diff --git a/jetty-annotations/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/annotations/AnnotationConfiguration.java b/jetty-annotations/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/annotations/AnnotationConfiguration.java
index d9bb234e826..59456ecc515 100644
--- a/jetty-annotations/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/annotations/AnnotationConfiguration.java
+++ b/jetty-annotations/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/annotations/AnnotationConfiguration.java
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ public class AnnotationConfiguration extends AbstractConfiguration
     public static final String CONTAINER_INITIALIZER_STARTER = "org.eclipse.jetty.containerInitializerStarter";
     public static final String MULTI_THREADED = "org.eclipse.jetty.annotations.multiThreaded";
     public static final String MAX_SCAN_WAIT = "org.eclipse.jetty.annotations.maxWait";
-    public static final String JAVA_TARGET_VERSION = "org.eclipse.jetty.annotations.javaTargetVersion";
+    public static final String JAVA_TARGET_PLATFORM = "org.eclipse.jetty.annotations.javaTargetPlatform";
     
     public static final int DEFAULT_MAX_SCAN_WAIT = 60; /* time in sec */  
     public static final boolean DEFAULT_MULTI_THREADED = true;
@@ -420,7 +420,7 @@ public class AnnotationConfiguration extends AbstractConfiguration
     throws Exception
     {
         int javaPlatform = 0;
-        Object target = context.getAttribute(JAVA_TARGET_VERSION);
+        Object target = context.getAttribute(JAVA_TARGET_PLATFORM);
         if (target!=null)
             javaPlatform = Integer.valueOf(target.toString());
         AnnotationParser parser = createAnnotationParser(javaPlatform);
diff --git a/jetty-annotations/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/annotations/AnnotationParser.java b/jetty-annotations/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/annotations/AnnotationParser.java
index 97244b7bbc2..67049b1fb2c 100644
--- a/jetty-annotations/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/annotations/AnnotationParser.java
+++ b/jetty-annotations/src/main/java/org/eclipse/jetty/annotations/AnnotationParser.java
@@ -492,6 +492,24 @@ public class AnnotationParser
         _javaPlatform = 8;
     }
     
+    public AnnotationParser()
+    {
+        this(JavaVersion.VERSION.getPlatform());
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * @param javaPlatform The target java version or 0 for the current runtime.
+     */
+    public AnnotationParser(int javaPlatform)
+    {
+        if (javaPlatform==0)
+            javaPlatform = JavaVersion.VERSION.getPlatform();
+        // TODO can only support 8 until ASM 6 is available
+        if (javaPlatform!=8)
+            LOG.warn("Annotation parsing only supports java8 until ASM6 upgrade");
+        _javaPlatform = 8;
+    }
+    
     /**
      * Add a class as having been parsed.
      *