diff --git a/compiler/cli/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/cli/jvm/compiler/TopDownAnalyzerFacadeForJVM.kt b/compiler/cli/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/cli/jvm/compiler/TopDownAnalyzerFacadeForJVM.kt
index 41f276b5d13..32d341b6aa6 100644
--- a/compiler/cli/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/cli/jvm/compiler/TopDownAnalyzerFacadeForJVM.kt
+++ b/compiler/cli/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/cli/jvm/compiler/TopDownAnalyzerFacadeForJVM.kt
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ object TopDownAnalyzerFacadeForJVM {
         val sourceScope = if (separateModules) sourceModuleSearchScope else GlobalSearchScope.allScope(project)
         val moduleClassResolver = SourceOrBinaryModuleClassResolver(sourceScope)
 
-        val jvmTarget = configuration.get(JVMConfigurationKeys.JVM_TARGET) ?: JvmTarget.JVM_1_6
+        val jvmTarget = configuration.get(JVMConfigurationKeys.JVM_TARGET, JvmTarget.DEFAULT)
         val languageVersionSettings = configuration.languageVersionSettings
 
         val optionalBuiltInsModule =
diff --git a/compiler/frontend.java/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/resolve/jvm/JvmAnalyzerFacade.kt b/compiler/frontend.java/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/resolve/jvm/JvmAnalyzerFacade.kt
index 18fa20615da..5d08aed6243 100644
--- a/compiler/frontend.java/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/resolve/jvm/JvmAnalyzerFacade.kt
+++ b/compiler/frontend.java/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/resolve/jvm/JvmAnalyzerFacade.kt
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ object JvmAnalyzerFacade : ResolverForModuleFactory() {
             resolverForModule.componentProvider.get<JavaDescriptorResolver>()
         }
 
-        val jvmTarget = targetPlatformVersion as? JvmTarget ?: JvmTarget.JVM_1_6
+        val jvmTarget = targetPlatformVersion as? JvmTarget ?: JvmTarget.DEFAULT
         val trace = CodeAnalyzerInitializer.getInstance(project).createTrace()
 
         val lookupTracker = LookupTracker.DO_NOTHING
diff --git a/compiler/tests-common/tests/org/jetbrains/kotlin/checkers/AbstractDiagnosticsTest.kt b/compiler/tests-common/tests/org/jetbrains/kotlin/checkers/AbstractDiagnosticsTest.kt
index c1452d01ef1..3e7484585af 100644
--- a/compiler/tests-common/tests/org/jetbrains/kotlin/checkers/AbstractDiagnosticsTest.kt
+++ b/compiler/tests-common/tests/org/jetbrains/kotlin/checkers/AbstractDiagnosticsTest.kt
@@ -286,7 +286,7 @@ abstract class AbstractDiagnosticsTest : BaseDiagnosticsTest() {
             }
         }
 
-        return result ?: JvmTarget.JVM_1_6
+        return result ?: JvmTarget.DEFAULT
     }
 
     private fun checkDynamicCallDescriptors(expectedFile: File, testFiles: List<TestFile>) {
diff --git a/compiler/tests-common/tests/org/jetbrains/kotlin/tests/di/injection.kt b/compiler/tests-common/tests/org/jetbrains/kotlin/tests/di/injection.kt
index 4279077e785..073dac31aa6 100644
--- a/compiler/tests-common/tests/org/jetbrains/kotlin/tests/di/injection.kt
+++ b/compiler/tests-common/tests/org/jetbrains/kotlin/tests/di/injection.kt
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ import org.jetbrains.kotlin.types.expressions.FakeCallResolver
 
