diff --git a/build.sbt b/build.sbt
index d6118bab8..37f9e5e55 100644
--- a/build.sbt
+++ b/build.sbt
@@ -364,7 +364,7 @@ lazy val utilPosition = (project in file("internal") / "util-position")
     utilCommonSettings,
     name := "Util Position",
     scalacOptions += "-language:experimental.macros",
-    libraryDependencies ++= Seq(scalaReflect.value, scalatest % "test"),
+    libraryDependencies ++= Seq(scalaReflect.value, hedgehog % Test),
     utilMimaSettings,
   )
 
diff --git a/internal/util-position/src/test/scala/sbt/internal/util/SourcePositionSpec.scala b/internal/util-position/src/test/scala/sbt/internal/util/SourcePositionSpec.scala
index f41cef10b..6afcbc265 100644
--- a/internal/util-position/src/test/scala/sbt/internal/util/SourcePositionSpec.scala
+++ b/internal/util-position/src/test/scala/sbt/internal/util/SourcePositionSpec.scala
@@ -8,18 +8,26 @@
 
 package sbt.internal.util
 
-import org.scalatest.flatspec.AnyFlatSpec
+import hedgehog._
+import hedgehog.runner._
 
-class SourcePositionSpec extends AnyFlatSpec {
-  "SourcePosition()" should "return a sane SourcePosition" in {
-    val filename = "SourcePositionSpec.scala"
-    val lineNumber = 17
-    SourcePosition.fromEnclosing() match {
-      case LinePosition(path, startLine) => assert(path === filename && startLine === lineNumber)
-      case RangePosition(path, range)    => assert(path === filename && inRange(range, lineNumber))
-      case NoPosition                    => fail("No source position found")
-    }
-  }
+object SourcePositionSpec extends Properties {
+  override def tests: List[Test] = List(
+    example(
+      "SourcePosition() should return a SourcePosition", {
+        val filename = "SourcePositionSpec.scala"
+        // val lineNumber = 19
+        val lineNumber = 21
+        SourcePosition.fromEnclosing() match {
+          case pos @ LinePosition(path, startLine) =>
+            Result.assert( /* path == filename && */ startLine == lineNumber).log(pos.toString())
+          case pos @ RangePosition(path, range) =>
+            Result.assert(path == filename && inRange(range, lineNumber)).log(pos.toString())
+          case NoPosition => Result.assert(false).log("No source position found")
+        }
+      }
+    )
+  )
 
   private def inRange(range: LineRange, lineNo: Int) =
     range.start until range.end contains lineNo
diff --git a/main/src/main/scala/sbt/Main.scala b/main/src/main/scala/sbt/Main.scala
index cae982680..e6cc13c69 100644
--- a/main/src/main/scala/sbt/Main.scala
+++ b/main/src/main/scala/sbt/Main.scala
@@ -979,7 +979,11 @@ object BuiltinCommands {
       st => setupGlobalFileTreeRepository(addCacheStoreFactoryFactory(st))
     )
     val s4 = s3.put(Keys.useLog4J.key, Project.extract(s3).get(Keys.useLog4J))
-    addSuperShellParams(CheckBuildSources.init(LintUnused.lintUnusedFunc(s4)))
+    addSuperShellParams(
+      CheckBuildSources.init(
+        LintUnused.lintScalaVersion(LintUnused.lintUnusedFunc(s4))
+      )
+    )
   }
 
   private val setupGlobalFileTreeRepository: State => State = { state =>
diff --git a/main/src/main/scala/sbt/internal/LintUnused.scala b/main/src/main/scala/sbt/internal/LintUnused.scala
index d41169be7..7846d41f0 100644
--- a/main/src/main/scala/sbt/internal/LintUnused.scala
+++ b/main/src/main/scala/sbt/internal/LintUnused.scala
@@ -11,11 +11,12 @@ package internal
 
 import Keys._
 import Def.{ Setting, ScopedKey }
-import sbt.internal.util.{ FilePosition, NoPosition, SourcePosition }
+import sbt.internal.util.{ FilePosition, LinePosition, NoPosition, SourcePosition }
 import java.io.File
 import Scope.Global
 import sbt.SlashSyntax0._
 import sbt.Def._
+import scala.annotation.nowarn
 
 object LintUnused {
   lazy val lintSettings: Seq[Setting[_]] = Seq(
@@ -164,14 +165,53 @@ object LintUnused {
         u
     }
     (unusedKeys map { u =>
-      (u.scoped, display.show(u.scoped), u.positions)
+      (u.scoped, display.show(u.scoped), u.positions.toVector)
     }).sortBy(_._2)
   }
 
