diff --git a/gradle/testing/defaults-tests.gradle b/gradle/testing/defaults-tests.gradle
index 1f3a7d8b1a0..14e64647d66 100644
--- a/gradle/testing/defaults-tests.gradle
+++ b/gradle/testing/defaults-tests.gradle
@@ -128,8 +128,14 @@ allprojects {
       jvmArgs '--add-modules', 'jdk.management'
 
       // Enable the vector incubator module on supported Java versions:
-      if (rootProject.vectorIncubatorJavaVersions.contains(rootProject.runtimeJavaVersion)) {
+      def prop = propertyOrDefault("org.apache.lucene.vectorization.upperJavaFeatureVersion", "1") as String
+      def v = JavaVersion.toVersion(Integer.parseInt(prop)).majorVersion
+      if (rootProject.vectorIncubatorJavaVersions.contains(rootProject.runtimeJavaVersion) ||
+          rootProject.runtimeJavaVersion.majorVersion <= v) {
         jvmArgs '--add-modules', 'jdk.incubator.vector'
+        if (rootProject.runtimeJavaVersion.majorVersion <= v) {
+          systemProperty 'org.apache.lucene.vectorization.upperJavaFeatureVersion', v
+        }
       }
       
       jvmArgs '--enable-native-access=' + (project.path in [
diff --git a/lucene/CHANGES.txt b/lucene/CHANGES.txt
index 1c4b5cbb249..062c107158b 100644
--- a/lucene/CHANGES.txt
+++ b/lucene/CHANGES.txt
@@ -47,7 +47,11 @@ New Features
 
 Improvements
 ---------------------
-(No changes)
+
+* GITHUB#13986: Allow easier configuration of the Panama Vectorization provider with
+  newer Java versions. Set the `org.apache.lucene.vectorization.upperJavaFeatureVersion`
+  system property to increase the set of Java versions that Panama Vectorization will
+  provide optimized implementations for. (Chris Hegarty)
 
 Optimizations
 ---------------------
diff --git a/lucene/core/src/java/org/apache/lucene/internal/vectorization/VectorizationProvider.java b/lucene/core/src/java/org/apache/lucene/internal/vectorization/VectorizationProvider.java
index e6441310dcc..c0ed905353b 100644
--- a/lucene/core/src/java/org/apache/lucene/internal/vectorization/VectorizationProvider.java
+++ b/lucene/core/src/java/org/apache/lucene/internal/vectorization/VectorizationProvider.java
@@ -38,12 +38,16 @@ import org.apache.lucene.util.VectorUtil;
  * vectorization modules in the Java runtime this class provides optimized implementations (using
  * SIMD) of several algorithms used throughout Apache Lucene.
  *
+ * <p>Expert: set the {@value #UPPER_JAVA_FEATURE_VERSION_SYSPROP} system property to increase the
+ * set of Java versions this class will provide optimized implementations for.
+ *
  * @lucene.internal
  */
 public abstract class VectorizationProvider {
 
   static final OptionalInt TESTS_VECTOR_SIZE;
   static final boolean TESTS_FORCE_INTEGER_VECTORS;
+  static final int UPPER_JAVA_FEATURE_VERSION = getUpperJavaFeatureVersion();
 
   static {
     var vs = OptionalInt.empty();
@@ -71,6 +75,27 @@ public abstract class VectorizationProvider {
     TESTS_FORCE_INTEGER_VECTORS = enforce;
   }
 
+  private static final String UPPER_JAVA_FEATURE_VERSION_SYSPROP =
+      "org.apache.lucene.vectorization.upperJavaFeatureVersion";
+  private static final int DEFAULT_UPPER_JAVA_FEATURE_VERSION = 23;
+
+  private static int getUpperJavaFeatureVersion() {
+    int runtimeVersion = DEFAULT_UPPER_JAVA_FEATURE_VERSION;
+    try {
+      String str = System.getProperty(UPPER_JAVA_FEATURE_VERSION_SYSPROP);
+      if (str != null) {
+        runtimeVersion = Math.max(Integer.parseInt(str), runtimeVersion);
+      }
+    } catch (@SuppressWarnings("unused") NumberFormatException | SecurityException ignored) {
+      Logger.getLogger(VectorizationProvider.class.getName())
+          .warning(
+              "Cannot read sysprop "
+                  + UPPER_JAVA_FEATURE_VERSION_SYSPROP
+                  + ", so the default value will be used.");
+    }
+    return runtimeVersion;
+  }
+
   /**
    * Returns the default instance of the provider matching vectorization possibilities of actual
    * runtime.
@@ -108,7 +133,7 @@ public abstract class VectorizationProvider {
   static VectorizationProvider lookup(boolean testMode) {
     final int runtimeVersion = Runtime.version().feature();
     assert runtimeVersion >= 21;
-    if (runtimeVersion <= 23) {
+    if (runtimeVersion <= UPPER_JAVA_FEATURE_VERSION) {
       // only use vector module with Hotspot VM
       if (!Constants.IS_HOTSPOT_VM) {
         LOG.warning(