 fun createContainerForTests(project: Project, module: ModuleDescriptor): ContainerForTests {
     return ContainerForTests(createContainer("Tests", JvmPlatform) {
-        configureModule(ModuleContext(module, project), JvmPlatform, JvmTarget.JVM_1_6)
+        configureModule(ModuleContext(module, project), JvmPlatform, JvmTarget.DEFAULT)
         useInstance(LanguageVersionSettingsImpl.DEFAULT)
         useImpl<AnnotationResolverImpl>()
         useImpl<ExpressionTypingServices>()
diff --git a/idea/idea-gradle/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/idea/configuration/KotlinGradleSourceSetDataService.kt b/idea/idea-gradle/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/idea/configuration/KotlinGradleSourceSetDataService.kt
index e58a16e95c5..933a85e863e 100644
--- a/idea/idea-gradle/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/idea/configuration/KotlinGradleSourceSetDataService.kt
+++ b/idea/idea-gradle/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/idea/configuration/KotlinGradleSourceSetDataService.kt
@@ -220,7 +220,7 @@ fun detectPlatformKindByPlugin(moduleNode: DataNode<ModuleData>): IdePlatformKin
 )
 fun detectPlatformByPlugin(moduleNode: DataNode<ModuleData>): TargetPlatformKind<*>? {
     return when (moduleNode.platformPluginId) {
-        "kotlin-platform-jvm" -> TargetPlatformKind.Jvm[JvmTarget.JVM_1_6]
+        "kotlin-platform-jvm" -> TargetPlatformKind.Jvm[JvmTarget.DEFAULT]
         "kotlin-platform-js" -> TargetPlatformKind.JavaScript
         "kotlin-platform-common" -> TargetPlatformKind.Common
         else -> null
diff --git a/idea/idea-jps-common/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/platform/impl/JvmIdePlatformKind.kt b/idea/idea-jps-common/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/platform/impl/JvmIdePlatformKind.kt
index a4aa3a3b836..88cc0a8724b 100644
--- a/idea/idea-jps-common/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/platform/impl/JvmIdePlatformKind.kt
+++ b/idea/idea-jps-common/src/org/jetbrains/kotlin/platform/impl/JvmIdePlatformKind.kt
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ object JvmIdePlatformKind : IdePlatformKind<JvmIdePlatformKind>() {
     override val compilerPlatform get() = JvmPlatform
 
     override val platforms = JvmTarget.values().map { ver -> Platform(ver) }
-    override val defaultPlatform get() = Platform(JvmTarget.JVM_1_6)
+    override val defaultPlatform get() = Platform(JvmTarget.DEFAULT)
 
     override val argumentsClass get() = K2JVMCompilerArguments::class.java
 
diff --git a/libraries/scripting/jvm-host/src/kotlin/script/experimental/jvmhost/impl/KJvmCompilerImpl.kt b/libraries/scripting/jvm-host/src/kotlin/script/experimental/jvmhost/impl/KJvmCompilerImpl.kt
index 99b82ae3c99..2b769ccee70 100644
--- a/libraries/scripting/jvm-host/src/kotlin/script/experimental/jvmhost/impl/KJvmCompilerImpl.kt
+++ b/libraries/scripting/jvm-host/src/kotlin/script/experimental/jvmhost/impl/KJvmCompilerImpl.kt
@@ -208,16 +208,12 @@ class KJvmCompilerImpl(val hostConfiguration: ScriptingHostConfiguration) : KJvm
         reportingState.currentArguments = baseArguments
 
         return org.jetbrains.kotlin.config.CompilerConfiguration().apply {
-
-            // default value differs from the argument'ss default (see #KT-29405 and #KT-29319)
-            put(JVMConfigurationKeys.JVM_TARGET, JvmTarget.JVM_1_8)
-
             put(CLIConfigurationKeys.MESSAGE_COLLECTOR_KEY, messageCollector)
             setupCommonArguments(baseArguments)
 
             setupJvmSpecificArguments(baseArguments)
 
-            // default value differs from the argument'ss default (see #KT-29405 and #KT-29319)
+            // Default value differs from the argument's default (see #KT-29405 and #KT-29319)
             put(JVMConfigurationKeys.JVM_TARGET, JvmTarget.JVM_1_8)
 
             val jdkHomeFromConfigurations = scriptCompilationConfiguration.getNoDefault(ScriptCompilationConfiguration.jvm.jdkHome)