diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 4bb57c0f81..9fa3a779da 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ jobs:
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     strategy:
       matrix:
-        java: [8, 11, 15]
+        java: [11, 15]
         kubernetes: ['v1.17.13','v1.18.12','v1.19.4']
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v2
diff --git a/.github/workflows/release.yml b/.github/workflows/release.yml
index 4114563b04..1130cca956 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/release.yml
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Set up Java and Maven
         uses: actions/setup-java@v1
         with:
-          java-version: 1.8
+          java-version: 11
       - name: change version to release version
         # Assume that RELEASE_VERSION will have form like: "v1.0.1". So we cut the "v"
         run: mvn versions:set -DnewVersion="${RELEASE_VERSION:1}" versions:commit
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ jobs:
       - name: Set up Java and Maven
         uses: actions/setup-java@v1
         with:
-          java-version: 1.8
+          java-version: 11
       - name: change version to release version
         run: |
           mvn versions:set -DnewVersion="${RELEASE_VERSION:1}" versions:commit
diff --git a/operator-framework/pom.xml b/operator-framework/pom.xml
index 46c87c5009..a5be06a274 100644
--- a/operator-framework/pom.xml
+++ b/operator-framework/pom.xml
@@ -16,9 +16,9 @@
     <packaging>jar</packaging>
 
     <properties>
-        <java.version>8</java.version>
-        <maven.compiler.source>1.8</maven.compiler.source>
-        <maven.compiler.target>1.8</maven.compiler.target>
+        <java.version>11</java.version>
+        <maven.compiler.source>11</maven.compiler.source>
+        <maven.compiler.target>11</maven.compiler.target>
     </properties>
 
     <build>
diff --git a/samples/common/pom.xml b/samples/common/pom.xml
index 729083b7cd..a9af8e611b 100644
--- a/samples/common/pom.xml
+++ b/samples/common/pom.xml
@@ -15,9 +15,9 @@
     <packaging>jar</packaging>
 
     <properties>
-        <java.version>8</java.version>
-        <maven.compiler.source>1.8</maven.compiler.source>
-        <maven.compiler.target>1.8</maven.compiler.target>
+        <java.version>11</java.version>
+        <maven.compiler.source>11</maven.compiler.source>
+        <maven.compiler.target>11</maven.compiler.target>
     </properties>
 
     <dependencies>
diff --git a/samples/mysql-schema/README.md b/samples/mysql-schema/README.md
index 772017b4b5..2860d5ee47 100644
--- a/samples/mysql-schema/README.md
+++ b/samples/mysql-schema/README.md
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ use it as is with real databases.
 ### Try 
 
 To try how the operator works you will need the following:
-* JDK installed (minimum version 8, tested with 1.8, 12, 13)
+* JDK installed (minimum version 11, tested with 11 and 15)
 * Maven installed (tested with 3.6.3)
 * A working Kubernetes cluster (tested with v1.15.9-gke.24)
 * kubectl installed (tested with v1.15.5)
diff --git a/samples/mysql-schema/pom.xml b/samples/mysql-schema/pom.xml
index 5e89cdedef..88b943b7ef 100644
--- a/samples/mysql-schema/pom.xml
+++ b/samples/mysql-schema/pom.xml
@@ -15,9 +15,9 @@
     <packaging>jar</packaging>
 
     <properties>
-        <java.version>8</java.version>
-        <maven.compiler.source>1.8</maven.compiler.source>
-        <maven.compiler.target>1.8</maven.compiler.target>
+        <java.version>11</java.version>
+        <maven.compiler.source>11</maven.compiler.source>
+        <maven.compiler.target>11</maven.compiler.target>
     </properties>
 
     <dependencies>
diff --git a/samples/pure-java/pom.xml b/samples/pure-java/pom.xml
index 356a3e1fcb..8f9efff7e7 100644
--- a/samples/pure-java/pom.xml
+++ b/samples/pure-java/pom.xml
@@ -15,9 +15,9 @@
     <packaging>jar</packaging>
 
