diff --git a/plugin-gradle/src/main/java/com/diffplug/gradle/spotless/SpotlessExtension.java b/plugin-gradle/src/main/java/com/diffplug/gradle/spotless/SpotlessExtension.java
index 1eba446222..7d34a93caa 100644
--- a/plugin-gradle/src/main/java/com/diffplug/gradle/spotless/SpotlessExtension.java
+++ b/plugin-gradle/src/main/java/com/diffplug/gradle/spotless/SpotlessExtension.java
@@ -48,6 +48,8 @@ public class SpotlessExtension {
 	private static final String CHECK_DESCRIPTION = "Checks that sourcecode satisfies formatting steps.";
 	private static final String APPLY_DESCRIPTION = "Applies code formatting steps to sourcecode in-place.";
 
+	private static final String FILES_PROPERTY = "spotlessFiles";
+
 	public SpotlessExtension(Project project) {
 		this.project = requireNonNull(project);
 		rootCheckTask = project.task(EXTENSION + CHECK);
@@ -268,6 +270,18 @@ public Object doCall(TaskExecutionGraph graph) {
 			}
 		});
 
+		// set the filePatterns property
+		project.afterEvaluate(unused -> {
+			String filePatterns;
+			if (project.hasProperty(FILES_PROPERTY) && project.property(FILES_PROPERTY) instanceof String) {
+				filePatterns = (String) project.property(FILES_PROPERTY);
+			} else {
+				// needs to be non-null since it is an @Input property of the task
+				filePatterns = "";
+			}
+			spotlessTask.setFilePatterns(filePatterns);
+		});
+
 		// the root tasks depend on the control tasks
 		rootCheckTask.dependsOn(checkTask);
 		rootApplyTask.dependsOn(applyTask);
diff --git a/plugin-gradle/src/main/java/com/diffplug/gradle/spotless/SpotlessPlugin.java b/plugin-gradle/src/main/java/com/diffplug/gradle/spotless/SpotlessPlugin.java
index 43d593284c..43874e1f35 100644
--- a/plugin-gradle/src/main/java/com/diffplug/gradle/spotless/SpotlessPlugin.java
+++ b/plugin-gradle/src/main/java/com/diffplug/gradle/spotless/SpotlessPlugin.java
@@ -26,8 +26,6 @@
 public class SpotlessPlugin implements Plugin<Project> {
 	SpotlessExtension spotlessExtension;
 
-	private static final String FILES_PROPERTY = "spotlessFiles";
-
 	@Override
 	public void apply(Project project) {
 		// make sure there's a `clean` task
@@ -41,16 +39,6 @@ public void apply(Project project) {
 		clean.doLast(unused -> SpotlessCache.clear());
 
 		project.afterEvaluate(unused -> {
-			// set the filePatterns property
-			String filePatterns;
-			if (project.hasProperty(FILES_PROPERTY) && project.property(FILES_PROPERTY) instanceof String) {
-				filePatterns = (String) project.property(FILES_PROPERTY);
-			} else {
-				// needs to be non-null since it is an @Input property of the task
-				filePatterns = "";
-			}
-			project.getTasks().withType(SpotlessTask.class, task -> task.setFilePatterns(filePatterns));
-
 			// Add our check task as a dependency on the global check task
 			// getTasks() returns a "live" collection, so this works even if the
 			// task doesn't exist at the time this call is made