diff --git a/build.xml b/build.xml
index 217017c..823c39a 100644
--- a/build.xml
+++ b/build.xml
@@ -15,9 +15,9 @@
 -->
 <project name="XMLBeans" default="process-resources" basedir="." xmlns:if="ant:if" xmlns:unless="ant:unless">
 
-    <property name="build.compiler" value="javac1.6"/>
-    <property name="ant.build.javac.source" value="1.6"/>
-    <property name="ant.build.javac.target" value="1.6"/>
+    <property name="build.compiler" value="javac1.8"/>
+    <property name="ant.build.javac.source" value="1.8"/>
+    <property name="ant.build.javac.target" value="1.8"/>
 
     <property name="version.base" value="3.1.1"/>
     <property name="version.rc" value=""/>
diff --git a/samples/AbstractTypes/build.xml b/samples/AbstractTypes/build.xml
index e7e8dd3..d90fb66 100644
--- a/samples/AbstractTypes/build.xml
+++ b/samples/AbstractTypes/build.xml
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@
                 <path refid="xmlbeans.classpath"/>
             </classpath>
         </scomp>
-        <javac srcdir="src" destdir="build" debug="on" source="1.6">
+        <javac srcdir="src" destdir="build" debug="on" source="1.8">
             <classpath>
                 <path refid="xmlbeans.classpath"/>
                 <pathelement location="build/${abstract.jar}"/>
diff --git a/samples/Any/build.xml b/samples/Any/build.xml
index 3b8a564..7555baf 100644
--- a/samples/Any/build.xml
+++ b/samples/Any/build.xml
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@
             destdir="build/classes"
             classpathref="Any.path"
             debug="on"
-            source="1.6"
+            source="1.8"
             />
     </target>
 
diff --git a/samples/DateTime/build.xml b/samples/DateTime/build.xml
index 0704a6d..d6fd9ef 100644
--- a/samples/DateTime/build.xml
+++ b/samples/DateTime/build.xml
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@
             destdir="build/classes"
             classpathref="DateTime.path"
             debug="on"
-            source="1.6"
+            source="1.8"
             />  
     </target>
      	
diff --git a/samples/MixedContent/build.xml b/samples/MixedContent/build.xml
index c450919..ab2f525 100644
--- a/samples/MixedContent/build.xml
+++ b/samples/MixedContent/build.xml
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@
             destdir="build/classes"
             classpathref="MixedContent.path"
             debug="on"
-            source="1.6"
+            source="1.8"
             />
     </target>
 
diff --git a/samples/OrderMatters/build.xml b/samples/OrderMatters/build.xml
index 44d94a2..4253690 100644
--- a/samples/OrderMatters/build.xml
+++ b/samples/OrderMatters/build.xml
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@
             destdir="build/classes"
             classpathref="OrderMatters.path"
             debug="on"
-            source="1.6"
+            source="1.8"
             />
     </target>
 
diff --git a/samples/SampleTemplate/build.xml b/samples/SampleTemplate/build.xml
index 7eb97e6..639a1c7 100644
--- a/samples/SampleTemplate/build.xml
+++ b/samples/SampleTemplate/build.xml
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@
             destdir="build/classes"
             classpathref="SampleTemplate.path"
             debug="on"
-            source="1.6"
+            source="1.8"
             />
     </target>
 
diff --git a/samples/SchemaEnum/build.xml b/samples/SchemaEnum/build.xml
index 6c78e93..77d16ce 100644
--- a/samples/SchemaEnum/build.xml
+++ b/samples/SchemaEnum/build.xml
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@
             destdir="build/classes"
             classpathref="SchemaEnum.path"
             debug="on"
-            source="1.6"
+            source="1.8"
             />
     </target>
 
diff --git a/samples/SubstitutionGroup/build.xml b/samples/SubstitutionGroup/build.xml
index 524b4c6..d56d0f9 100644
--- a/samples/SubstitutionGroup/build.xml
+++ b/samples/SubstitutionGroup/build.xml
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@
             destdir="build/classes"
             classpathref="SubstitutionGroup.path"
             debug="on"
-            source="1.6"
+            source="1.8"
             />
     </target>
 
diff --git a/samples/Validation/build.xml b/samples/Validation/build.xml
index 777ecce..19afee5 100644
--- a/samples/Validation/build.xml
+++ b/samples/Validation/build.xml
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@
             destdir="build/classes"
             classpathref="Validation.path"
             debug="on"
-            source="1.6"
+            source="1.8"
             />
     </target>
 
diff --git a/samples/XQueryXPath/build.xml b/samples/XQueryXPath/build.xml
index 96b11af..1f20a72 100644
--- a/samples/XQueryXPath/build.xml
+++ b/samples/XQueryXPath/build.xml
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@
             destdir="build/classes"
             classpathref="XQueryXPath.path"
             debug="on"
-            source="1.6"
+            source="1.8"
             />
     </target>
 
diff --git a/samples/XmlSort/build.xml b/samples/XmlSort/build.xml
index 4389038..5fd27b7 100644
--- a/samples/XmlSort/build.xml
+++ b/samples/XmlSort/build.xml
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@
             destdir="build/classes"
             classpathref="XmlSort.path"
             debug="on"
-            source="1.6"
+            source="1.8"
             />
     </target>
 
diff --git a/samples/XmlTree/build.xml b/samples/XmlTree/build.xml
index 6d44c54..be193b6 100644
--- a/samples/XmlTree/build.xml
+++ b/samples/XmlTree/build.xml
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@
             destdir="build/classes"
             classpathref="XmlTree.path"
             debug="on"
-            source="1.6"
+            source="1.8"
             />
     </target>
 
diff --git a/samples/XsdConfig/build.xml b/samples/XsdConfig/build.xml
index af78db9..c43b427 100644
--- a/samples/XsdConfig/build.xml
+++ b/samples/XsdConfig/build.xml
@@ -120,13 +120,13 @@
             destdir="build/classes"
             classpathref="XsdConfig.path"
             debug="on"
-            source="1.6"
+            source="1.8"
             />  
         <javac srcdir="src" includes="org/apache/xmlbeans/samples/xsdconfig/CatalogXsd.java org/apache/xmlbeans/samples/xsdconfig/XsdTest.java "
             destdir="build/classes"
             classpathref="Xsd.path"
             debug="on"
-            source="1.6"
+            source="1.8"
             />  
             
