diff --git a/.github/workflows/maven.yml b/.github/workflows/maven.yml
index 028e26ce1d..9d98310f18 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/maven.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/maven.yml
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ jobs:
     strategy:
       fail-fast: false
       matrix:
-        java: ['11', '17', '21']
+        java: ['17', '21']
 
     steps:
     - uses: actions/checkout@8e8c483db84b4bee98b60c0593521ed34d9990e8 # v6.0.1
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 169786ea32..df836f32ab 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -74,6 +74,10 @@ Add to your `build.gradle`:
 implementation group: 'org.htmlunit', name: 'htmlunit', version: '4.21.0'
 ```
 
+## Requirements
+
+HtmlUnit requires **Java 17** or higher.
+
 ## Getting Started
 You can start here:
 * [Getting Started](https://www.htmlunit.org/gettingStarted.html)
diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index ba3ba1bff7..c911084304 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -24,8 +24,11 @@
         <maven.build.timestamp.format>yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm</maven.build.timestamp.format>
         <additionalparam>-Xdoclint:none</additionalparam>
 
-        <maven.compiler.source>8</maven.compiler.source>
-        <maven.compiler.target>8</maven.compiler.target>
+        <maven.compiler.source>17</maven.compiler.source>
+        <maven.compiler.target>17</maven.compiler.target>
+        
+        <!-- JVM args for accessing internal Xerces classes -->
+        <java.exports.arg>--add-exports=java.xml/com.sun.org.apache.xerces.internal.dom=ALL-UNNAMED</java.exports.arg>
 
         <htmlunitcsp.version>4.21.0</htmlunitcsp.version>
         <htmlunitcssparser.version>4.21.0</htmlunitcssparser.version>
@@ -90,6 +93,11 @@
                 <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
                 <artifactId>maven-compiler-plugin</artifactId>
                 <version>${compiler-plugin.version}</version>
+                <configuration>
+                    <compilerArgs>
+                        <arg>${java.exports.arg}</arg>
+                    </compilerArgs>
+                </configuration>
             </plugin>
             <plugin>
                 <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
@@ -224,6 +232,9 @@
                 <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
                 <artifactId>maven-surefire-plugin</artifactId>
                 <version>${surefire-plugin.version}</version>
+                <configuration>
+                    <argLine>${java.exports.arg}</argLine>
+                </configuration>
             </plugin>
             <plugin>
                 <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
@@ -299,7 +310,7 @@
                                     <version>3.6.3</version>
                                 </requireMavenVersion>
                                 <requireJavaVersion>
-                                    <version>1.8.0</version>
+                                    <version>[17,)</version>
                                 </requireJavaVersion>
                                 <dependencyConvergence />
                             </rules>
@@ -382,7 +393,7 @@
                                 <exclude>**/huge/*.java</exclude>
                                 <exclude>**/encoding/*.java</exclude>
                             </excludes>
-                            <argLine>-Xms128m -Xmx1g -Dsun.reflect.noInflation=true</argLine>
+                            <argLine>${java.exports.arg} -Xms128m -Xmx1g -Dsun.reflect.noInflation=true</argLine>
                             <systemPropertyVariables>
                                 <htmlunit.maven>maven</htmlunit.maven>
                             </systemPropertyVariables>
@@ -443,7 +454,7 @@
                             <excludes>
                                 <exclude>**/libraries/jquery/JQuery3x3x1Test.java</exclude>
                             </excludes>
-                            <argLine>-Xms128m -Xmx512m</argLine>
+                            <argLine>${java.exports.arg} -Xms128m -Xmx512m</argLine>
                             <systemPropertyVariables>
                                 <htmlunit.maven>maven</htmlunit.maven>
                             </systemPropertyVariables>
@@ -471,7 +482,7 @@
                             <includes>
                                 <include>**/libraries/JQuery3x3x1Test.java</include>
                             </includes>
-                            <argLine>-Xms128m -Xmx512m</argLine>
+                            <argLine>${java.exports.arg} -Xms128m -Xmx512m</argLine>
                             <systemPropertyVariables>
                                 <htmlunit.maven>maven</htmlunit.maven>
                             </systemPropertyVariables>
@@ -501,7 +512,7 @@
                                 <include>**/huge/ElementClosesElementTest.java</include>
                                 <include>**/huge/ElementClosesElement2Test.java</include>
                             </includes>
