diff --git a/build.gradle b/build.gradle
index 3f66b04c11..f69bd35f2a 100644
--- a/build.gradle
+++ b/build.gradle
@@ -51,17 +51,12 @@ subprojects {
     apply plugin: "jacoco-report-aggregation"
     apply plugin: "groovy"
 
-    tasks.withType(JavaCompile) {
+    tasks.withType(JavaCompile).configureEach {
         options.compilerArgs << "-Xlint:unchecked"
         options.compilerArgs << "-Xlint:deprecation"
-    }
 
-    project(":polaris-service") {
-        apply plugin: "application"
-    }
-
-    project(":polaris-core") {
-        apply plugin: "java-library"
+        // TODO Disabled until the code is only Java 11/17, see #76
+        // options.release = 17
     }
 
     project(":polaris-eclipselink") {
@@ -84,11 +79,9 @@ subprojects {
         testRuntimeOnly("org.junit.platform:junit-platform-launcher")
     }
 
-    task format {
-        dependsOn "spotlessApply"
-    }
+    tasks.register("format").configure {dependsOn("spotlessApply") }
 
-    test {
+    tasks.named("test", Test).configure {
         useJUnitPlatform()
         jvmArgs += [ '-Duser.language=en' ]
     }
diff --git a/polaris-core/build.gradle b/polaris-core/build.gradle
index 3d46fcce7e..7368137017 100644
--- a/polaris-core/build.gradle
+++ b/polaris-core/build.gradle
@@ -20,11 +20,6 @@ plugins {
     id("java-test-fixtures")
 }
 
-compileJava {
-    sourceCompatibility = 11
-    targetCompatibility = 11
-}
-
 dependencies {
     implementation(platform(libs.iceberg.bom))
     implementation("org.apache.iceberg:iceberg-api")
@@ -125,10 +120,15 @@ openApiValidate {
     inputSpec = "$rootDir/spec/polaris-management-service.yml"
 }
 
-task generatePolarisService(type: org.openapitools.generator.gradle.plugin.tasks.GenerateTask) {
+tasks.withType(JavaCompile).configureEach {
+    // TODO Disabled until the code is only Java 11, see #76
+    // options.release = 11
+}
+
+tasks.register("generatePolarisService", org.openapitools.generator.gradle.plugin.tasks.GenerateTask).configure {
     inputSpec = "$rootDir/spec/polaris-management-service.yml"
     generatorName = "jaxrs-resteasy"
-    outputDir = "$buildDir/generated"
+    outputDir = "$projectDir/build/generated"
     modelPackage = "io.polaris.core.admin.model"
     ignoreFileOverride = "$rootDir/.openapi-generator-ignore"
     removeOperationIdPrefix = true
@@ -150,5 +150,6 @@ task generatePolarisService(type: org.openapitools.generator.gradle.plugin.tasks
     serverVariables = [basePath: "api/v1"]
 }
 
-compileJava.dependsOn tasks.generatePolarisService
-sourceSets.main.java.srcDirs += ["$buildDir/generated/src/main/java"]
+tasks.named("compileJava").configure {dependsOn("generatePolarisService") }
+
+sourceSets.main.java.srcDirs += [ project.layout.buildDirectory.dir("generated/src/main/java") ]
diff --git a/polaris-service/build.gradle b/polaris-service/build.gradle
index 37106acd8f..0b9268cbab 100644
--- a/polaris-service/build.gradle
+++ b/polaris-service/build.gradle
@@ -14,9 +14,12 @@
  * limitations under the License.
  */
 
+import com.github.jengelman.gradle.plugins.shadow.tasks.ShadowJar
+
 plugins {
     alias(libs.plugins.shadow)
     alias(libs.plugins.openapi.generator)
+    id("application")
 }
 
 dependencies {
@@ -93,7 +96,7 @@ dependencies {
 openApiGenerate {
     inputSpec = "$rootDir/spec/rest-catalog-open-api.yaml"
     generatorName = "jaxrs-resteasy"
-    outputDir = "$buildDir/generated"
+    outputDir = "$projectDir/build/generated"
     apiPackage = "io.polaris.service.catalog.api"
     ignoreFileOverride = "$rootDir/.openapi-generator-ignore"
     removeOperationIdPrefix = true
@@ -149,10 +152,10 @@ openApiGenerate {
     ]
 }
 
-task generatePolarisService(type: org.openapitools.generator.gradle.plugin.tasks.GenerateTask) {
+tasks.register("generatePolarisService", org.openapitools.generator.gradle.plugin.tasks.GenerateTask).configure {
     inputSpec = "$rootDir/spec/polaris-management-service.yml"
     generatorName = "jaxrs-resteasy"
-    outputDir = "$buildDir/generated"
+    outputDir = "$projectDir/build/generated"
     apiPackage = "io.polaris.service.admin.api"
     modelPackage = "io.polaris.core.admin.model"
     ignoreFileOverride = "$rootDir/.openapi-generator-ignore"
@@ -176,9 +179,9 @@ task generatePolarisService(type: org.openapitools.generator.gradle.plugin.tasks
 }
 
 compileJava.dependsOn tasks.openApiGenerate, tasks.generatePolarisService
-sourceSets.main.java.srcDirs += ["$buildDir/generated/src/main/java"]
+sourceSets.main.java.srcDirs += ["$projectDir/build/generated/src/main/java"]
 
-test {
+tasks.named("test", Test).configure {
     if (System.getenv("AWS_REGION") == null) {
         environment "AWS_REGION", "us-west-2"
     }
@@ -187,29 +190,29 @@ test {
     maxParallelForks = 4
 }
 
-task runApp(type: JavaExec) {
+tasks.register("runApp", JavaExec).configure {
     if (System.getenv("AWS_REGION") == null) {
         environment "AWS_REGION", "us-west-2"
     }
     classpath = sourceSets.main.runtimeClasspath
     mainClass = "io.polaris.service.PolarisApplication"
-    args "server", "$rootDir/polaris-server.yml"
+    args = ["server", "$rootDir/polaris-server.yml"]
 }
 
 application {
     mainClass = "io.polaris.service.PolarisApplication"
 }
 
-jar {
+tasks.named("jar", Jar).configure {
     manifest {
         attributes "Main-Class": "io.polaris.service.PolarisApplication"
     }
 }
 
-shadowJar {
+tasks.named("shadowJar", ShadowJar).configure {
     mainClassName = "io.polaris.service.PolarisApplication"
     mergeServiceFiles()
     zip64 true
 }
 
-build.dependsOn(shadowJar)
+tasks.named("build").configure { dependsOn("shadowJar") }