     </target>
diff --git a/src/xmlcomp/org/apache/xmlbeans/impl/tool/CodeGenUtil.java b/src/xmlcomp/org/apache/xmlbeans/impl/tool/CodeGenUtil.java
index b9a0373..dc8d1e1 100644
--- a/src/xmlcomp/org/apache/xmlbeans/impl/tool/CodeGenUtil.java
+++ b/src/xmlcomp/org/apache/xmlbeans/impl/tool/CodeGenUtil.java
@@ -172,7 +172,7 @@
         }
 
         if (genver == null)
-            genver = "1.6";
+            genver = "1.8";
 
         args.add("-source");
         args.add(genver);
diff --git a/test/perf/build.xml b/test/perf/build.xml
index 738548a..ccf97e8 100644
--- a/test/perf/build.xml
+++ b/test/perf/build.xml
@@ -348,7 +348,7 @@
 			executable="${env.JAVA_HOME}/bin/javac"
 			classpathref="tools.classpath"
 			includes="org/apache/xmlbeans/test/tools/**"
-			source="1.6">
+			source="1.8">
 		</javac>
 	</target>
 
@@ -363,7 +363,7 @@
 			executable="${env.JAVA_HOME}/bin/javac"
 			classpathref="svn.classpath"
 			includes="org/apache/xmlbeans/test/performance/svn/**,org/apache/xmlbeans/test/performance/utils/**"
-			source="1.6">
+			source="1.8">
 		</javac>
 	</target>
 
@@ -378,7 +378,7 @@
 			executable="${env.JAVA_HOME}/bin/javac"
 			classpathref="v1.classpath"
 			includes="org/apache/xmlbeans/test/performance/v1/**,org/apache/xmlbeans/test/performance/utils/**"
-			source="1.6">
+			source="1.8">
 		</javac>
 	</target>
 
@@ -393,7 +393,7 @@
             executable="${env.JAVA_HOME}/bin/javac"
             classpathref="v2.classpath"
             includes="org/apache/xmlbeans/test/performance/v2/**,org/apache/xmlbeans/test/performance/utils/**"
-            source="1.6">
+            source="1.8">
         </javac>
     </target>
 
@@ -408,7 +408,7 @@
 			executable="${env.JAVA_HOME}/bin/javac"
 			classpathref="castor.classpath"
 			includes="org/apache/xmlbeans/test/performance/castor/**,org/apache/xmlbeans/test/performance/utils/**"
-			source="1.6">
+			source="1.8">
 		</javac>
 	</target>
 
@@ -424,7 +424,7 @@
 			classpathref="jibx.classpath"
 			includes="org/apache/xmlbeans/test/performance/jibx/**,org/apache/xmlbeans/test/performance/utils/**"
 			excludes="org/apache/xmlbeans/test/performance/jibx/binding/**"
-			source="1.6">
+			source="1.8">
 		</javac>
 	</target>
 
@@ -439,7 +439,7 @@
 			executable="${env.JAVA_HOME}/bin/javac"
 			classpathref="jaxb.classpath"
 			includes="org/apache/xmlbeans/test/performance/jaxb/**,org/apache/xmlbeans/test/performance/utils/**"
-			source="1.6">
+			source="1.8">
 		</javac>
 	</target>
 
@@ -470,7 +470,7 @@
 			executable="${env.JAVA_HOME}/bin/javac"
 			classpathref="xerces.classpath"
 			includes="org/apache/xmlbeans/test/performance/xerces/**,org/apache/xmlbeans/test/performance/utils/**"
-			source="1.6">
+			source="1.8">
 		</javac>
 	</target>
 
@@ -667,7 +667,7 @@
 			memoryMaximumSize="1000M"
 			compiler="modern"
 			executable="${env.JAVA_HOME}/bin/javac"
-			source="1.6"
+			source="1.8"
 			classpathref="castor.classpath"/>
 		<jar destfile="${schema.jar.build.dir}/${jar.name}"
 				 basedir="${castor.temp.dir}"/>
@@ -689,7 +689,7 @@
 			classpathref="jibx.binding.classpath"
 			includes="org/apache/xmlbeans/test/performance/jibx/binding/**"
 			excludes="org/apache/xmlbeans/test/performance/castor/**,org/apache/xmlbeans/test/performance/svn/**,org/apache/xmlbeans/test/performance/utils/**"
-			source="1.6">
+			source="1.8">
 		</javac>
 		<java classname="org.jibx.binding.Compile"
 					fork="true"
@@ -750,7 +750,7 @@
 			compiler="modern"
 			executable="${env.JAVA_HOME}/bin/javac"
 			classpathref="jaxb.classpath"
-			source="1.6">
+			source="1.8">
 		</javac>
 		<jar destfile="${schema.jar.build.dir}/${jar.name}"
 				 basedir="${jaxb.temp.dir}"/>