diff --git a/apps/imagegen/zxing/build.xml b/apps/imagegen/zxing/build.xml
index bea4f7c74..4661fd3e3 100644
--- a/apps/imagegen/zxing/build.xml
+++ b/apps/imagegen/zxing/build.xml
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
 
     <!-- only used if not set by a higher build.xml -->
     <property name="javac.version" value="1.8" />
-    <property name="javac.compilerargs7" value="" />
+    <property name="javac.compilerargs" value="" />
 
     <target name="compile" depends="depend">
         <mkdir dir="./build" />
@@ -27,13 +27,13 @@
                includeAntRuntime="false"
                encoding="UTF-8"
                destdir="./build/obj" >
-            <compilerarg line="${javac.compilerargs7}" />
+            <compilerarg line="${javac.compilerargs}" />
         </javac>
         <javac srcdir="./javase/src/main/java" debug="true" deprecation="on" source="${javac.version}" target="${javac.version}"
                includeAntRuntime="false"
                encoding="UTF-8"
                destdir="./build/obj" classpath="./build/obj" >
-            <compilerarg line="${javac.compilerargs7}" />
+            <compilerarg line="${javac.compilerargs}" />
         </javac>
     </target>
 
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@
             encoding="UTF-8"
             destdir="./buildTest/obj"
             classpath="./build/zxing.jar" >
-            <compilerarg line="${javac.compilerargs7}" />
+            <compilerarg line="${javac.compilerargs}" />
         </javac>
     </target>
 
diff --git a/apps/sam/java/build.xml b/apps/sam/java/build.xml
index e3d89a12b..6522341ca 100644
--- a/apps/sam/java/build.xml
+++ b/apps/sam/java/build.xml
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
     </target>
 
     <!-- only used if not set by a higher build.xml -->
-    <property name="javac.compilerargs7" value="" />
+    <property name="javac.compilerargs" value="" />
     <property name="javac.version" value="1.8" />
     <property name="manifest.classpath.name" value="Class-Path" />
 
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@
             encoding="UTF-8"
             destdir="./build/obj" 
             classpath="../../../core/java/build/i2p.jar:../../../core/java/build/gnu-getopt.jar:../../ministreaming/java/build/mstreaming.jar" >
-            <compilerarg line="${javac.compilerargs7}" />
+            <compilerarg line="${javac.compilerargs}" />
         </javac>
     </target>
 
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@
             encoding="UTF-8"
             destdir="./build/obj" 
             classpath="../../../core/java/build/i2p.jar:../../ministreaming/java/build/mstreaming.jar" >
-            <compilerarg line="${javac.compilerargs7}" />
+            <compilerarg line="${javac.compilerargs}" />
         </javac>
     </target>
 
diff --git a/build.properties b/build.properties
index 25e8929f2..8da666c6c 100644
--- a/build.properties
+++ b/build.properties
@@ -56,13 +56,10 @@ javac.version=1.8
 # Note to packagers, embedders, distributors:
 #
 # Strictly speaking, you must either use the compiler for the minimum Java version you are
-# targeting (default 1.7, see above), or specify a bootclasspath, which means you need
+# targeting (default 1.8, see above), or specify a bootclasspath, which means you need
 # the JRE for the target version installed as well.
 #
-# However, in practice, you can compile with 1.7 and target 1.6 without specifying a bootclasspath,
-# and it all works fine.
-#
-# But you cannot compile with 1.8 and target 1.6 or 1.7 without bootclasspath,
+# You cannot compile with 1.8 and target 1.6 or 1.7 without bootclasspath,
 # or your users will get runtime errors.
 # Below is an example of a bootclasspath that works on Ubuntu.
 #
@@ -70,8 +67,6 @@ javac.version=1.8
 #    http://zzz.i2p/topics/1668
 #    https://gist.github.com/AlainODea/1375759b8720a3f9f094
 #
-# You must set both.
-#
 # For embedded use only, and for a limited time,
 # the following subsystems ONLY may be built with Java 6 by setting javac.version=1.6 in override.properties,
 # and setting javac.compilerargs to use java 6 jars:
@@ -80,10 +75,9 @@ javac.version=1.8
 # We may start using Java 7 features in these subsystems at any time and without notice.
 #javac.compilerargs=-bootclasspath /usr/lib/jvm/java-6-openjdk-amd64/jre/lib/rt.jar:/usr/lib/jvm/java-6-openjdk-amd64/jre/lib/jce.jar
 #
-# For standard builds, set both of the following in override.properties:
+# For standard builds, set the following in override.properties:
 #
-#javac.compilerargs=-bootclasspath /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-openjdk-amd64/jre/lib/rt.jar:/usr/lib/jvm/java-7-openjdk-amd64/jre/lib/jce.jar
-#javac.compilerargs7=-bootclasspath /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-openjdk-amd64/jre/lib/rt.jar:/usr/lib/jvm/java-7-openjdk-amd64/jre/lib/jce.jar
+#javac.compilerargs=-bootclasspath /usr/lib/jvm/java-8-openjdk-amd64/jre/lib/rt.jar:/usr/lib/jvm/java-8-openjdk-amd64/jre/lib/jce.jar
 
 
 ### UnitTests ##
diff --git a/build.xml b/build.xml
index 21aa3fb3a..3218c0c1e 100644
--- a/build.xml
+++ b/build.xml
@@ -1072,17 +1072,12 @@
     </target>
 
     <target name="-pre-sign">
-            <!-- if you're distributing su3 files to others, at a minimum you should set these -->
+            <!-- if you're distributing su3 files to others, at a minimum you should set this -->
             <fail message="javac.compilerargs must contain a -bootclasspath option in override.properties">
                 <condition>
                     <not><contains string="${javac.compilerargs}" substring="-bootclasspath"/></not>
                 </condition>
             </fail>
-            <fail message="javac.compilerargs7 must contain a -bootclasspath option in override.properties">
-                <condition>
-                    <not><contains string="${javac.compilerargs7}" substring="-bootclasspath"/></not>
-                </condition>
-            </fail>
             <fail message="build.built-by must be set in override.properties">
                 <condition>
                     <equals arg1="${build.built-by}" arg2="unknown"/>