diff --git a/build.sbt b/build.sbt
index 6fcde3aed..32a07fe9c 100644
--- a/build.sbt
+++ b/build.sbt
@@ -976,6 +976,7 @@ lazy val sbtwProj = (project in file("sbtw"))
     crossPaths := false,
     Compile / mainClass := Some("sbtw.Main"),
     libraryDependencies += "com.github.scopt" %% "scopt" % "4.1.0",
+    libraryDependencies += scalaVerify % Test,
     Utils.noPublish,
   )
 
diff --git a/launcher-package/integration-test/bin/java b/launcher-package/integration-test/bin/java
index dc584d35b..5dbb4d9eb 100755
--- a/launcher-package/integration-test/bin/java
+++ b/launcher-package/integration-test/bin/java
@@ -1,9 +1,28 @@
 #!/usr/bin/env python3
 
+import os
 import sys
+import tempfile
 
 if '--version' in sys.argv or '-version' in sys.argv:
-    print('openjdk version "1.8.0_212"')
+    print('openjdk version "17.0.12" 2024-07-16')
+elif '--rt-ext-dir' in sys.argv:
+    # Simulate JDK 9+ rt.jar ext dir: output a directory path containing
+    # "java9-rt-ext-" that the launcher scripts look for via grep/findstr.
+    ext_dir = os.path.join(tempfile.gettempdir(), 'java9-rt-ext-fake')
+    os.makedirs(ext_dir, exist_ok=True)
+    # Create a dummy rt.jar so the launcher won't try to --export-rt
+    rt_jar = os.path.join(ext_dir, 'rt.jar')
+    if not os.path.exists(rt_jar):
+        open(rt_jar, 'w').close()
+    print(ext_dir)
+elif '--export-rt' in sys.argv:
+    # Simulate rt.jar export: create the file at the specified path
+    idx = sys.argv.index('--export-rt')
+    if idx + 1 < len(sys.argv):
+        rt_path = sys.argv[idx + 1]
+        os.makedirs(os.path.dirname(rt_path), exist_ok=True)
+        open(rt_path, 'w').close()
 else:
     for arg in sys.argv[1:]:
         print(repr(arg)[1:-1])
diff --git a/launcher-package/src/universal/bin/sbt.bat b/launcher-package/src/universal/bin/sbt.bat
index 6dabbfff4..4dc2416c4 100755
--- a/launcher-package/src/universal/bin/sbt.bat
+++ b/launcher-package/src/universal/bin/sbt.bat
@@ -617,13 +617,13 @@ if !sbt_args_print_sbt_script_version! equ 1 (
   goto :eof
 )
 
+call :checkjava
+
 if !run_native_client! equ 1 if not defined sbt_args_print_version (
   goto :runnative !SBT_ARGS!
   goto :eof
 )
 
-call :checkjava
-
 if defined sbt_args_sbt_jar (
   set "sbt_jar=!sbt_args_sbt_jar!"
 ) else (
@@ -1008,9 +1008,24 @@ exit /B 0
 
 :checkjava
 set /a required_version=8
+rem sbt 2.x requires JDK 17+
+set "_sbt_check_ver=!build_props_sbt_version!"
+if not defined _sbt_check_ver set "_sbt_check_ver=!init_sbt_version!"
+if defined _sbt_check_ver (
+  for /F "delims=.-_ tokens=1" %%m in ("!_sbt_check_ver!") do (
+    if %%m GEQ 2 set /a required_version=17
+  )
+)
+set "_sbt_check_ver="
 if /I !JAVA_VERSION! GEQ !required_version! (
   exit /B 0
 )
+if !required_version! GEQ 17 (
+  >&2 echo.
+  >&2 echo [error] sbt 2.x requires JDK 17 or above, but you have JDK !JAVA_VERSION!
+  >&2 echo.
+  exit /B 1
+)
 >&2 echo.
 >&2 echo The Java Development Kit ^(JDK^) installation you have is not up to date.
 >&2 echo sbt requires at least version !required_version!+, you have
diff --git a/sbt b/sbt
index b0bcd7d4b..9cd528c6c 100755
--- a/sbt
+++ b/sbt
@@ -506,6 +506,18 @@ checkJava() {
   fi
 }
 
+# sbt 2.x requires JDK 17+
+checkJava17ForSbt2() {
+  local sbtV="$build_props_sbt_version"
+  [[ "$sbtV" == "" ]] && sbtV="$init_sbt_version"
+  [[ "$sbtV" == "" ]] && return
+  local sbtMajor=$(echo "$sbtV" | sed 's/^\([0-9]*\).*/\1/')
+  if (( sbtMajor >= 2 )) && [[ "$java_version" != "no_java" ]] && (( java_version < 17 )); then
+    echoerr "[error] sbt 2.x requires JDK 17 or above, but you have JDK $java_version"
+    exit 1
+  fi
+}
+
 copyRt() {
   local at_least_9="$(expr $java_version ">=" 9)"
   if [[ "$at_least_9" == "1" ]]; then
@@ -916,13 +928,15 @@ if [[ $print_sbt_script_version ]]; then
   exit 0
 fi
 