     <properties>
-        <java.version>8</java.version>
-        <maven.compiler.source>1.8</maven.compiler.source>
-        <maven.compiler.target>1.8</maven.compiler.target>
+        <java.version>11</java.version>
+        <maven.compiler.source>11</maven.compiler.source>
+        <maven.compiler.target>11</maven.compiler.target>
     </properties>
 
     <dependencies>
diff --git a/samples/spring-boot-auto-config/pom.xml b/samples/spring-boot-auto-config/pom.xml
index 4b28f592f4..885292625a 100644
--- a/samples/spring-boot-auto-config/pom.xml
+++ b/samples/spring-boot-auto-config/pom.xml
@@ -15,9 +15,9 @@
     <packaging>jar</packaging>
 
     <properties>
-        <java.version>8</java.version>
-        <maven.compiler.source>1.8</maven.compiler.source>
-        <maven.compiler.target>1.8</maven.compiler.target>
+        <java.version>11</java.version>
+        <maven.compiler.source>11</maven.compiler.source>
+        <maven.compiler.target>11</maven.compiler.target>
     </properties>
 
     <dependencies>
diff --git a/samples/spring-boot-plain/pom.xml b/samples/spring-boot-plain/pom.xml
index 5a6c3cd0ab..a3a5e13a61 100644
--- a/samples/spring-boot-plain/pom.xml
+++ b/samples/spring-boot-plain/pom.xml
@@ -15,9 +15,9 @@
     <packaging>jar</packaging>
 
     <properties>
-        <java.version>8</java.version>
-        <maven.compiler.source>1.8</maven.compiler.source>
-        <maven.compiler.target>1.8</maven.compiler.target>
+        <java.version>11</java.version>
+        <maven.compiler.source>11</maven.compiler.source>
+        <maven.compiler.target>11</maven.compiler.target>
     </properties>
 
     <dependencies>
diff --git a/samples/tomcat/pom.xml b/samples/tomcat/pom.xml
index d68905321d..65b4ca7712 100644
--- a/samples/tomcat/pom.xml
+++ b/samples/tomcat/pom.xml
@@ -18,9 +18,9 @@
     <properties>
         <project.build.sourceEncoding>UTF-8</project.build.sourceEncoding>
         <java-operator-sdk.version>1.3.0</java-operator-sdk.version>
-        <java.version>8</java.version>
-        <maven.compiler.source>1.8</maven.compiler.source>
-        <maven.compiler.target>1.8</maven.compiler.target>
+        <java.version>11</java.version>
+        <maven.compiler.source>11</maven.compiler.source>
+        <maven.compiler.target>11</maven.compiler.target>
         <jib-maven-plugin.version>2.5.2</jib-maven-plugin.version>
     </properties>
 
diff --git a/samples/webserver/pom.xml b/samples/webserver/pom.xml
index d63d33d5d0..463f23f054 100644
--- a/samples/webserver/pom.xml
+++ b/samples/webserver/pom.xml
@@ -15,9 +15,9 @@
     <packaging>jar</packaging>
 
     <properties>
-        <java.version>8</java.version>
-        <maven.compiler.source>1.8</maven.compiler.source>
-        <maven.compiler.target>1.8</maven.compiler.target>
+        <java.version>11</java.version>
+        <maven.compiler.source>11</maven.compiler.source>
+        <maven.compiler.target>11</maven.compiler.target>
     </properties>
 
     <dependencies>
diff --git a/spring-boot-starter/pom.xml b/spring-boot-starter/pom.xml
index 8c641001a8..55cfe5f9f0 100644
--- a/spring-boot-starter/pom.xml
+++ b/spring-boot-starter/pom.xml
@@ -15,9 +15,9 @@
     <packaging>jar</packaging>
 
     <properties>
-        <java.version>8</java.version>
-        <maven.compiler.source>1.8</maven.compiler.source>
-        <maven.compiler.target>1.8</maven.compiler.target>
+        <java.version>11</java.version>
+        <maven.compiler.source>11</maven.compiler.source>
+        <maven.compiler.target>11</maven.compiler.target>
     </properties>
 
     <build>