diff --git a/build.xml b/build.xml
index a5025366d..eba9fc8a1 100644
--- a/build.xml
+++ b/build.xml
@@ -378,9 +378,7 @@
     <available property="jdk1.6+" classname="java.net.CookieStore"/>
     <available property="jdk1.7+" classname="java.nio.file.FileSystem"/>
     <available property="jdk1.8+" classname="java.lang.reflect.Executable"/>
-    <condition property="jdk1.9+">
-      <contains string="${java.version}" substring="1.9."/>
-    </condition>
+    <available property="jdk9+" classname="java.lang.module.ModuleDescriptor"/>
     <available property="kaffe" classname="kaffe.util.NotImplemented"/>
     <available property="harmony"
                classname="org.apache.harmony.luni.util.Base64"/>
diff --git a/src/tests/antunit/antunit-base.xml b/src/tests/antunit/antunit-base.xml
index 80b289cac..9863f3fcc 100644
--- a/src/tests/antunit/antunit-base.xml
+++ b/src/tests/antunit/antunit-base.xml
@@ -27,9 +27,7 @@
   <property name="test3.jar" location="${antunit.tmpdir}/test3.jar"/>
   <property name="test4.jar" location="${antunit.tmpdir}/test4.jar"/>
   <property name="test5.jar" location="${antunit.tmpdir}/test5.jar"/>
-  <condition property="jdk1.9+">
-    <contains string="${java.version}" substring="1.9."/>
-  </condition>
+  <available property="jdk9+" classname="java.lang.module.ModuleDescriptor"/>
   <available property="jdk1.8+" classname="java.lang.reflect.Executable"/>
   <available property="jdk1.7+" classname="java.nio.file.FileSystem"/>
   <available property="jdk1.6+" classname="java.net.CookieStore"/>
diff --git a/src/tests/antunit/taskdefs/javac-test.xml b/src/tests/antunit/taskdefs/javac-test.xml
index 3c4d84894..de193ea3e 100644
--- a/src/tests/antunit/taskdefs/javac-test.xml
+++ b/src/tests/antunit/taskdefs/javac-test.xml
@@ -213,14 +213,14 @@ public class Adapter implements CompilerAdapter {
       <testJavac source="notValid"/>
     </au:expectfailure>
 
-    <sequential unless:set="jdk1.9+">
+    <sequential unless:set="jdk9+">
       <echo>JDK 1.4+</echo>
       <testJavac source="1.4"/>
       <delete dir="${javac-dir}/classes"/>
       <mkdir dir="${javac-dir}/classes"/>
     </sequential>
     
-    <sequential unless:set="jdk1.9+">
+    <sequential unless:set="jdk9+">
       <echo>JDK 1.5+</echo>
       <testJavac source="1.5"/>
       <delete dir="${javac-dir}/classes"/>
@@ -248,9 +248,9 @@ public class Adapter implements CompilerAdapter {
       <mkdir dir="${javac-dir}/classes"/>
     </sequential>
             
-    <sequential if:set="jdk1.9+">
-      <echo>JDK 1.9+</echo>
-      <testJavac source="1.9"/>
+    <sequential if:set="jdk9+">
+      <echo>JDK 9+</echo>
+      <testJavac source="9"/>
       <delete dir="${javac-dir}/classes"/>
       <mkdir dir="${javac-dir}/classes"/>
     </sequential>
@@ -271,14 +271,14 @@ public class Adapter implements CompilerAdapter {
       <testJavac target="notValid"/>
     </au:expectfailure>
 
-    <sequential unless:set="jdk1.9+">
+    <sequential unless:set="jdk9+">
       <echo>JDK 1.4+</echo>
       <testJavac source="1.4" target="1.4"/>
       <delete dir="${javac-dir}/classes"/>
       <mkdir dir="${javac-dir}/classes"/>
     </sequential>
 
-    <sequential unless:set="jdk1.9+">
+    <sequential unless:set="jdk9+">
       <echo>JDK 1.5+</echo>
       <testJavac source="1.5" target="1.5"/>
       <delete dir="${javac-dir}/classes"/>
@@ -306,9 +306,9 @@ public class Adapter implements CompilerAdapter {
       <mkdir dir="${javac-dir}/classes"/>
     </sequential>
             
-    <sequential if:set="jdk1.9+">
-      <echo>JDK 1.9+</echo>
-      <testJavac source="1.9" target="1.9"/>
+    <sequential if:set="jdk9+">
+      <echo>JDK 9+</echo>
+      <testJavac source="9" target="9"/>
       <delete dir="${javac-dir}/classes"/>
       <mkdir dir="${javac-dir}/classes"/>
     </sequential>
diff --git a/src/tests/antunit/taskdefs/optional/native2ascii-test.xml b/src/tests/antunit/taskdefs/optional/native2ascii-test.xml
index be521de7f..560ead30f 100644
--- a/src/tests/antunit/taskdefs/optional/native2ascii-test.xml
+++ b/src/tests/antunit/taskdefs/optional/native2ascii-test.xml
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ public class Adapter implements Native2AsciiAdapter {
 
   <target name="testUTF8-To-ASCII-sun" depends="-setup-UTF8-To-ASCII"
           description="https://bz.apache.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=59855"
-          unless="jdk1.9+">
+          unless="jdk9+">
     <native2ascii-def implementation="sun"/>
     <assertTranslatedOutput file="umlauts.properties" encoding="ASCII"
                             expected="${umlauts.expected}"/>
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ public class Adapter implements Native2AsciiAdapter {
 
   <target name="testASCII-To-UTF8-sun" depends="-setup-ASCII-To-UTF8"
           description="https://bz.apache.org/bugzilla/show_bug.cgi?id=59855"
-          unless="jdk1.9+">
+          unless="jdk9+">
     <native2ascii-def implementation="sun" reverse="true"/>
     <assertTranslatedOutput file="umlauts.properties" encoding="UTF-8"
                             expected="${umlauts.expected}"/>