+java_version="$(jdk_version)"
+vlog "[process_args] java_version = '$java_version'"
+checkJava17ForSbt2
+
 if [[ "$(isRunNativeClient)" == "true" ]] && [[ -z "$print_version" ]]; then
   set -- "${residual_args[@]}"
   argumentCount=$#
   runNativeClient
 else
-  java_version="$(jdk_version)"
-  vlog "[process_args] java_version = '$java_version'"
   addDefaultMemory
   addSbtScriptProperty
   addJdkWorkaround
diff --git a/sbtw/src/main/scala/sbtw/Main.scala b/sbtw/src/main/scala/sbtw/Main.scala
index 52e2920b0..fb67b2770 100644
--- a/sbtw/src/main/scala/sbtw/Main.scala
+++ b/sbtw/src/main/scala/sbtw/Main.scala
@@ -41,6 +41,16 @@ object Main:
       return 1
 
     val buildPropsVersion = ConfigLoader.sbtVersionFromBuildProperties(cwd)
+
+    val javaCmd = Runner.findJavaCmd(opts.javaHome)
+    val javaVer = Runner.javaVersion(javaCmd)
+    val minJdk = Runner.minimumJdkVersion(buildPropsVersion)
+    if javaVer > 0 && javaVer < minJdk then
+      if minJdk >= 17 then
+        System.err.println("[error] sbt 2.x requires JDK 17 or above, but you have JDK " + javaVer)
+      else System.err.println("[error] sbt requires at least JDK 8+, you have " + javaVer)
+      return 1
+
     val clientOpt = opts.client || sys.env.get("SBT_NATIVE_CLIENT").contains("true")
     val useNativeClient = shouldRunNativeClient(opts.copy(client = clientOpt), buildPropsVersion)
 
@@ -48,12 +58,6 @@ object Main:
       val scriptPath = sbtBinDir.getAbsolutePath.replace("\\", "/") + "/sbt.bat"
       return Runner.runNativeClient(sbtBinDir, scriptPath, opts)
 
-    val javaCmd = Runner.findJavaCmd(opts.javaHome)
-    val javaVer = Runner.javaVersion(javaCmd)
-    if javaVer > 0 && javaVer < 8 then
-      System.err.println("[error] sbt requires at least JDK 8+, you have " + javaVer)
-      return 1
-
     val sbtJar = opts.sbtJar
       .filter(p => new File(p).isFile)
       .getOrElse(new File(sbtBinDir, "sbt-launch.jar").getAbsolutePath)
diff --git a/sbtw/src/main/scala/sbtw/Runner.scala b/sbtw/src/main/scala/sbtw/Runner.scala
index 06bc6d7e9..48bdc328c 100644
--- a/sbtw/src/main/scala/sbtw/Runner.scala
+++ b/sbtw/src/main/scala/sbtw/Runner.scala
@@ -38,6 +38,11 @@ object Runner:
       else major
     catch { case _: Exception => 0 }
 
+  /** Returns the minimum JDK version required for the given sbt version. */
+  def minimumJdkVersion(sbtVersion: Option[String]): Int =
+    val isSbt2 = sbtVersion.exists(v => v.takeWhile(_.isDigit).toIntOption.exists(_ >= 2))
+    if isSbt2 then 17 else 8
+
   def buildSbtOpts(opts: LauncherOptions): Seq[String] =
     var s: Seq[String] = Nil
     if opts.debug then s = s :+ "-debug"
diff --git a/sbtw/src/test/scala/sbtw/RunnerSpec.scala b/sbtw/src/test/scala/sbtw/RunnerSpec.scala
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..63f40d01a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sbtw/src/test/scala/sbtw/RunnerSpec.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,23 @@
+package sbtw
+
+object RunnerSpec extends verify.BasicTestSuite:
+  test("minimumJdkVersion should require JDK 17 for sbt 2.x") {
+    assert(Runner.minimumJdkVersion(Some("2.0.0-RC9")) == 17)
+  }
+
+  test("minimumJdkVersion should require JDK 17 for sbt 2.x snapshot") {
+    assert(Runner.minimumJdkVersion(Some("2.0.0-SNAPSHOT")) == 17)
+  }
+
+  test("minimumJdkVersion should require JDK 8 for sbt 1.x") {
+    assert(Runner.minimumJdkVersion(Some("1.10.7")) == 8)
+  }
+
+  test("minimumJdkVersion should require JDK 8 when version is absent") {
+    assert(Runner.minimumJdkVersion(None) == 8)
+  }
+
+  test("minimumJdkVersion should require JDK 17 for future sbt 3.x") {
+    assert(Runner.minimumJdkVersion(Some("3.0.0")) == 17)
+  }
+end RunnerSpec