diff --git a/gradle.properties b/gradle.properties
index a20f3a1cb4..b8ec248b50 100644
--- a/gradle.properties
+++ b/gradle.properties
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 # Keep all these properties in sync unless you know what you are doing!
 org.gradle.jvmargs=-Xmx2g -XX:MaxMetaspaceSize=256m -XX:+HeapDumpOnOutOfMemoryError -Duser.language=en -Duser.country=US -Duser.timezone=UTC -Dfile.encoding=UTF-8
-toolchain.compiler.jvmargs=-Xmx2g -XX:MaxMetaspaceSize=256m -XX:+HeapDumpOnOutOfMemoryError -Duser.language=en -Duser.country=US -Duser.timezone=UTC -Dfile.encoding=UTF-8
+# Needs add-opens because of https://github.com/gradle/gradle/issues/15538
+toolchain.compiler.jvmargs=-Xmx2g -XX:MaxMetaspaceSize=256m -XX:+HeapDumpOnOutOfMemoryError -Duser.language=en -Duser.country=US -Duser.timezone=UTC -Dfile.encoding=UTF-8 --add-opens jdk.compiler/com.sun.tools.javac.code=ALL-UNNAMED
 toolchain.javadoc.jvmargs=-Xmx2g -XX:MaxMetaspaceSize=256m -XX:+HeapDumpOnOutOfMemoryError -Duser.language=en -Duser.country=US -Duser.timezone=UTC -Dfile.encoding=UTF-8
 toolchain.launcher.jvmargs=-Xmx2g -XX:MaxMetaspaceSize=256m -XX:+HeapDumpOnOutOfMemoryError -Duser.language=en -Duser.country=US -Duser.timezone=UTC -Dfile.encoding=UTF-8