diff --git a/.travis.yml b/.travis.yml
index ede25fe5..42f3735b 100644
--- a/.travis.yml
+++ b/.travis.yml
@@ -6,9 +6,8 @@ dist: xenial
 sudo: required
 language: java
 
-# we test for JDK 8,10,11
+# we test for JDK 10,11
 jdk:
-  - openjdk8
   - openjdk10
   - openjdk11
   
diff --git a/prism/Makefile b/prism/Makefile
index ba3a3e28..12544d2e 100644
--- a/prism/Makefile
+++ b/prism/Makefile
@@ -552,7 +552,7 @@ BIN_DIST_INST = $(BIN_DIST_DIR)-installer.exe
 
 # Build a (binary) distribution in the release directory
 
-release: JFLAGS += -source 1.8 -target 1.8
+release: JFLAGS += --release 9
 release: clean_all all binary release_check_version build_release clean_binary
 
 release_check_version: