diff --git a/build.xml b/build.xml
index a4b1094606a..4bdb468563e 100644
--- a/build.xml
+++ b/build.xml
@@ -19,8 +19,12 @@
   <property name="version" value="1.9-rc1-dev"/>
   <property name="year" value="2000-${current.year}"/>
   <property name="final.name" value="${name}-${version}"/>
+
   <property name="javac.deprecation" value="on"/>
   <property name="javac.debug" value="on"/>
+  <property name="javac.source" value="1.3"/>
+  <property name="javac.target" value="1.3"/>
+
   <property name="project.name" value="site"/> <!-- todo: is this used by anakia or something else? -->
   <property name="javadoc.link" value="http://java.sun.com/j2se/1.4/docs/api/"/>
   <property name="build.encoding" value="utf-8"/>
@@ -157,7 +161,9 @@
       includes="org/**/*.java"
       destdir="${build.dir}/classes/java"
       deprecation="${javac.deprecation}"
-      debug="${javac.debug}">
+      debug="${javac.debug}"
+      source="${javac.source}"
+      target="${javac.target}">
       <classpath refid="classpath"/>
     </javac>
 
@@ -234,7 +240,9 @@
       srcdir="src/demo"
       includes="**/*.java"
       destdir="${build.dir}/classes/demo"
-      debug="${javac.debug}">
+      debug="${javac.debug}"
+      source="${javac.source}"
+      target="${javac.target}">
       <classpath refid="demo.classpath"/>
     </javac>
   </target>
@@ -257,7 +265,9 @@
       srcdir="src/test-deprecated"
       includes="**/*.java"
       destdir="${build.dir}/classes/test-deprecated"
-      debug="true">
+      debug="true"
+      source="${javac.source}"
+      target="${javac.target}">
       <classpath refid="test-deprecated.classpath"/>
     </javac>
   </target>
@@ -306,7 +316,9 @@
 	      srcdir="src/test"
 	      includes="**/*.java"
 	      destdir="${build.dir}/classes/test"
-	      debug="true">
+	      debug="true"
+	      source="${javac.source}"
+	      target="${javac.target}">
 	      <classpath refid="test.classpath"/>
 	    </javac>
 	  </target>