diff --git a/package/package/src/main/java/net/runelite/pluginhub/packager/Plugin.java b/package/package/src/main/java/net/runelite/pluginhub/packager/Plugin.java
index 0e44e8a0a..55485ffdc 100644
--- a/package/package/src/main/java/net/runelite/pluginhub/packager/Plugin.java
+++ b/package/package/src/main/java/net/runelite/pluginhub/packager/Plugin.java
@@ -698,10 +698,10 @@ public class Plugin implements Closeable
 							@Override
 							public void visit(int version, int access, String name, String signature, String superName, String[] interfaces)
 							{
-								if ((version & 0xFFFF) > Opcodes.V1_8
+								if ((version & 0xFFFF) > Opcodes.V11
 									&& !(isMultiRelease || fileName.endsWith("module-info.class")))
 								{
-									throw PluginBuildException.of(Plugin.this, "plugins must be Java 1.8 compatible")
+									throw PluginBuildException.of(Plugin.this, "plugins must be Java 11 compatible")
 										.withFile(fileName);
 								}
 
diff --git a/package/target_init.gradle b/package/target_init.gradle
index 8b9b9c792..bd0da935f 100644
--- a/package/target_init.gradle
+++ b/package/target_init.gradle
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ allprojects {
 	}
 
 	compileJava {
-		options.release.set(8)
+		options.release.set(11)
 		options.compilerArgs.add("-Xplugin:RuneLiteAPIRecorder")
 	}
 
diff --git a/templateplugin/build.gradle b/templateplugin/build.gradle
index b022e8c4d..a5969621c 100644
--- a/templateplugin/build.gradle
+++ b/templateplugin/build.gradle
@@ -25,8 +25,8 @@ dependencies {
 
 group = '${group_id}'
 version = '${version}'
-sourceCompatibility = '1.8'
 
 tasks.withType(JavaCompile) {
 	options.encoding = 'UTF-8'
+	options.release.set(11)
 }