diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index d4db3755a2c..83843dd6ea3 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ ext {
     ]
 }
 
-sourceCompatibility = 1.8
+sourceCompatibility = 11
 
 repositories {
     mavenCentral()
diff --git a/build.gradle b/build.gradle
index 7a8e9984300..09f6c732563 100644
--- a/build.gradle
+++ b/build.gradle
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ subprojects { project ->
 
     java {
         toolchain {
-            languageVersion = JavaLanguageVersion.of(8)
+            languageVersion = JavaLanguageVersion.of(11)
         }
     }
     tasks.withType(JavaCompile).configureEach {
@@ -250,7 +250,7 @@ tasks.register('alljavadoc', Javadoc) {
         splitIndex = true
         noTree = true
         title = "commercetools Java SDK"
-        links 'https://docs.oracle.com/javase/8/docs/api/', "https://fasterxml.github.io/jackson-databind/javadoc/2.14/", 'https://commercetools.github.io/commercetools-jvm-sdk/apidocs/', 'https://newrelic.github.io/java-agent-api/javadoc/'
+        links 'https://docs.oracle.com/javase/11/docs/api/', "https://fasterxml.github.io/jackson-databind/javadoc/2.14/", 'https://commercetools.github.io/commercetools-jvm-sdk/apidocs/', 'https://newrelic.github.io/java-agent-api/javadoc/'
         overview = "src/main/javadoc/overview.html"
         bottom = """
             <link rel="stylesheet" href="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/highlight.js/8.8.0/styles/default.min.css">
@@ -280,7 +280,7 @@ tasks.register('alljavadoc', Javadoc) {
                 ],
                 "Monitoring"   : ["com.commercetools.monitoring.*"]
         ]
-        addStringOption('source', '8')
+        addStringOption('source', '11')
     }
 
     doLast {
@@ -310,7 +310,7 @@ tasks.register('internaldocs', Javadoc) {
         splitIndex = true
         noTree = true
         title = "commercetools Java SDK"
-        links 'https://docs.oracle.com/javase/8/docs/api/', "https://fasterxml.github.io/jackson-databind/javadoc/2.14/", 'https://commercetools.github.io/commercetools-jvm-sdk/apidocs/', 'https://newrelic.github.io/java-agent-api/javadoc/'
+        links 'https://docs.oracle.com/javase/11/docs/api/', "https://fasterxml.github.io/jackson-databind/javadoc/2.14/", 'https://commercetools.github.io/commercetools-jvm-sdk/apidocs/', 'https://newrelic.github.io/java-agent-api/javadoc/'
         overview = "src/main/javadoc/overview.html"
         bottom = """
             <link rel="stylesheet" href="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/highlight.js/8.8.0/styles/default.min.css">
@@ -340,7 +340,7 @@ tasks.register('internaldocs', Javadoc) {
                 ],
                 "Monitoring"   : ["com.commercetools.monitoring.*"]
         ]
-        addStringOption('source', '8')
+        addStringOption('source', '11')
     }
 
     doLast {
diff --git a/gradle-scripts/subproject-config.gradle b/gradle-scripts/subproject-config.gradle
index e3c5557c5a5..7d7696505dd 100644
--- a/gradle-scripts/subproject-config.gradle
+++ b/gradle-scripts/subproject-config.gradle
@@ -32,11 +32,11 @@ javadoc {
         splitIndex = true
         noTree = true
         title = "commercetools Java SDK"
-        links 'https://docs.oracle.com/javase/8/docs/api/', "https://fasterxml.github.io/jackson-databind/javadoc/2.14/", 'https://commercetools.github.io/commercetools-jvm-sdk/apidocs/', 'https://newrelic.github.io/java-agent-api/javadoc/'
+        links 'https://docs.oracle.com/javase/11/docs/api/', "https://fasterxml.github.io/jackson-databind/javadoc/2.14/", 'https://commercetools.github.io/commercetools-jvm-sdk/apidocs/', 'https://newrelic.github.io/java-agent-api/javadoc/'
         maxMemory = '2g'
         addBooleanOption('-allow-script-in-comments', true)
         addStringOption('Xdoclint:missing,accessibility,reference', '-quiet')
-        addStringOption('source', '8')
+        addStringOption('source', '11')
         encoding = 'utf-8'
         taglets = ['com.commercetools.taglets.CodeTaglet', 'com.commercetools.taglets.ToCTaglet', 'com.commercetools.taglets.FileIncludeTaglet', 'org.jdrupes.taglets.plantUml.StartUml', 'org.jdrupes.taglets.plantUml.EndUml', 'org.jdrupes.taglets.plantUml.PlantUml']
         bottom = """