diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index aedfb69fe6..a91e4249b3 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ Note: The master branch on GitHub is a development version of the engine and is
  - libraries for GUI, networking, physics, SFX, terrain, importing assets, etc.
  - platform-neutral core library for scene graph, animation, rendering, math, etc.
  - LWJGL v2/v3 (to access GLFW, OpenAL, OpenGL, and OpenVR) or Android or iOS
- - Java Virtual Machine (v8 or higher)
+ - Java Virtual Machine (v11 or higher)
 
 ### Documentation
 
diff --git a/common.gradle b/common.gradle
index 05400cdaac..005d79b31c 100644
--- a/common.gradle
+++ b/common.gradle
@@ -16,8 +16,8 @@ group = 'org.jmonkeyengine'
 version = jmeFullVersion
 
 java {
-    sourceCompatibility = JavaVersion.VERSION_1_8
-    targetCompatibility = JavaVersion.VERSION_1_8
+    sourceCompatibility = JavaVersion.VERSION_11
+    targetCompatibility = JavaVersion.VERSION_11
     toolchain {
         languageVersion = JavaLanguageVersion.of(25)
         vendor = JvmVendorSpec.ADOPTIUM
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ tasks.withType(JavaCompile) { // compile-time options:
     //options.compilerArgs << '-Xlint:deprecation' // to show deprecation warnings
     options.compilerArgs << '-Xlint:unchecked'
     options.encoding = 'UTF-8'
-    options.release = 8
+    options.release = 11
 }
 
 repositories {