diff --git a/BUILDING.txt b/BUILDING.txt
index 06bef1fc33..94cbe5ea14 100644
--- a/BUILDING.txt
+++ b/BUILDING.txt
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ Build instructions for Hadoop
 Requirements:
 
 * Unix System
-* JDK 1.6+
+* JDK 1.7+
 * Maven 3.0 or later
 * Findbugs 1.3.9 (if running findbugs)
 * ProtocolBuffer 2.5.0
@@ -204,7 +204,7 @@ Building on Windows
 Requirements:
 
 * Windows System
-* JDK 1.6+
+* JDK 1.7+
 * Maven 3.0 or later
 * Findbugs 1.3.9 (if running findbugs)
 * ProtocolBuffer 2.5.0
diff --git a/hadoop-assemblies/pom.xml b/hadoop-assemblies/pom.xml
index 66b6bdb16b..b53baccaad 100644
--- a/hadoop-assemblies/pom.xml
+++ b/hadoop-assemblies/pom.xml
@@ -45,10 +45,10 @@
         <configuration>
           <rules>
             <requireMavenVersion>
-              <version>[3.0.0,)</version>
+              <version>${enforced.maven.version}</version>
             </requireMavenVersion>
             <requireJavaVersion>
-              <version>1.6</version>
+              <version>${enforced.java.version}</version>
             </requireJavaVersion>
           </rules>
         </configuration>
diff --git a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-annotations/pom.xml b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-annotations/pom.xml
index 84a106e665..c011b4581e 100644
--- a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-annotations/pom.xml
+++ b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-annotations/pom.xml
@@ -39,23 +39,6 @@
   </dependencies>
 
   <profiles>
-    <profile>
-      <id>os.linux</id>
-      <activation>
-        <os>
-          <family>!Mac</family>
-        </os>
-      </activation>
-      <dependencies>
-        <dependency>
-          <groupId>jdk.tools</groupId>
-          <artifactId>jdk.tools</artifactId>
-          <version>1.6</version>
-          <scope>system</scope>
-          <systemPath>${java.home}/../lib/tools.jar</systemPath>
-        </dependency>
-      </dependencies>
-    </profile>
     <profile>
       <id>jdk1.7</id>
       <activation>
diff --git a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/CHANGES.txt b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/CHANGES.txt
index a6263887f0..616842fa5f 100644
--- a/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/CHANGES.txt
+++ b/hadoop-common-project/hadoop-common/CHANGES.txt
@@ -368,6 +368,8 @@ Release 2.7.0 - UNRELEASED
 
   INCOMPATIBLE CHANGES
 
+    HADOOP-10530 Make hadoop build on Java7+ only (stevel)
+
   NEW FEATURES
 
     HADOOP-10987. Provide an iterator-based listing API for FileSystem (kihwal)
diff --git a/hadoop-project/pom.xml b/hadoop-project/pom.xml
index d3c404e59f..3b52dc3bb1 100644
--- a/hadoop-project/pom.xml
+++ b/hadoop-project/pom.xml
@@ -73,6 +73,17 @@
     <zookeeper.version>3.4.6</zookeeper.version>
 
     <tomcat.version>6.0.41</tomcat.version>
+
+    <!-- define the Java language version used by the compiler -->
+    <javac.version>1.7</javac.version>
+
+    <!-- The java version enforced by the maven enforcer -->
+    <!-- more complex patterns can be used here, such as
+       [${javac.version})
+    for an open-ended enforcement
+    -->
+    <enforced.java.version>[${javac.version},)</enforced.java.version>
+    <enforced.maven.version>[3.0.2,)</enforced.maven.version>
   </properties>
 
   <dependencyManagement>
@@ -922,8 +933,8 @@
           <artifactId>maven-compiler-plugin</artifactId>
           <version>2.5.1</version>
           <configuration>
-            <source>1.6</source>
-            <target>1.6</target>
+            <source>${javac.version}</source>
+            <target>${javac.version}</target>
           </configuration>
         </plugin>
         <plugin>
@@ -1182,8 +1193,8 @@
             <artifactId>maven-compiler-plugin</artifactId>
             <configuration>
               <fork>true</fork>
-              <source>1.6</source>
-              <target>1.6</target>
+              <source>${javac.version}</source>
+              <target>${javac.version}</target>
               <compilerArguments>
                 <Xlint/>
                 <Xmaxwarns>9999</Xmaxwarns>
diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index 5cc30c24be..de51a65f66 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ xsi:schemaLocation="http://maven.apache.org/POM/4.0.0 http://maven.apache.org/xs
                 <version>[3.0.2,)</version>
               </requireMavenVersion>
               <requireJavaVersion>
-                <version>1.6</version>
+                <version>[1.7,)</version>
               </requireJavaVersion>
             </rules>
           </configuration>