-                            <argLine>-Xms256m -Xmx512m</argLine>
+                            <argLine>${java.exports.arg} -Xms256m -Xmx512m</argLine>
                             <systemPropertyVariables>
                                 <htmlunit.maven>maven</htmlunit.maven>
                             </systemPropertyVariables>
@@ -531,7 +542,7 @@
                                 <include>**/huge/HostParentOfBTest.java</include>
                                 <include>**/huge/HostParentOfCTest.java</include>
                             </includes>
-                            <argLine>-Xms512m -Xmx1024m</argLine>
+                            <argLine>${java.exports.arg} -Xms512m -Xmx1024m</argLine>
                             <systemPropertyVariables>
                                 <htmlunit.maven>maven</htmlunit.maven>
                             </systemPropertyVariables>
@@ -560,7 +571,7 @@
                                 <include>**/huge/HostParentOfDTest.java</include>
                                 <include>**/huge/HostParentOfFTest.java</include>
                             </includes>
-                            <argLine>-Xms512m -Xmx1024m</argLine>
+                            <argLine>${java.exports.arg} -Xms512m -Xmx1024m</argLine>
                             <systemPropertyVariables>
                                 <htmlunit.maven>maven</htmlunit.maven>
                             </systemPropertyVariables>
@@ -589,7 +600,7 @@
                                 <include>**/huge/HostParentOfHTest.java</include>
                                 <include>**/huge/HostParentOfITest.java</include>
                             </includes>
-                            <argLine>-Xms512m -Xmx1024m</argLine>
+                            <argLine>${java.exports.arg} -Xms512m -Xmx1024m</argLine>
                             <systemPropertyVariables>
                                 <htmlunit.maven>maven</htmlunit.maven>
                             </systemPropertyVariables>
@@ -618,7 +629,7 @@
                                 <include>**/huge/HostParentOfMTest.java</include>
                                 <include>**/huge/HostParentOfNTest.java</include>
                             </includes>
-                            <argLine>-Xms512m -Xmx1024m</argLine>
+                            <argLine>${java.exports.arg} -Xms512m -Xmx1024m</argLine>
                             <systemPropertyVariables>
                                 <htmlunit.maven>maven</htmlunit.maven>
                             </systemPropertyVariables>
@@ -646,7 +657,7 @@
                             <includes>
                                 <include>**/huge/HostParentOfPTest.java</include>
                             </includes>
-                            <argLine>-Xms512m -Xmx1024m</argLine>
+                            <argLine>${java.exports.arg} -Xms512m -Xmx1024m</argLine>
                             <systemPropertyVariables>
                                 <htmlunit.maven>maven</htmlunit.maven>
                             </systemPropertyVariables>
@@ -674,7 +685,7 @@
                             <includes>
                                 <include>**/huge/HostParentOfSTest.java</include>
                             </includes>
-                            <argLine>-Xms512m -Xmx1024m</argLine>
+                            <argLine>${java.exports.arg} -Xms512m -Xmx1024m</argLine>
                             <systemPropertyVariables>
                                 <htmlunit.maven>maven</htmlunit.maven>
                             </systemPropertyVariables>
@@ -702,7 +713,7 @@
                             <includes>
                                 <include>**/huge/HostParentOfS2Test.java</include>
                             </includes>
-                            <argLine>-Xms512m -Xmx1024m</argLine>
+                            <argLine>${java.exports.arg} -Xms512m -Xmx1024m</argLine>
                             <systemPropertyVariables>
                                 <htmlunit.maven>maven</htmlunit.maven>
                             </systemPropertyVariables>
@@ -731,7 +742,7 @@
                                 <include>**/huge/HostParentOfTTest.java</include>
                                 <include>**/huge/HostParentOfWTest.java</include>
                             </includes>
-                            <argLine>-Xms512m -Xmx1024m</argLine>
+                            <argLine>${java.exports.arg} -Xms512m -Xmx1024m</argLine>
                             <systemPropertyVariables>
                                 <htmlunit.maven>maven</htmlunit.maven>
                             </systemPropertyVariables>
@@ -759,7 +770,7 @@
                             <includes>
                                 <include>**/encoding/**</include>
                             </includes>
-                            <argLine>-Xms512m -Xmx1024m</argLine>
+                            <argLine>${java.exports.arg} -Xms512m -Xmx1024m</argLine>
                             <systemPropertyVariables>
                                 <htmlunit.maven>maven</htmlunit.maven>
                             </systemPropertyVariables>