>true</unpackWhenChanged>
+                            <unpackWhenChanged>${download.unpackWhenChanged}</unpackWhenChanged>
                             <outputDirectory>${project.basedir}/test-data</outputDirectory>
                             <skip>${skipTestResourceDownload}</skip>
                         </configuration>
@@ -335,7 +336,7 @@
                         </goals>
                         <configuration>
                             <url>https://github.com/ERDDAP/erddapTest/releases/download/${test.resources.version}/largePoints.zip</url>
-                            <unpackWhenChanged>true</unpackWhenChanged>
+                            <unpackWhenChanged>${download.unpackWhenChanged}</unpackWhenChanged>
                             <outputDirectory>${project.basedir}/test-data</outputDirectory>
                             <skip>${skipTestResourceDownload}</skip>
                         </configuration>
@@ -348,7 +349,7 @@
                         </goals>
                         <configuration>
                             <url>https://github.com/ERDDAP/erddapTest/releases/download/${test.resources.version}/largeSatellite.zip</url>
-                            <unpackWhenChanged>true</unpackWhenChanged>
+                            <unpackWhenChanged>${download.unpackWhenChanged}</unpackWhenChanged>
                             <outputDirectory>${project.basedir}/test-data</outputDirectory>
                             <skip>${skipTestResourceDownload}</skip>
                         </configuration>