diff --git a/pylint/checkers/base/basic_error_checker.py b/pylint/checkers/base/basic_error_checker.py
index ad70b26f510..38a9aa9f0e8 100644
--- a/pylint/checkers/base/basic_error_checker.py
+++ b/pylint/checkers/base/basic_error_checker.py
@@ -189,7 +189,6 @@ class BasicErrorChecker(_BasicChecker):
             "continue-in-finally",
             "Emitted when the `continue` keyword is found "
             "inside a finally clause, which is a SyntaxError.",
-            {"maxversion": (3, 8)},
         ),
         "E0117": (
             "nonlocal name %s found without binding",
@@ -206,6 +205,10 @@ class BasicErrorChecker(_BasicChecker):
         ),
     }
 
+    def open(self) -> None:
+        py_version = self.linter.config.py_version
+        self._py38_plus = py_version >= (3, 8)
+
     @utils.only_required_for_messages("function-redefined")
     def visit_classdef(self, node: nodes.ClassDef) -> None:
         self._check_redefinition("class", node)
@@ -490,6 +493,7 @@ def _check_in_loop(self, node, node_name):
                 isinstance(parent, nodes.TryFinally)
                 and node in parent.finalbody
                 and isinstance(node, nodes.Continue)
+                and not self._py38_plus
             ):
                 self.add_message("continue-in-finally", node=node)
 
diff --git a/tests/functional/c/continue_in_finally.rc b/tests/functional/c/continue_in_finally.rc
index 67a28a36aa5..77eb3be6456 100644
--- a/tests/functional/c/continue_in_finally.rc
+++ b/tests/functional/c/continue_in_finally.rc
@@ -1,2 +1,2 @@
-[testoptions]
-max_pyver=3.8
+[main]
+py-version=3.7