diff --git a/buildSrc/src/main/kotlin/io/opentelemetry/gradle/OtelJavaExtension.kt b/buildSrc/src/main/kotlin/io/opentelemetry/gradle/OtelJavaExtension.kt
index bf584e71100..cf45d5a2725 100644
--- a/buildSrc/src/main/kotlin/io/opentelemetry/gradle/OtelJavaExtension.kt
+++ b/buildSrc/src/main/kotlin/io/opentelemetry/gradle/OtelJavaExtension.kt
@@ -5,8 +5,15 @@
 
 package io.opentelemetry.gradle
 
+import org.gradle.api.JavaVersion
 import org.gradle.api.provider.Property
 
 abstract class OtelJavaExtension {
     abstract val moduleName: Property<String>
+
+    abstract val minJavaVersionSupported: Property<JavaVersion>
+
+    init {
+        minJavaVersionSupported.convention(JavaVersion.VERSION_1_8)
+    }
 }
diff --git a/buildSrc/src/main/kotlin/otel.java-conventions.gradle.kts b/buildSrc/src/main/kotlin/otel.java-conventions.gradle.kts
index be2730ef1af..e153a7a6360 100644
--- a/buildSrc/src/main/kotlin/otel.java-conventions.gradle.kts
+++ b/buildSrc/src/main/kotlin/otel.java-conventions.gradle.kts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 import io.opentelemetry.gradle.OtelJavaExtension
+import org.gradle.api.JavaVersion
 import org.gradle.api.tasks.testing.logging.TestExceptionFormat
 
 plugins {
@@ -74,7 +75,7 @@ val testJavaVersion = gradle.startParameter.projectProperties.get("testJavaVersi
 tasks {
   withType<JavaCompile>().configureEach {
     with(options) {
-      release.set(8)
+      release.set(otelJava.minJavaVersionSupported.map { it.majorVersion.toInt() })
 
       if (name != "jmhCompileGeneratedClasses") {
         compilerArgs.addAll(
@@ -108,14 +109,6 @@ tasks {
   withType<Test>().configureEach {
     useJUnitPlatform()
 
-    if (testJavaVersion != null) {
-      javaLauncher.set(
-        javaToolchains.launcherFor {
-          languageVersion.set(JavaLanguageVersion.of(testJavaVersion.majorVersion))
-        },
-      )
-    }
-
     val defaultMaxRetries = if (System.getenv().containsKey("CI")) 2 else 0
     val maxTestRetries = gradle.startParameter.projectProperties["maxTestRetries"]?.toInt() ?: defaultMaxRetries
 
@@ -174,6 +167,19 @@ tasks {
   }
 }
 
+afterEvaluate {
+  tasks.withType<Test>().configureEach {
+    if (testJavaVersion != null) {
+      javaLauncher.set(
+        javaToolchains.launcherFor {
+          languageVersion.set(JavaLanguageVersion.of(testJavaVersion.majorVersion))
+        }
+      )
+      isEnabled = isEnabled && testJavaVersion >= otelJava.minJavaVersionSupported.get()
+    }
+  }
+}
+
 // Add version information to published artifacts.
 plugins.withId("otel.publish-conventions") {
   tasks {
diff --git a/exporters/sender/jdk/build.gradle.kts b/exporters/sender/jdk/build.gradle.kts
index c5c1c1269fb..7f848b7708b 100644
--- a/exporters/sender/jdk/build.gradle.kts
+++ b/exporters/sender/jdk/build.gradle.kts
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+import org.gradle.api.JavaVersion
+
 plugins {
   id("otel.java-conventions")
   id("otel.publish-conventions")
@@ -5,6 +7,7 @@ plugins {
 
 description = "OpenTelemetry JDK HttpSender"
 otelJava.moduleName.set("io.opentelemetry.exporter.sender.jdk.internal")
+otelJava.minJavaVersionSupported.set(JavaVersion.VERSION_11)
 
 dependencies {
   implementation(project(":exporters:common"))
@@ -12,16 +15,3 @@ dependencies {
 
