diff --git a/buildSrc/src/main/java/org/opensearch/gradle/OpenSearchJavaPlugin.java b/buildSrc/src/main/java/org/opensearch/gradle/OpenSearchJavaPlugin.java
index c701c47f9e68c..4360bccdee67c 100644
--- a/buildSrc/src/main/java/org/opensearch/gradle/OpenSearchJavaPlugin.java
+++ b/buildSrc/src/main/java/org/opensearch/gradle/OpenSearchJavaPlugin.java
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@
 
 import com.github.jengelman.gradle.plugins.shadow.tasks.ShadowJar;
 import nebula.plugin.info.InfoBrokerPlugin;
+import org.gradle.jvm.toolchain.JavaLanguageVersion;
 import org.opensearch.gradle.info.BuildParams;
 import org.opensearch.gradle.info.GlobalBuildInfoPlugin;
 import org.opensearch.gradle.precommit.PrecommitTaskPlugin;
@@ -174,7 +175,8 @@ public static void configureCompile(Project project) {
                 compileTask.getConventionMapping().map("sourceCompatibility", () -> java.getSourceCompatibility().toString());
                 compileTask.getConventionMapping().map("targetCompatibility", () -> java.getTargetCompatibility().toString());
                 // The '--release is available from JDK-9 and above
-                if (BuildParams.getRuntimeJavaVersion().compareTo(JavaVersion.VERSION_1_8) > 0) {
+                if (BuildParams.getRuntimeJavaVersion().compareTo(JavaVersion.VERSION_1_8) > 0
+                    && getCompilerLanguageVersionOrDefault(compileTask).compareTo(JavaLanguageVersion.of(8)) > 0) {
                     compileOptions.getRelease().set(releaseVersionProviderFromCompileTask(project, compileTask));
                 }
             });
@@ -186,6 +188,10 @@ public static void configureCompile(Project project) {
         });
     }
 
+    private static JavaLanguageVersion getCompilerLanguageVersionOrDefault(JavaCompile compileTask) {
+        return compileTask.getJavaCompiler().map(c -> c.getMetadata().getLanguageVersion()).getOrElse(JavaLanguageVersion.of(11));
+    }
+
     private static Provider<Integer> releaseVersionProviderFromCompileTask(Project project, AbstractCompile compileTask) {
         return project.provider(() -> {
             JavaVersion javaVersion = JavaVersion.toVersion(compileTask.getTargetCompatibility());
diff --git a/client/rest/build.gradle b/client/rest/build.gradle
index 01c186ed83fc2..77b05c7a010e8 100644
--- a/client/rest/build.gradle
+++ b/client/rest/build.gradle
@@ -33,12 +33,23 @@ import de.thetaphi.forbiddenapis.gradle.CheckForbiddenApis
 apply plugin: 'opensearch.build'
 apply plugin: 'opensearch.publish'
 
-targetCompatibility = JavaVersion.VERSION_11
-sourceCompatibility = JavaVersion.VERSION_11
-
 group = 'org.opensearch.client'
 archivesBaseName = 'opensearch-rest-client'
 
+tasks.withType(JavaCompile).getByName('compileJava').configure {
+  javaCompiler = javaToolchains.compilerFor {
+    languageVersion = JavaLanguageVersion.of(8)
+  }
+
+  options.compilerArgs -= '-Xlint:exports'
+  options.compilerArgs -= '-Xlint:module'
+  options.compilerArgs -= '-Xlint:opens'
+  options.compilerArgs -= '-Xlint:removal'
+  options.compilerArgs -= '-Xlint:requires-automatic'
+  options.compilerArgs -= '-Xlint:requires-transitive-automatic'
+  options.compilerArgs -= '-Xlint:preview'
+}
+
 dependencies {
   api "org.apache.httpcomponents:httpclient:${versions.httpclient}"
   api "org.apache.httpcomponents:httpcore:${versions.httpcore}"
@@ -57,7 +68,7 @@ dependencies {
 }
 
 tasks.withType(CheckForbiddenApis).configureEach {
-  //client does not depend on server, so only jdk and http signatures should be checked
+  //client does not depend on shamcreerver, so only jdk and http signatures should be checked
   replaceSignatureFiles('jdk-signatures', 'http-signatures')
 }
 
diff --git a/client/test/build.gradle b/client/test/build.gradle
index 07d874cf01ea7..8fc9604b720d9 100644
--- a/client/test/build.gradle
+++ b/client/test/build.gradle
@@ -29,11 +29,22 @@
  */
 apply plugin: 'opensearch.build'
 
-targetCompatibility = JavaVersion.VERSION_11
-sourceCompatibility = JavaVersion.VERSION_11
-
 group = "${group}.client.test"
 
+tasks.withType(JavaCompile).getByName('compileJava').configure {
+  javaCompiler = javaToolchains.compilerFor {
+    languageVersion = JavaLanguageVersion.of(8)
+  }
+
+  options.compilerArgs -= '-Xlint:exports'
+  options.compilerArgs -= '-Xlint:module'
+  options.compilerArgs -= '-Xlint:opens'
+  options.compilerArgs -= '-Xlint:removal'
+  options.compilerArgs -= '-Xlint:requires-automatic'
+  options.compilerArgs -= '-Xlint:requires-transitive-automatic'
+  options.compilerArgs -= '-Xlint:preview'
+}
+
 dependencies {
   api "org.apache.httpcomponents:httpcore:${versions.httpcore}"
   api "com.carrotsearch.randomizedtesting:randomizedtesting-runner:${versions.randomizedrunner}"