diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 717ccb121..7b3c7c138 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -10,8 +10,6 @@ compiler:
   - clang
   - gcc
 osx_image: xcode9.4
-jdk:
-  - openjdk7
 cache:
   - ccache
 
@@ -77,11 +75,6 @@ matrix:
   - os: linux
     compiler: clang
 
-before_install:
-  - if [[ "${JOB_NAME}" == java_test  || "${JOB_NAME}" == cmake* ]] && [ "$(uname -m)" == ppc64le ]; then
-     sudo apt-get -y install openjdk-8-jdk && export JAVA_HOME=/usr/lib/jvm/java-8-openjdk-ppc64el;
-   fi
-
 install:
   - if [ "${TRAVIS_OS_NAME}" == osx ]; then
       PATH=$PATH:/usr/local/opt/ccache/libexec;
@@ -98,8 +91,21 @@ install:
       TAR_OPT="--strip-components=1 -xj";
       mkdir cmake-dist && curl --silent --fail --show-error --location "${CMAKE_DIST_URL}" | tar -C cmake-dist ${TAR_OPT} && export PATH=$PWD/cmake-dist/bin:$PATH;
     fi
-  - if [[ "${JOB_NAME}" == java_test || "${JOB_NAME}" == cmake* ]]; then
-      java -version && echo "JAVA_HOME=${JAVA_HOME}";
+  - |
+    if [[ "${JOB_NAME}" == java_test || "${JOB_NAME}" == cmake* ]]; then
+      # Ensure JDK 8
+      if [ "${TRAVIS_OS_NAME}" == osx ]; then
+        brew tap AdoptOpenJDK/openjdk
+        brew cask install adoptopenjdk8
+        export JAVA_HOME=$(/usr/libexec/java_home)
+      else
+        sudo apt-get install -y openjdk-8-jdk
+        export PATH=/usr/lib/jvm/java-8-openjdk-$(dpkg --print-architecture)/bin:$PATH
+        export JAVA_HOME=/usr/lib/jvm/java-8-openjdk-$(dpkg --print-architecture)
+      fi
+      echo "JAVA_HOME=${JAVA_HOME}"
+      which java && java -version
+      which javac && javac -version
     fi
 
 before_script:
diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 92541174b..f46e260d7 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -207,6 +207,7 @@ AM_LINK = $(AM_V_CCLD)$(CXX) $^ $(EXEC_LDFLAGS) -o $@ $(LDFLAGS) $(COVERAGEFLAGS
 dummy := $(shell (export ROCKSDB_ROOT="$(CURDIR)"; export PORTABLE="$(PORTABLE)"; "$(CURDIR)/build_tools/build_detect_platform" "$(CURDIR)/make_config.mk"))
 # this file is generated by the previous line to set build flags and sources
 include make_config.mk
+export JAVAC_ARGS
 CLEAN_FILES += make_config.mk
 
 missing_make_config_paths := $(shell				\
diff --git a/build_tools/build_detect_platform b/build_tools/build_detect_platform
index 5ecc4eec4..1b9b61337 100755
--- a/build_tools/build_detect_platform
+++ b/build_tools/build_detect_platform
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 #   PLATFORM_LDFLAGS            Linker flags
 #   JAVA_LDFLAGS                Linker flags for RocksDBJava
 #   JAVA_STATIC_LDFLAGS         Linker flags for RocksDBJava static build
+#   JAVAC_ARGS                  Arguments for javac
 #   PLATFORM_SHARED_EXT         Extension for shared libraries
 #   PLATFORM_SHARED_LDFLAGS     Flags for building shared library
 #   PLATFORM_SHARED_CFLAGS      Flags for compiling objects for shared library
@@ -239,6 +240,7 @@ esac
 PLATFORM_CXXFLAGS="$PLATFORM_CXXFLAGS ${CXXFLAGS}"
 JAVA_LDFLAGS="$PLATFORM_LDFLAGS"
 JAVA_STATIC_LDFLAGS="$PLATFORM_LDFLAGS"
+JAVAC_ARGS="-source 7"
 
 if [ "$CROSS_COMPILE" = "true" -o "$FBCODE_BUILD" = "true" ]; then
     # Cross-compiling; do not try any compilation tests.
@@ -710,6 +712,7 @@ echo "PLATFORM=$PLATFORM" >> "$OUTPUT"
 echo "PLATFORM_LDFLAGS=$PLATFORM_LDFLAGS" >> "$OUTPUT"
 echo "JAVA_LDFLAGS=$JAVA_LDFLAGS" >> "$OUTPUT"
 echo "JAVA_STATIC_LDFLAGS=$JAVA_STATIC_LDFLAGS" >> "$OUTPUT"
+echo "JAVAC_ARGS=$JAVAC_ARGS" >> "$OUTPUT"
 echo "VALGRIND_VER=$VALGRIND_VER" >> "$OUTPUT"
 echo "PLATFORM_CCFLAGS=$PLATFORM_CCFLAGS" >> "$OUTPUT"
 echo "PLATFORM_CXXFLAGS=$PLATFORM_CXXFLAGS" >> "$OUTPUT"
diff --git a/java/CMakeLists.txt b/java/CMakeLists.txt
index 8c20b34f3..dc4191171 100644
--- a/java/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/java/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -4,6 +4,8 @@ if(${CMAKE_VERSION} VERSION_LESS "3.11.4")
     message("Please consider switching to CMake 3.11.4 or newer")
 endif()
 
+set(CMAKE_JAVA_COMPILE_FLAGS -source 7)
+
 set(JNI_NATIVE_SOURCES
         rocksjni/backupablejni.cc
         rocksjni/backupenginejni.cc
diff --git a/java/Makefile b/java/Makefile
index c6acd4169..89e96c458 100644
--- a/java/Makefile
+++ b/java/Makefile
@@ -207,14 +207,14 @@ JAVA_TESTCLASSPATH = $(JAVA_JUNIT_JAR):$(JAVA_HAMCR_JAR):$(JAVA_MOCKITO_JAR):$(J
 MVN_LOCAL = ~/.m2/repository
 
 # Set the default JAVA_ARGS to "" for DEBUG_LEVEL=0
-JAVA_ARGS? =
+JAVA_ARGS ?=
 
-JAVAC_ARGS? =
+JAVAC_ARGS ?=
 
 # When debugging add -Xcheck:jni to the java args
 ifneq ($(DEBUG_LEVEL),0)
-	JAVA_ARGS = -ea -Xcheck:jni
-	JAVAC_ARGS = -Xlint:deprecation -Xlint:unchecked
+	JAVA_ARGS += -ea -Xcheck:jni
+	JAVAC_ARGS += -Xlint:deprecation -Xlint:unchecked
 endif
 
 # This is a URL for artifacts from a "fake" release on pdillinger's fork,