diff --git a/plexus-velocity-build.xml b/plexus-velocity-build.xml
index e9d9710..8a92dc3 100644
--- a/plexus-velocity-build.xml
+++ b/plexus-velocity-build.xml
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@
   <property name="project.artifactId" value="plexus-velocity"/>
   <property name="project.version" value="1.2"/>
   
-  <property name="compiler.source" value="1.6"/>
+  <property name="compiler.source" value="1.8"/>
   <property name="compiler.target" value="${compiler.source}"/>
 
   <property name="build.finalName" value="${project.artifactId}-${project.version}"/>
diff --git a/plexus-velocity.changes b/plexus-velocity.changes
index d6ea64c..ec714b0 100644
--- a/plexus-velocity.changes
+++ b/plexus-velocity.changes
@@ -1,3 +1,8 @@
+-------------------------------------------------------------------
+Tue Mar 22 15:14:41 UTC 2022 - Fridrich Strba <fstrba@suse.com>
+
+- Build with java source and target levels 8
+
 -------------------------------------------------------------------
 Tue May 11 14:53:03 UTC 2021 - Fridrich Strba <fstrba@suse.com>
 
diff --git a/plexus-velocity.spec b/plexus-velocity.spec
index 4eec505..8e9f5b4 100644
--- a/plexus-velocity.spec
+++ b/plexus-velocity.spec
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 #
 # spec file for package plexus-velocity
 #
-# Copyright (c) 2021 SUSE LLC
+# Copyright (c) 2022 SUSE LLC
 #
 # All modifications and additions to the file contributed by third parties
 # remain the property of their copyright owners, unless otherwise agreed
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ Source2:        http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0.txt
 BuildRequires:  ant
 BuildRequires:  apache-commons-collections
 BuildRequires:  fdupes
+BuildRequires:  java-devel >= 1.8
 BuildRequires:  javapackages-local
 BuildRequires:  plexus-containers-container-default
 BuildRequires:  velocity