diff --git a/assignments/build.xml b/assignments/build.xml
index 8a99b37b658222447e198584737c67c03d3f4ba7..9e4bb3fa927c223c407ee2b510da1c94b669a5ef 100644
--- a/assignments/build.xml
+++ b/assignments/build.xml
@@ -132,6 +132,7 @@ POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
     <!-- ensure backwards compatibility of produced jar to specified version of Java, though project itself may be higher -->
     <property name="java.source"                 value="17"/><!-- LTS -->
     <property name="java.target"                 value="17"/><!-- LTS -->
+    <property name="java.release"                value="17"/><!-- LTS --><!-- simpler, less verbose than -source -target -->
     <property name="dist.javadoc.dir"            value="dist/javadoc"/>
     
     <property name="javadoc.additionalparam" value=""/>
diff --git a/examples/build.xml b/examples/build.xml
index 0bfff43bcf6034f84b89a6f5bb450a112deded15..3490a4597756a801b7ab3862d84661107b5d8d27 100644
--- a/examples/build.xml
+++ b/examples/build.xml
@@ -136,6 +136,7 @@ POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
     <!-- ensure backwards compatibility of produced jar to specified version of Java, though project itself may be higher -->
     <property name="java.source"                 value="17"/><!-- LTS -->
     <property name="java.target"                 value="17"/><!-- LTS -->
+    <property name="java.release"                value="17"/><!-- LTS --><!-- simpler, less verbose than -source -target -->
     <property name="dist.javadoc.dir"            value="dist/javadoc"/>
     
     <property name="javadoc.additionalparam" value=""/>