diff --git a/gradlew b/gradlew
index c4770259bf7..8765922447e 100755
--- a/gradlew
+++ b/gradlew
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ GRADLE_WRAPPER_JAR="$APP_HOME/gradle/wrapper/gradle-wrapper.jar"
 "$JAVACMD" $JAVA_OPTS --source 11 "$APP_HOME/buildSrc/src/main/java/org/apache/lucene/gradle/WrapperDownloader.java" "$GRADLE_WRAPPER_JAR"
 WRAPPER_STATUS=$?
 if [ "$WRAPPER_STATUS" -eq 1 ]; then
-    echo "ERROR: Something went wrong. Make sure you're using Java version between 17 and 21."
+    echo "ERROR: Something went wrong. Make sure you're using Java version of exactly 21."
     exit $WRAPPER_STATUS
 elif [ "$WRAPPER_STATUS" -ne 0 ]; then
     exit $WRAPPER_STATUS
diff --git a/gradlew.bat b/gradlew.bat
index ca7ae1a1741..23a9b785a93 100644
--- a/gradlew.bat
+++ b/gradlew.bat
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ goto fail
 
 :failWithJvmMessage
 @rem https://github.com/apache/lucene/pull/819
-echo Error: Something went wrong. Make sure you're using Java version between 17 and 21.
+echo Error: Something went wrong. Make sure you're using Java version of exactly 21.
 
 :fail
 rem Set variable GRADLE_EXIT_CONSOLE if you need the _script_ return code instead of