diff --git a/.github/workflows/trivy-scan.yml b/.github/workflows/trivy-scan.yml
index 05cae85e8..12383274b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/trivy-scan.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/trivy-scan.yml
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ jobs:
         uses: actions/setup-java@v4
         with:
           distribution: "temurin"
-          java-version: "17"
+          java-version: 21
           cache: "maven"
 
       - name: Create hawkBit container images
diff --git a/.github/workflows/verify-hibernate.yml b/.github/workflows/verify-hibernate.yml
index 7357c9f58..2ce0916e3 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/verify-hibernate.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/verify-hibernate.yml
@@ -32,11 +32,11 @@ jobs:
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
 
-      - name: Set up JDK 17
+      - name: Set up JDK
         uses: actions/setup-java@v4
         with:
           distribution: 'temurin'
-          java-version: 17
+          java-version: 21
           cache: 'maven'
 
       - name: Cache local Maven repository
diff --git a/.github/workflows/verify.yml b/.github/workflows/verify.yml
index b5a29eb24..310faa86f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/verify.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/verify.yml
@@ -32,11 +32,11 @@ jobs:
     steps:
       - uses: actions/checkout@v4
 
-      - name: Set up JDK 17
+      - name: Set up JDK
         uses: actions/setup-java@v4
         with:
           distribution: 'temurin'
-          java-version: 17
+          java-version: 21
           cache: 'maven'
 
       - name: Cache local Maven repository
diff --git a/docker/docker_build/Dockerfile b/docker/docker_build/Dockerfile
index 91aea71a3..59fc63c3a 100644
--- a/docker/docker_build/Dockerfile
+++ b/docker/docker_build/Dockerfile
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 # set Java
-ARG JAVA_VERSION=17.0.14_7
+ARG JAVA_VERSION=21.0.6_7
 # extracts spring layers from the app jar (to optimize boot)
 FROM eclipse-temurin:${JAVA_VERSION}-jre-alpine as build
 
diff --git a/docker/docker_build/Dockerfile_dev b/docker/docker_build/Dockerfile_dev
index 2fc7a579c..315dc93e1 100644
--- a/docker/docker_build/Dockerfile_dev
+++ b/docker/docker_build/Dockerfile_dev
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 # set Java
-ARG JAVA_VERSION=17.0.14_7
+ARG JAVA_VERSION=21.0.6_7
 # extracts spring layers from the app jar (to optimize boot)
 FROM eclipse-temurin:${JAVA_VERSION}-jre-alpine as build
 
diff --git a/hawkbit-ddi/hawkbit-ddi-api/pom.xml b/hawkbit-ddi/hawkbit-ddi-api/pom.xml
index e880be832..b84813f68 100644
--- a/hawkbit-ddi/hawkbit-ddi-api/pom.xml
+++ b/hawkbit-ddi/hawkbit-ddi-api/pom.xml
@@ -23,6 +23,10 @@
     <artifactId>hawkbit-ddi-api</artifactId>
     <name>hawkBit :: DDI :: REST API</name>
 
+    <properties>
+        <java.version>${java.client.version}</java.version>
+    </properties>
+
     <dependencies>
         <dependency>
             <groupId>org.eclipse.hawkbit</groupId>
diff --git a/hawkbit-mgmt/hawkbit-mgmt-api/pom.xml b/hawkbit-mgmt/hawkbit-mgmt-api/pom.xml
index da5408c9a..ae11db81c 100644
--- a/hawkbit-mgmt/hawkbit-mgmt-api/pom.xml
+++ b/hawkbit-mgmt/hawkbit-mgmt-api/pom.xml
@@ -21,6 +21,10 @@
     <artifactId>hawkbit-mgmt-api</artifactId>
     <name>hawkBit :: Management :: REST API</name>
 
+    <properties>
+        <java.version>${java.client.version}</java.version>
+    </properties>
+
     <dependencies>
         <dependency>
             <groupId>org.eclipse.hawkbit</groupId>
diff --git a/hawkbit-rest-core/src/main/java/org/eclipse/hawkbit/rest/SecurityManagedConfiguration.java b/hawkbit-rest-core/src/main/java/org/eclipse/hawkbit/rest/SecurityManagedConfiguration.java
index e905b4d64..1a8f8d29e 100644
--- a/hawkbit-rest-core/src/main/java/org/eclipse/hawkbit/rest/SecurityManagedConfiguration.java
+++ b/hawkbit-rest-core/src/main/java/org/eclipse/hawkbit/rest/SecurityManagedConfiguration.java
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ import org.springframework.context.annotation.Bean;
 import org.springframework.context.annotation.Configuration;
 import org.springframework.context.annotation.PropertySource;
 import org.springframework.core.Ordered;
-import org.springframework.core.annotation.Order;;
+import org.springframework.core.annotation.Order;
 import org.springframework.security.config.annotation.web.configuration.EnableWebSecurity;
 import org.springframework.security.web.firewall.FirewalledRequest;
 import org.springframework.security.web.firewall.HttpFirewall;
diff --git a/hawkbit-sdk/pom.xml b/hawkbit-sdk/pom.xml
index f8dab8d76..f0547ff73 100644
--- a/hawkbit-sdk/pom.xml
+++ b/hawkbit-sdk/pom.xml
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
         <spring-cloud-starter-openfeign.version>4.2.1</spring-cloud-starter-openfeign.version>
         <openfeign-hc5.version>13.5</openfeign-hc5.version>
         <bouncycastle.version>1.80</bouncycastle.version>
+        <java.version>${java.client.version}</java.version>
     </properties>
 
     <modules>
diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index 7acafb59e..1e115e914 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -37,6 +37,9 @@
     <properties>
         <revision>0-SNAPSHOT</revision>
         <java.version>17</java.version>
+        <!-- java.version is used to build the hawkbit in general, however, some artifacts which could be used
+        as libraries in other projects might be compiled with a different, lower, java version. -->
+        <java.client.version>17</java.client.version>
 
         <snapshotDependencyAllowed>true</snapshotDependencyAllowed>