diff --git a/buildSrc/src/main/kotlin/JvmToolchain.kt b/buildSrc/src/main/kotlin/JvmToolchain.kt
index ee0cddf9e3d..72d6043e1d6 100644
--- a/buildSrc/src/main/kotlin/JvmToolchain.kt
+++ b/buildSrc/src/main/kotlin/JvmToolchain.kt
@@ -43,6 +43,8 @@ fun Project.shouldOverrideObsoleteJdk(
 fun Project.configureJvmToolchain(
     jdkVersion: JdkMajorVersion
 ) {
+    @Suppress("NAME_SHADOWING")
+    val jdkVersion = chooseJdk18ForJpsBuild(jdkVersion)
     // Ensure java only modules also set default toolchain
     configureJavaOnlyToolchain(jdkVersion)
 
@@ -78,6 +80,8 @@ fun Project.configureJvmToolchain(
 fun Project.configureJavaOnlyToolchain(
     jdkVersion: JdkMajorVersion
 ) {
+    @Suppress("NAME_SHADOWING")
+    val jdkVersion = chooseJdk18ForJpsBuild(jdkVersion)
     plugins.withId("java-base") {
         val javaExtension = extensions.getByType<JavaPluginExtension>()
         if (shouldOverrideObsoleteJdk(jdkVersion)) {
@@ -100,6 +104,14 @@ fun Project.configureJavaOnlyToolchain(
     }
 }
 
+fun Project.chooseJdk18ForJpsBuild(jdkVersion: JdkMajorVersion): JdkMajorVersion {
+    return if (kotlinBuildProperties.isInJpsBuildIdeaSync) {
+        maxOf(jdkVersion, JdkMajorVersion.JDK_1_8)
+    } else {
+        jdkVersion
+    }
+}
+
 fun KotlinCompile.configureTaskToolchain(
     jdkVersion: JdkMajorVersion
 ) {
@@ -142,6 +154,12 @@ fun JavaCompile.configureTaskToolchain(
 fun Project.updateJvmTarget(
     jvmTarget: String
 ) {
+    @Suppress("NAME_SHADOWING")
+    val jvmTarget = if (kotlinBuildProperties.isInJpsBuildIdeaSync && jvmTarget == "1.6") {
+        "1.8"
+    } else {
+        jvmTarget
+    }
     // Java 9 tasks are exceptions that are configured in configureJava9Compilation
     tasks
         .withType<KotlinCompile>()
diff --git a/core/descriptors.runtime/build.gradle.kts b/core/descriptors.runtime/build.gradle.kts
index e9cf34ab4bd..4980d0d370f 100644
--- a/core/descriptors.runtime/build.gradle.kts
+++ b/core/descriptors.runtime/build.gradle.kts
@@ -8,13 +8,13 @@ plugins {
 tasks
     .matching { it.name == "compileKotlin" && it is KotlinCompile }
     .configureEach {
-        (this as KotlinCompile).configureTaskToolchain(JdkMajorVersion.JDK_1_6)
+        (this as KotlinCompile).configureTaskToolchain(chooseJdk18ForJpsBuild(JdkMajorVersion.JDK_1_6))
     }
 
 tasks
     .matching { it.name == "compileJava" && it is JavaCompile }
     .configureEach {
-        (this as JavaCompile).configureTaskToolchain(JdkMajorVersion.JDK_1_6)
+        (this as JavaCompile).configureTaskToolchain(chooseJdk18ForJpsBuild(JdkMajorVersion.JDK_1_6))
     }
 
 dependencies {
diff --git a/libraries/reflect/build.gradle.kts b/libraries/reflect/build.gradle.kts
index 49f722a7bc8..b2d5bfffbb5 100644
--- a/libraries/reflect/build.gradle.kts
+++ b/libraries/reflect/build.gradle.kts
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ val proguard by task<CacheableProguardTask> {
     injars(mapOf("filter" to "!META-INF/**,!**/*.kotlin_builtins"), proguardAdditionalInJars)
     outjars(fileFrom(base.libsDirectory.asFile.get(), "${base.archivesName.get()}-$version-proguard.jar"))
 
-    javaLauncher.set(project.getToolchainLauncherFor(JdkMajorVersion.JDK_1_6))
+    javaLauncher.set(project.getToolchainLauncherFor(chooseJdk18ForJpsBuild(JdkMajorVersion.JDK_1_6)))
     libraryjars(mapOf("filter" to "!META-INF/versions/**"), proguardDeps)
     libraryjars(
         project.files(