diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index 01f12ff3d47f..2f9bd635f175 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -24,6 +24,18 @@ matrix:
   include:
   - language: java
     name: java
+    jdk: openjdk8
+    before_cache:
+      - rm -f  $HOME/.gradle/caches/modules-2/modules-2.lock
+      - rm -fr $HOME/.gradle/caches/*/plugin-resolution/
+    cache:
+      directories:
+        - $HOME/.gradle/caches/
+        - $HOME/.gradle/wrapper/
+
+  - language: java
+    name: java
+    jdk: openjdk11
     before_cache:
       - rm -f  $HOME/.gradle/caches/modules-2/modules-2.lock
       - rm -fr $HOME/.gradle/caches/*/plugin-resolution/
diff --git a/build.gradle b/build.gradle
index 69a49d9f1202..58360308ba0b 100644
--- a/build.gradle
+++ b/build.gradle
@@ -40,10 +40,6 @@ plugins {
   id 'com.palantir.consistent-versions' version '1.9.2'
 }
 
-if (JavaVersion.current() != JavaVersion.VERSION_1_8) {
-  throw new GradleException("This build must be run with Java 8")
-}
-
 allprojects {
   group = "org.apache.iceberg"
   version = getProjectVersion()
diff --git a/deploy.gradle b/deploy.gradle
index 29e5a1f21231..2b3999b192d9 100644
--- a/deploy.gradle
+++ b/deploy.gradle
@@ -17,6 +17,10 @@
  * under the License.
  */
 
+if (project.hasProperty('release') && JavaVersion.current() != JavaVersion.VERSION_1_8) {
+  throw new GradleException("Releases must be built with Java 8")
+}
+
 subprojects {
   apply plugin: 'maven' // make pom files for deployment
   apply plugin: 'maven-publish'
diff --git a/hive/src/test/java/org/apache/iceberg/hive/HiveMetastoreTest.java b/hive/src/test/java/org/apache/iceberg/hive/HiveMetastoreTest.java
index 8d08aff88f21..7b363dec9a3e 100644
--- a/hive/src/test/java/org/apache/iceberg/hive/HiveMetastoreTest.java
+++ b/hive/src/test/java/org/apache/iceberg/hive/HiveMetastoreTest.java
@@ -49,13 +49,19 @@ public static void startMetastore() throws Exception {
 
   @AfterClass
   public static void stopMetastore() {
-    catalog.close();
-    HiveMetastoreTest.catalog = null;
+    if(catalog != null) {
+      catalog.close();
+      HiveMetastoreTest.catalog = null;
+    }
 
-    metastoreClient.close();
-    HiveMetastoreTest.metastoreClient = null;
+    if(metastoreClient != null) {
+      metastoreClient.close();
+      HiveMetastoreTest.metastoreClient = null;
+    }
 
-    metastore.stop();
-    HiveMetastoreTest.metastore = null;
+    if(metastore != null) {
+      metastore.stop();
+      HiveMetastoreTest.metastore = null;
+    }
   }
 }