diff --git a/cpptasks.changes b/cpptasks.changes
index 57e6c0e..0ed2769 100644
--- a/cpptasks.changes
+++ b/cpptasks.changes
@@ -1,3 +1,9 @@
+-------------------------------------------------------------------
+Wed May 16 10:44:34 UTC 2018 - fstrba@suse.com
+
+- Build with source and target 8 to prepare for a possible removal
+  of 1.6 compatibility
+
 -------------------------------------------------------------------
 Thu Sep 21 14:41:05 UTC 2017 - kkaempf@suse.com
 
diff --git a/cpptasks.spec b/cpptasks.spec
index f6656e0..5e319be 100644
--- a/cpptasks.spec
+++ b/cpptasks.spec
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 #
 # spec file for package cpptasks
 #
-# Copyright (c) 2017 SUSE LINUX GmbH, Nuernberg, Germany.
+# Copyright (c) 2018 SUSE LINUX GmbH, Nuernberg, Germany.
 #
 # All modifications and additions to the file contributed by third parties
 # remain the property of their copyright owners, unless otherwise agreed
@@ -27,10 +27,11 @@ Source0:        http://downloads.sourceforge.net/ant-contrib/%{name}-%{version}.
 BuildRequires:  ant
 BuildRequires:  ant-junit
 BuildRequires:  fdupes
+BuildRequires:  java-devel >= 1.8
 BuildRequires:  jpackage-utils
 BuildRequires:  junit
 Requires:       ant
-Requires:       java
+Requires:       java >= 1.8
 BuildArch:      noarch
 
 %description
@@ -54,7 +55,7 @@ find . -name '*.jar' -type f -delete -print
 export OPT_JAR_LIST="ant/ant-junit junit"
 export CLASSPATH=""
 %{ant} \
-     -Djavac.source=1.6 -Djavac.target=1.6 \
+     -Djavac.source=8 -Djavac.target=8 \
      jars javadocs
 
 %install