diff --git a/headless-services/README.md b/headless-services/README.md
index 3521adfd1..9f2f40e56 100644
--- a/headless-services/README.md
+++ b/headless-services/README.md
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
+
 # headless services
 The main parts of the tooling for Spring Boot apps are implemented as headless services, running in separate processes. Those services can be consumed in existing IDEs by using the Language Server Protocol from Visual Studio Code.
diff --git a/headless-services/commons/org.json/pom.xml b/headless-services/commons/org.json/pom.xml
index f935815cd..9c0507e60 100644
--- a/headless-services/commons/org.json/pom.xml
+++ b/headless-services/commons/org.json/pom.xml
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@
 	<description>Repackaged org.json</description>
 
 	<properties>
-		<maven.compiler.target>17</maven.compiler.target>
-		<maven.compiler.source>17</maven.compiler.source>
+		<maven.compiler.target>21</maven.compiler.target>
+		<maven.compiler.source>21</maven.compiler.source>
 	</properties>
 </project>
diff --git a/headless-services/commons/pom.xml b/headless-services/commons/pom.xml
index ef5458e1b..a35553e8d 100644
--- a/headless-services/commons/pom.xml
+++ b/headless-services/commons/pom.xml
@@ -127,6 +127,7 @@
 
 		<signing.skip>true</signing.skip>
 		<signing.alias>vmware</signing.alias>
+		<java.version>21</java.version>
 	</properties>
 
     <dependencyManagement>
@@ -171,13 +172,13 @@
 
 	<build>
 		<plugins>
-			<!-- Set source 1.8 -->
+			<!-- Set source 21 -->
 			<plugin>
 				<groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
 				<artifactId>maven-compiler-plugin</artifactId>
 				<configuration>
-					<source>17</source>
-					<target>17</target>
+					<source>21</source>
+					<target>21</target>
 				</configuration>
 			</plugin>