diff --git a/settings.gradle b/settings.gradle
index e36cbe997..92bd409ae 100644
--- a/settings.gradle
+++ b/settings.gradle
@@ -7,12 +7,15 @@ include 'picocli-codegen'
 if (org.gradle.api.JavaVersion.current().isJava8Compatible()) {
     include 'picocli-spring-boot-starter'
     include 'picocli-shell-jline3'
-} else if (org.gradle.api.JavaVersion.current().isJava9Compatible()) {
+} else {
+    println("Excluding modules picocli-spring-boot-starter, picocli-shell-jline3: " +
+        "they require Java 8+ but we have Java version ${org.gradle.api.JavaVersion.current()}")
+}
+if (org.gradle.api.JavaVersion.current().isJava9Compatible()) {
     include 'picocli-codegen-tests-java8plus'
     include 'picocli-tests-java8plus'
 } else {
     println("Excluding modules picocli-codegen-tests-java8plus, " +
-        "picocli-spring-boot-starter, picocli-shell-jline3, and " +
         "picocli-tests-java8plus from the build: " +
-        "they require Java 8 or 9 but we have Java version ${org.gradle.api.JavaVersion.current()}")
+        "they require Java 8 9 but we have Java version ${org.gradle.api.JavaVersion.current()}")
 }