diff --git a/independent-projects/tools/devtools-common/src/main/java/io/quarkus/devtools/project/JavaVersion.java b/independent-projects/tools/devtools-common/src/main/java/io/quarkus/devtools/project/JavaVersion.java
index cd3ba46ea4453..d443bc65b04ec 100644
--- a/independent-projects/tools/devtools-common/src/main/java/io/quarkus/devtools/project/JavaVersion.java
+++ b/independent-projects/tools/devtools-common/src/main/java/io/quarkus/devtools/project/JavaVersion.java
@@ -19,7 +19,11 @@ private JavaVersion() {
     }
 
     public JavaVersion(String version) {
-        this.version = version;
+        if (version != null && version.startsWith("1.")) {
+            this.version = version.substring(2);
+        } else {
+            this.version = version;
+        }
     }
 
     public boolean isEmpty() {
diff --git a/independent-projects/tools/devtools-common/src/test/java/io/quarkus/devtools/project/JavaVersionTest.java b/independent-projects/tools/devtools-common/src/test/java/io/quarkus/devtools/project/JavaVersionTest.java
index 0b982913ff880..329801653dac8 100644
--- a/independent-projects/tools/devtools-common/src/test/java/io/quarkus/devtools/project/JavaVersionTest.java
+++ b/independent-projects/tools/devtools-common/src/test/java/io/quarkus/devtools/project/JavaVersionTest.java
@@ -14,6 +14,12 @@
 
 class JavaVersionTest {
 
+    @Test
+    public void givenJavaVersion8ShouldReturn8() {
+        assertEquals(8, new JavaVersion("8").getAsInt());
+        assertEquals(8, new JavaVersion("1.8").getAsInt());
+    }
+
     @Test
     public void givenJavaVersion17ShouldReturn17() {
         assertEquals("17", computeJavaVersion(JAVA, "17"));