diff --git a/core/combo/javac.mk b/core/combo/javac.mk
index 74490fd57..2aea3e105 100644
--- a/core/combo/javac.mk
+++ b/core/combo/javac.mk
@@ -8,10 +8,10 @@
 #   COMMON_JAVAC -- Java compiler command with common arguments
 #
 
-ifeq ($(EXPERIMENTAL_USE_JAVA7_OPENJDK),)
+ifeq ($(EXPERIMENTAL_USE_JAVA7),)
 common_flags := -target 1.5 -Xmaxerrs 9999999
 else
-common_flags := -Xmaxerrs 9999999
+common_flags := -source 1.7 -target 1.7 -Xmaxerrs 9999999
 endif
 
 
diff --git a/core/main.mk b/core/main.mk
index f07a7fb9f..8b6f444a4 100644
--- a/core/main.mk
+++ b/core/main.mk
@@ -138,11 +138,22 @@ $(warning ************************************************************)
 $(error Directory names containing spaces not supported)
 endif
 
+# Check for the current JDK.
+#
+# For Java 1.7, we require OpenJDK on linux and Oracle JDK on Mac OS.
+# For Java 1.6, we require Oracle for all host OSes.
+requires_openjdk := false
+ifneq ($(EXPERIMENTAL_USE_JAVA7),)
+ifeq ($(HOST_OS), linux)
+requires_openjdk := true
+endif
+endif
+
 java_version_str := $(shell java -version 2>&1)
 javac_version_str := $(shell javac -version 2>&1)
 
 # Check for the current jdk
-ifneq ($(EXPERIMENTAL_USE_JAVA7_OPENJDK),)
+ifeq ($(requires_openjdk), true)
 # The user asked for java7 openjdk, so check that the host
 # java version is really openjdk
 ifeq ($(shell echo '$(java_version_str)' | grep -i openjdk),)
@@ -152,7 +163,7 @@ $(info $(java_version_str).)
 $(info ************************************************************)
 $(error stop)
 endif # java version is not OpenJdk
-else # if EXPERIMENTAL_USE_JAVA7_OPENJDK
+else # if requires_openjdk
 ifneq ($(shell echo '$(java_version_str)' | grep -i openjdk),)
 $(info ************************************************************)
 $(info You are attempting to build with an unsupported JDK.)
@@ -163,21 +174,21 @@ $(info $(space)$(space)$(space)$(space)https://source.android.com/source/downloa
 $(info ************************************************************)
 $(error stop)
 endif # java version is not Sun Oracle JDK
-endif # if EXPERIMENTAL_USE_JAVA7_OPENJDK
+endif # if requires_openjdk
 
 # Check for the correct version of java, should be 1.7 if
-# EXPERIMENTAL_USE_JAVA7_OPENJDK is set, 1.6 otherwise.
-ifneq ($(EXPERIMENTAL_USE_JAVA7_OPENJDK),)
-required_version := "OpenJDK 1.7"
+# EXPERIMENTAL_USE_JAVA7 is set, 1.6 otherwise.
+ifneq ($(EXPERIMENTAL_USE_JAVA7),)
+required_version := "1.7.x"
 required_javac_version := "1.7"
 java_version := $(shell echo '$(java_version_str)' | grep '^java .*[ "]1\.7[\. "$$]')
 javac_version := $(shell echo '$(javac_version_str)' | grep '[ "]1\.7[\. "$$]')
-else # if EXPERIMENTAL_USE_JAVA7_OPENJDK
-required_version := "JavaSE 1.6"
+else # if EXPERIMENTAL_USE_JAVA7
+required_version := "1.6.x"
 required_javac_version := "1.6"
 java_version := $(shell echo '$(java_version_str)' | grep '^java .*[ "]1\.6[\. "$$]')
 javac_version := $(shell echo '$(javac_version_str)' | head -n 1 | grep '[ "]1\.6[\. "$$]')
-endif # if EXPERIMENTAL_USE_JAVA7_OPENJDK
+endif # if EXPERIMENTAL_USE_JAVA7
 
 ifeq ($(strip $(java_version)),)
 $(info ************************************************************)