diff --git a/compiler/cli/cli-common/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/cli/common/arguments/CommonCompilerArguments.kt b/compiler/cli/cli-common/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/cli/common/arguments/CommonCompilerArguments.kt
index 01ccc960b0d..97a98b5bfc3 100644
--- a/compiler/cli/cli-common/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/cli/common/arguments/CommonCompilerArguments.kt
+++ b/compiler/cli/cli-common/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/cli/common/arguments/CommonCompilerArguments.kt
@@ -531,9 +531,9 @@ abstract class CommonCompilerArguments : CommonToolArguments() {
     }
 
     fun toLanguageVersionSettings(collector: MessageCollector): LanguageVersionSettings {
-
         // If only "-api-version" is specified, language version is assumed to be the latest stable
-        val languageVersion = parseVersion(collector, languageVersion, "language") ?: LanguageVersion.LATEST_STABLE
+        val languageVersion = parseVersion(collector, languageVersion, "language")
+            ?: defaultLanguageVersion(collector)
 
         // If only "-language-version" is specified, API version is assumed to be equal to the language version
         // (API version cannot be greater than the language version)
@@ -554,6 +554,8 @@ abstract class CommonCompilerArguments : CommonToolArguments() {
             checkProgressiveMode(languageVersion, collector)
         }
 
+        checkPlatformSpecificSettings(languageVersionSettings, collector)
+
         return languageVersionSettings
     }
 
@@ -622,6 +624,12 @@ abstract class CommonCompilerArguments : CommonToolArguments() {
         }
     }
 
