diff --git a/build.gradle b/build.gradle
index 62741cb0c7..42f13ac947 100644
--- a/build.gradle
+++ b/build.gradle
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@
  * limitations under the License.
  */
 
+import io.servicetalk.gradle.plugin.internal.Versions
+
 if (!repositories) {
   allprojects {
     buildscript {
@@ -43,7 +45,9 @@ subprojects {
   task printJavaTargetCompatibility {
     doLast {
       if (project.parent == project.rootProject) {
-        println("version: " + project.properties.targetCompatibility + " name: " + project.name)
+        def javaLanguage = (project.tasks.withType(JavaCompile)?.findByName("compileJava")?.options?.release?.get()) ?:
+            Integer.parseInt(Versions.TARGET_VERSION.getMajorVersion())
+        println("version: " + javaLanguage + " name: " + project.name)
       }
     }
   }
diff --git a/docs/generation/gradle.properties b/docs/generation/gradle.properties
index bb273de130..bee42b75ba 100644
--- a/docs/generation/gradle.properties
+++ b/docs/generation/gradle.properties
@@ -16,7 +16,11 @@
 
 # suppress inspection "UnusedProperty" for whole file
 
+# build configuration
 org.gradle.parallel=true
+org.gradle.caching=true
+org.gradle.configureondemand=true
+org.gradle.java.installations.auto-download=false
 
 antoraVersion=2.3.4
 jsoupVersion=1.14.3
diff --git a/gradle.properties b/gradle.properties
index 07c46bf2db..4129d8efc5 100644
--- a/gradle.properties
+++ b/gradle.properties
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 org.gradle.parallel=true
 org.gradle.caching=true
 org.gradle.configureondemand=true
+org.gradle.java.installations.auto-download=false
 org.gradle.jvmargs=-Xms2g -Xmx4g -dsa -da -ea:io.servicetalk... -XX:+HeapDumpOnOutOfMemoryError
 
 # project metadata used for publications
diff --git a/servicetalk-buffer-api/build.gradle b/servicetalk-buffer-api/build.gradle
index acdb038286..b2c636ff8a 100644
--- a/servicetalk-buffer-api/build.gradle
+++ b/servicetalk-buffer-api/build.gradle
@@ -28,5 +28,6 @@ dependencies {
   testImplementation "org.junit.jupiter:junit-jupiter-params"
   testImplementation "org.hamcrest:hamcrest:$hamcrestVersion"
   testImplementation "org.mockito:mockito-core:$mockitoCoreVersion"
+
   testFixturesImplementation "org.hamcrest:hamcrest:$hamcrestVersion"
 }
diff --git a/servicetalk-concurrent-jdkflow/build.gradle b/servicetalk-concurrent-jdkflow/build.gradle
index cb4a36b64f..c6364d9fd6 100644
--- a/servicetalk-concurrent-jdkflow/build.gradle
+++ b/servicetalk-concurrent-jdkflow/build.gradle
@@ -16,17 +16,24 @@
 
 apply plugin: "io.servicetalk.servicetalk-gradle-plugin-internal-library"
 
-if (!JavaVersion.current().isJava9Compatible()) {
+// Required version for module
+def javaLanguageVersion = JavaVersion.VERSION_1_9
+
+if (!JavaVersion.current().isCompatibleWith(javaLanguageVersion)) {
     project.tasks.all { task -> task.enabled = false }
 }
 
 java {
-    sourceCompatibility = JavaVersion.VERSION_1_9
-    targetCompatibility = JavaVersion.VERSION_1_9
+    sourceCompatibility = javaLanguageVersion
+    targetCompatibility = javaLanguageVersion
 }
 
 compileJava {
-    options.compilerArgs.addAll(['--release', '9'])
+    options.release = Integer.parseInt(javaLanguageVersion.getMajorVersion())
+}
+
+compileTestJava {
+    options.release = compileJava.options.release
 }
 
 dependencies {
diff --git a/servicetalk-gradle-plugin-internal/src/main/groovy/io/servicetalk/gradle/plugin/internal/ServiceTalkLibraryPlugin.groovy b/servicetalk-gradle-plugin-internal/src/main/groovy/io/servicetalk/gradle/plugin/internal/ServiceTalkLibraryPlugin.groovy
index 4601bf1939..844dfd0928 100644
--- a/servicetalk-gradle-plugin-internal/src/main/groovy/io/servicetalk/gradle/plugin/internal/ServiceTalkLibraryPlugin.groovy
+++ b/servicetalk-gradle-plugin-internal/src/main/groovy/io/servicetalk/gradle/plugin/internal/ServiceTalkLibraryPlugin.groovy
@@ -17,10 +17,12 @@ package io.servicetalk.gradle.plugin.internal
 
 import com.github.spotbugs.snom.SpotBugsTask
 import info.solidsoft.gradle.pitest.PitestTask
+import org.gradle.api.JavaVersion
 import org.gradle.api.Project
 import org.gradle.api.plugins.quality.Pmd
 import org.gradle.api.publish.maven.MavenPublication
 import org.gradle.api.publish.maven.tasks.AbstractPublishToMaven
+import org.gradle.api.tasks.compile.JavaCompile
 
 import static io.servicetalk.gradle.plugin.internal.ProjectUtils.addManifestAttributes
 import static io.servicetalk.gradle.plugin.internal.ProjectUtils.addQualityTask
@@ -59,6 +61,32 @@ final class ServiceTalkLibraryPlugin extends ServiceTalkCorePlugin {
       sourceCompatibility = TARGET_VERSION
       targetCompatibility = TARGET_VERSION
 
+      def javaRelease = Integer.parseInt(TARGET_VERSION.getMajorVersion())
+
+      if (JavaVersion.current().isJava9Compatible()) {
+        compileJava {
+          options.release = javaRelease
+        }
+        compileTestJava {
+          options.release = javaRelease
+        }
+
+        // Not every project has compileTestFixturesJava task so we have to defer attempting configuration
+        project.afterEvaluate {
+          def compileTasks = project.tasks.withType(JavaCompile)
+          def compileJavaTask = compileTasks?.findByName("compileJava")
+          def compileJavaTestFixturesTask = compileTasks?.findByName("compileTestFixturesJava")
+          if (null != compileJavaTask && null != compileJavaTestFixturesTask) {
+            def useRelease = compileJavaTask?.options?.release?.getOrNull() ?: javaRelease
+            // if another action has set a higher language version, never reduce it.
+            if (compileJavaTestFixturesTask?.options?.release?.getOrNull() == null ||
+                compileJavaTestFixturesTask.options.release.get() < useRelease) {
+              compileJavaTestFixturesTask.options.release = useRelease
+            }
+          }
+        }
+      }
+
       jar {
         addManifestAttributes(project, manifest)
       }