diff --git a/android/app/build.gradle b/android/app/build.gradle
index 8d497bfdb..26da5a211 100644
--- a/android/app/build.gradle
+++ b/android/app/build.gradle
@@ -18,8 +18,10 @@ if (autodetectReactNativeVersion || enableNewArchitecture) {
     react {
         reactNativeDir = reactNativePath
         codegenDir = file(
-            findNodeModulesPath("@react-native/codegen", reactNativePath)  // >= 0.72
-                ?: findNodeModulesPath("react-native-codegen", reactNativePath))  // < 0.72
+            reactNativeVersion >= v(0, 72, 0)
+                ? findNodeModulesPath("@react-native/codegen", reactNativePath)
+                : findNodeModulesPath("react-native-codegen", reactNativePath)
+        )
     }
 
     // We don't want the React plugin to bundle.
diff --git a/scripts/configure-projects.js b/scripts/configure-projects.js
index e7ef9cc96..359098350 100644
--- a/scripts/configure-projects.js
+++ b/scripts/configure-projects.js
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
  */
 const nodefs = require("node:fs");
 const path = require("node:path");
+const tty = require("node:tty");
 const {
   findNearest,
   getPackageVersion,
@@ -42,6 +43,76 @@ const cliPlatformIOSVersion = (() => {
   };
 })();
 
+/**
+ * Configures Gradle wrapper as necessary before the Android app is built.
+ * @param {string} sourceDir
+ */
+function configureGradleWrapper(sourceDir, fs = nodefs) {
+  const androidCommands = ["build-android", "run-android"];
+  if (
+    process.env["RNTA_CONFIGURE_GRADLE_WRAPPER"] === "0" ||
+    !process.argv.some((arg) => androidCommands.includes(arg))
+  ) {
+    return;
+  }
+
+  const gradleWrapperProperties = path.join(
+    sourceDir,
+    "gradle",
+    "wrapper",
+    "gradle-wrapper.properties"
+  );
+  if (!fs.existsSync(gradleWrapperProperties)) {
+    return;
+  }
+
+  const tag = tty.WriteStream.prototype.hasColors()
+    ? "\u001B[33m\u001B[1mwarn\u001B[22m\u001B[39m"
+    : "warn";
+
+  try {
+    const props = readTextFile(gradleWrapperProperties);
+    const re = /gradle-([.0-9]*?)-.*?\.zip/;
+    const m = props.match(re);
+    if (!m) {
+      return;
+    }
+
+    const gradleVersion = (() => {
+      const gradleVersion = toVersionNumber(m[1]);
+      const version = toVersionNumber(
+        getPackageVersion("react-native", sourceDir, fs)
+      );
+      if (version === 0 || version >= v(0, 74, 0)) {
+        if (gradleVersion < v(8, 6, 0)) {
+          return "8.6";
+        }
+      } else if (version >= v(0, 73, 0)) {
+        if (gradleVersion < v(8, 3, 0)) {
+          return "8.3";
+        }
+      } else if (version >= v(0, 72, 0)) {
+        if (gradleVersion < v(8, 1, 1)) {
+          return "8.1.1";
+        }
+      } else if (gradleVersion < v(7, 5, 1) || gradleVersion >= v(8, 0, 0)) {
+        return "7.6.4";
+      }
+      return undefined;
+    })();
+
+    if (gradleVersion) {
+      console.warn(tag, `Setting Gradle version ${gradleVersion}`);
+      fs.writeFileSync(
+        gradleWrapperProperties,
+        props.replace(re, `gradle-${gradleVersion}-bin.zip`)
+      );
+    }
+  } catch (_) {
+    console.warn(tag, "Failed to determine Gradle version");
+  }
+}
+
 /**
  * @param {string} sourceDir
  * @returns {string}
@@ -50,7 +121,7 @@ function androidManifestPath(sourceDir) {
   return path.relative(
     sourceDir,
     path.join(
-      path.dirname(require.resolve("../package.json")),
+      path.dirname(__dirname),
       "android",
       "app",
       "src",
@@ -109,6 +180,7 @@ function configureProjects({ android, ios, windows }, fs = nodefs) {
         path.resolve(projectRoot, android.sourceDir)
       ),
     };
+    configureGradleWrapper(android.sourceDir, fs);
   }
 
   if (ios) {
diff --git a/scripts/set-react-version.mjs b/scripts/set-react-version.mjs
index f188b4118..d1133f4fe 100755
--- a/scripts/set-react-version.mjs
+++ b/scripts/set-react-version.mjs
@@ -382,22 +382,6 @@ async function getProfile(v, coreOnly) {
   }
 }
 
-/**
- * Sets Gradle Wrapper to specified version.
- * @param {string} version
- */
-function setGradleVersion(version) {
-  const gradleWrapperProperties =
-    "example/android/gradle/wrapper/gradle-wrapper.properties";
-  fs.writeFileSync(
-    gradleWrapperProperties,
-    readTextFile(gradleWrapperProperties).replace(
-      /gradle-[.0-9]*-bin\.zip/,
-      `gradle-${version}-bin.zip`
-    )
-  );
-}
-
 /**
  * Sets specified React Native version.
  * @param {string} version
@@ -466,8 +450,6 @@ if (isMain(import.meta.url)) {
           : toVersionNumber(version);
       if (numVersion >= v(0, 74, 0)) {
         disableJetifier();
-      } else if (numVersion < v(0, 73, 0)) {
-        setGradleVersion("7.6.3");
       }
 
       // `@react-native-webapis/web-storage` is not compatible with codegen 0.71