+    protected open fun defaultLanguageVersion(collector: MessageCollector): LanguageVersion =
+        LanguageVersion.LATEST_STABLE
+
+    protected open fun checkPlatformSpecificSettings(languageVersionSettings: LanguageVersionSettings, collector: MessageCollector) {
+    }
+
     private enum class VersionKind(val text: String) {
         LANGUAGE("Language"), API("API")
     }
diff --git a/compiler/cli/cli-common/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/cli/common/arguments/K2JVMCompilerArguments.kt b/compiler/cli/cli-common/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/cli/common/arguments/K2JVMCompilerArguments.kt
index e55a8b738a9..4049319eb10 100644
--- a/compiler/cli/cli-common/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/cli/common/arguments/K2JVMCompilerArguments.kt
+++ b/compiler/cli/cli-common/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/cli/common/arguments/K2JVMCompilerArguments.kt
@@ -534,4 +534,26 @@ default: `indy-with-constants` for JVM target 9 or greater, `inline` otherwise""
         }
         return result
     }
+
+    override fun defaultLanguageVersion(collector: MessageCollector): LanguageVersion =
+        if (useOldBackend) {
+            if (!suppressVersionWarnings) {
+                collector.report(
+                    CompilerMessageSeverity.STRONG_WARNING,
+                    "Language version is automatically inferred to ${LanguageVersion.KOTLIN_1_5.versionString} when using " +
+                            "the old JVM backend. Consider specifying -language-version explicitly, or remove -Xuse-old-backend"
+                )
+            }
+            LanguageVersion.KOTLIN_1_5
+        } else super.defaultLanguageVersion(collector)
+
+    override fun checkPlatformSpecificSettings(languageVersionSettings: LanguageVersionSettings, collector: MessageCollector) {
+        if (useOldBackend && languageVersionSettings.languageVersion >= LanguageVersion.KOTLIN_1_6) {
+            collector.report(
+                CompilerMessageSeverity.ERROR,
+                "Old JVM backend does not support language version 1.6 or above. " +
+                        "Please use language version 1.5 or below, or remove -Xuse-old-backend"
+            )
+        }
+    }
 }
diff --git a/compiler/testData/cli/jvm/abiStabilityUnstableWithOldBackend.out b/compiler/testData/cli/jvm/abiStabilityUnstableWithOldBackend.out
index 6a1292baf11..ce1c49c4e1c 100644
--- a/compiler/testData/cli/jvm/abiStabilityUnstableWithOldBackend.out
+++ b/compiler/testData/cli/jvm/abiStabilityUnstableWithOldBackend.out
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+warning: language version is automatically inferred to 1.5 when using the old JVM backend. Consider specifying -language-version explicitly, or remove -Xuse-old-backend
 warning: -Xuse-old-backend is deprecated and will be removed in a future release
 error: -Xabi-stability=unstable is not supported in the old JVM backend
 COMPILATION_ERROR
diff --git a/compiler/testData/cli/jvm/bothJvmIrAndOldBackend.args b/compiler/testData/cli/jvm/bothJvmIrAndOldBackend.args
index aaa2e4e226f..2af4fe0d60f 100644
--- a/compiler/testData/cli/jvm/bothJvmIrAndOldBackend.args
+++ b/compiler/testData/cli/jvm/bothJvmIrAndOldBackend.args
@@ -3,3 +3,5 @@ $TESTDATA_DIR$/simple.kt
 $TEMP_DIR$
 -Xuse-ir
 -Xuse-old-backend
+-language-version
+1.5
diff --git a/compiler/testData/cli/jvm/classAndTraitClash.args b/compiler/testData/cli/jvm/classAndTraitClash.args
index a5a7cfcb7f4..6ed43fe597e 100644
--- a/compiler/testData/cli/jvm/classAndTraitClash.args
+++ b/compiler/testData/cli/jvm/classAndTraitClash.args
@@ -2,3 +2,5 @@ $TESTDATA_DIR$/classAndTraitClash.kt
 -d
 $TEMP_DIR$
 -Xuse-old-backend
+-language-version
+1.5
diff --git a/compiler/testData/cli/jvm/oldBackendLv16.args b/compiler/testData/cli/jvm/oldBackendLv16.args
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..b04d96186ae
--- /dev/null
+++ b/compiler/testData/cli/jvm/oldBackendLv16.args
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+$TESTDATA_DIR$/simple.kt
+-d
+$TEMP_DIR$
+-Xuse-old-backend
+-language-version
+1.6
diff --git a/compiler/testData/cli/jvm/oldBackendLv16.out b/compiler/testData/cli/jvm/oldBackendLv16.out
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..ed485d5266d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/compiler/testData/cli/jvm/oldBackendLv16.out
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+error: old JVM backend does not support language version 1.6 or above. Please use language version 1.5 or below, or remove -Xuse-old-backend
+COMPILATION_ERROR
diff --git a/compiler/testData/cli/jvm/suspendInFunInterfaceIrDisabled.args b/compiler/testData/cli/jvm/suspendInFunInterfaceIrDisabled.args
index c3e4e704343..eb4de6c6b8a 100644
--- a/compiler/testData/cli/jvm/suspendInFunInterfaceIrDisabled.args
+++ b/compiler/testData/cli/jvm/suspendInFunInterfaceIrDisabled.args
@@ -2,3 +2,5 @@ $TESTDATA_DIR$/suspendInFunInterfaceIrDisabled.kt
 -d
 $TEMP_DIR$
 -Xuse-old-backend
+-language-version
+1.5
diff --git a/compiler/tests-gen/org/jetbrains/kotlin/cli/CliTestGenerated.java b/compiler/tests-gen/org/jetbrains/kotlin/cli/CliTestGenerated.java
index 454db767187..841932cbf06 100644
--- a/compiler/tests-gen/org/jetbrains/kotlin/cli/CliTestGenerated.java
+++ b/compiler/tests-gen/org/jetbrains/kotlin/cli/CliTestGenerated.java
@@ -736,6 +736,11 @@ public class CliTestGenerated extends AbstractCliTest {
             runTest("compiler/testData/cli/jvm/nullabilityAnnotations.args");
         }
 
+        @TestMetadata("oldBackendLv16.args")
+        public void testOldBackendLv16() throws Exception {
+            runTest("compiler/testData/cli/jvm/oldBackendLv16.args");
+        }
+
         @TestMetadata("pluginSimple.args")
         public void testPluginSimple() throws Exception {
             runTest("compiler/testData/cli/jvm/pluginSimple.args");
diff --git a/plugins/jvm-abi-gen/testData/content/anonymousAnnotationInstantiation/directives.txt b/plugins/jvm-abi-gen/testData/content/anonymousAnnotationInstantiation/directives.txt
index e89ced03c66..cfe6c53cb61 100644
--- a/plugins/jvm-abi-gen/testData/content/anonymousAnnotationInstantiation/directives.txt
+++ b/plugins/jvm-abi-gen/testData/content/anonymousAnnotationInstantiation/directives.txt
@@ -1 +1,3 @@
-// LANGUAGE_VERSION: 1.6
\ No newline at end of file
+// LANGUAGE_VERSION: 1.6
+// IGNORE_BACKEND_LEGACY: JVM
+// IGNORE_BACKEND: JVM