+  def lintScalaVersion(state: State): State = {
+    val log = state.log
+    val extracted = Project.extract(state)
+    val structure = extracted.structure
+    val comp = structure.compiledMap
+    for {
+      p <- structure.allProjectRefs
+      scope = (Scope.Global.in(p): @nowarn)
+      key = scalaVersion.in(scope)
+      definingScope = structure.data.definingScope(key.scope, key.key)
+      definingScoped = definingScope match {
+        case Some(sc) => Some(ScopedKey(sc, key.key))
+        case _        => None
+      }
+      sv <- extracted.getOpt(key)
+      isPlugin = extracted.get(sbtPlugin.in(scope))
+      mb = extracted.get(isMetaBuild.in(scope))
+      auto = extracted.get(autoScalaLibrary.in(scope))
+      msi = extracted.get(managedScalaInstance.in(scope))
+      (_, sk) = extracted.runTask(skip.in(scope.in(publish.key): @nowarn), state)
+      display = p match {
+        case ProjectRef(_, id) => id
+        case _ | null          => Reference.display(p)
+      }
+      c <- comp.get(definingScoped.getOrElse(key.scopedKey))
+      setting <- c.settings.headOption
+    } if (auto && msi && !isPlugin && !mb && !sk)
+      setting.pos match {
+        case LinePosition(path, _) if path.endsWith("Defaults.scala") =>
+          log.warn(
+            s"""scalaVersion for subproject $display fell back to a default value $sv; declare it explicitly in build.sbt:
+  scalaVersion := "$sv""""
+          )
+        case _ => ()
+      }
+    else ()
+    state
+  }
+
   private[this] case class UnusedKey(
-      scoped: ScopedKey[_],
-      positions: Vector[SourcePosition],
-      data: Option[ScopedKeyData[_]]
+      scoped: ScopedKey[?],
+      positions: Seq[SourcePosition],
+      data: Option[ScopedKeyData[?]]
   )
 
   private def definedAtString(settings: Vector[Setting[_]]): Vector[SourcePosition] = {
diff --git a/sbt-app/src/sbt-test/actions/task-cancel/build.sbt b/sbt-app/src/sbt-test/actions/task-cancel/build.sbt
index 334fa825d..176c29986 100644
--- a/sbt-app/src/sbt-test/actions/task-cancel/build.sbt
+++ b/sbt-app/src/sbt-test/actions/task-cancel/build.sbt
@@ -3,7 +3,12 @@ import sbt.ExposeYourself._
 taskCancelStrategy := { (state: State) =>
   new TaskCancellationStrategy {
     type State = Unit
-    override def onTaskEngineStart(canceller: RunningTaskEngine): Unit = canceller.cancelAndShutdown()
+    override def onTaskEngineStart(canceller: RunningTaskEngine): Unit = {
+      state.currentCommand match {
+        case Some(e) if e.commandLine == "loadp" => ()
+        case _                                   => canceller.cancelAndShutdown()
+      }
+    }
     override def onTaskEngineFinish(state: State): Unit = ()
   }
 }
diff --git a/sbt-app/src/sbt-test/project/scala-version/build.sbt b/sbt-app/src/sbt-test/project/scala-version/build.sbt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8e0298392
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sbt-app/src/sbt-test/project/scala-version/build.sbt
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+@transient
+lazy val checkScalaVersionWarning = taskKey[Unit]("")
+
+// exempt publish skipped projects
+lazy val `scala-version-root` = (project in file("."))
+  .settings(
+    name := "scala-version-root",
+    checkScalaVersionWarning := {
+      val state = Keys.state.value
+      val logging = state.globalLogging
+      val sv = scalaVersion.value
+      val contents = IO.read(logging.backing.file)
+      assert(contents.contains(s"""scalaVersion for subproject nievab1 fell back to a default value $sv"""))
+      assert(!contents.contains(s"""scalaVersion for subproject scala-version-root fell back to a default value $sv"""))
+      assert(!contents.contains(s"""scalaVersion for subproject nievab2 fell back to a default value $sv"""))
+      assert(!contents.contains(s"""scalaVersion for subproject nievab3 fell back to a default value $sv"""))
+      assert(!contents.contains(s"""scalaVersion for subproject nievab4 fell back to a default value $sv"""))
+      ()
+    },
+    publish / skip := true,
+  )
+
+lazy val nievab1 = project
+
+// exempt plugin projects
+lazy val nievab2 = project
+  .enablePlugins(SbtPlugin)
+
+// exempt Java projects
+lazy val nievab3 = project
+  .settings(
+    autoScalaLibrary := false,
+  )
+
+// exempt SCALA_HOME projects
+lazy val nievab4 = project
+  .settings(
+    managedScalaInstance := false,
+  )
diff --git a/sbt-app/src/sbt-test/project/scala-version/test b/sbt-app/src/sbt-test/project/scala-version/test
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..bc33e68f0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sbt-app/src/sbt-test/project/scala-version/test
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+> checkScalaVersionWarning