diff --git a/build-tools-internal/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/gradle/internal/MrjarPlugin.java b/build-tools-internal/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/gradle/internal/MrjarPlugin.java
index b835bae815d07..ed5e4c9eb5102 100644
--- a/build-tools-internal/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/gradle/internal/MrjarPlugin.java
+++ b/build-tools-internal/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/gradle/internal/MrjarPlugin.java
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ private SourceSet addSourceSet(
             compileOptions.getRelease().set(javaVersion);
         });
         if (isMainSourceSet) {
-            project.getTasks().create(sourceSet.getJavadocTaskName(), Javadoc.class, javadocTask -> {
+            project.getTasks().register(sourceSet.getJavadocTaskName(), Javadoc.class, javadocTask -> {
                 javadocTask.getJavadocTool().set(javaToolchains.javadocToolFor(spec -> {
                     spec.getLanguageVersion().set(JavaLanguageVersion.of(javaVersion));
                 }));
diff --git a/distribution/tools/java-version-checker/build.gradle b/distribution/tools/java-version-checker/build.gradle
index 3d4ec5aced29c..e702699fbb392 100644
--- a/distribution/tools/java-version-checker/build.gradle
+++ b/distribution/tools/java-version-checker/build.gradle
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 apply plugin: 'elasticsearch.build'
 
-compileJava {
+tasks.named("compileJava").configure {
   options.release = 8
 }
 
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/esql/compute/build.gradle b/x-pack/plugin/esql/compute/build.gradle
index 1a349f6b8424e..f2eca7aee058f 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/esql/compute/build.gradle
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/esql/compute/build.gradle
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ tasks.named('checkstyleMain').configure {
   excludes = ["**/*.java.st"]
 }
 
-tasks.named("spotlessJava") { dependsOn stringTemplates }
+tasks.named("spotlessJava") { dependsOn "stringTemplates" }
 
 spotless {
   java {