   testImplementation("com.fasterxml.jackson.core:jackson-core")
 }
-
-tasks {
-  withType<JavaCompile>().configureEach {
-    sourceCompatibility = "11"
-    targetCompatibility = "11"
-    options.release.set(11)
-  }
-}
-
-tasks.test {
-  val testJavaVersion: String? by project
-  enabled = !testJavaVersion.equals("8")
-}
diff --git a/integration-tests/graal-incubating/build.gradle.kts b/integration-tests/graal-incubating/build.gradle.kts
index 3ba7ef6860a..c30cb597f2d 100644
--- a/integration-tests/graal-incubating/build.gradle.kts
+++ b/integration-tests/graal-incubating/build.gradle.kts
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+import org.gradle.api.JavaVersion
+
 plugins {
   id("otel.java-conventions")
   id("org.graalvm.buildtools.native")
@@ -5,6 +7,7 @@ plugins {
 
 description = "OpenTelemetry Graal Integration Tests (Incubating)"
 otelJava.moduleName.set("io.opentelemetry.graal.integration.tests.incubating")
+otelJava.minJavaVersionSupported.set(JavaVersion.VERSION_11)
 
 sourceSets {
   main {
@@ -25,17 +28,6 @@ dependencies {
 
 // org.graalvm.buildtools.native plugin requires java 11+ as of version 0.9.26
 // https://github.com/graalvm/native-build-tools/blob/master/docs/src/docs/asciidoc/index.adoc
-tasks {
-  withType<JavaCompile>().configureEach {
-    sourceCompatibility = "11"
-    targetCompatibility = "11"
-    options.release.set(11)
-  }
-  withType<Test>().configureEach {
-    val testJavaVersion: String? by project
-    enabled = !testJavaVersion.equals("8")
-  }
-}
 
 graalvmNative {
   binaries {
diff --git a/integration-tests/graal/build.gradle.kts b/integration-tests/graal/build.gradle.kts
index 666777d54aa..4086a91e778 100644
--- a/integration-tests/graal/build.gradle.kts
+++ b/integration-tests/graal/build.gradle.kts
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+import org.gradle.api.JavaVersion
+
 plugins {
   id("otel.java-conventions")
   id("org.graalvm.buildtools.native")
@@ -5,6 +7,7 @@ plugins {
 
 description = "OpenTelemetry Graal Integration Tests"
 otelJava.moduleName.set("io.opentelemetry.graal.integration.tests")
+otelJava.minJavaVersionSupported.set(JavaVersion.VERSION_11)
 
 sourceSets {
   main {
@@ -23,17 +26,6 @@ dependencies {
 
 // org.graalvm.buildtools.native plugin requires java 11+ as of version 0.9.26
 // https://github.com/graalvm/native-build-tools/blob/master/docs/src/docs/asciidoc/index.adoc
-tasks {
-  withType<JavaCompile>().configureEach {
-    sourceCompatibility = "11"
-    targetCompatibility = "11"
-    options.release.set(11)
-  }
-  withType<Test>().configureEach {
-    val testJavaVersion: String? by project
-    enabled = !testJavaVersion.equals("8")
-  }
-}
 
 graalvmNative {
   binaries {
diff --git a/javadoc-crawler/build.gradle.kts b/javadoc-crawler/build.gradle.kts
index 0b7920b2ebc..e55b2263670 100644
--- a/javadoc-crawler/build.gradle.kts
+++ b/javadoc-crawler/build.gradle.kts
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+import org.gradle.api.JavaVersion
+
 plugins {
   id("otel.java-conventions")
 }
@@ -9,22 +11,9 @@ dependencies {
 
 description = "OpenTelemetry Javadoc Crawler"
 otelJava.moduleName.set("io.opentelemetry.javadocs")
+otelJava.minJavaVersionSupported.set(JavaVersion.VERSION_17)
 
 tasks {
-  withType<JavaCompile>().configureEach {
-    sourceCompatibility = "17"
-    targetCompatibility = "17"
-    options.release.set(17)
-  }
-
-  // only test on java 17+
-  val testJavaVersion: String? by project
-  if (testJavaVersion != null && Integer.valueOf(testJavaVersion) < 17) {
-    test {
-      enabled = false
-    }
-  }
-
   val crawl by registering(JavaExec::class) {
     dependsOn(classes)