diff --git a/tools-ng/common/xsl/build-template.xsl b/tools-ng/common/xsl/build-template.xsl
index 0cbeb0fdf..5bbc9ab97 100755
--- a/tools-ng/common/xsl/build-template.xsl
+++ b/tools-ng/common/xsl/build-template.xsl
@@ -164,6 +164,8 @@
     <property value="off" name="compile.deprecation"/>
     <property value="off" name="compile.verbose"/>
     <property value="off" name="compile.nowarn"/>
+    <!-- By default build target for the JVM version used by the actual build system -->
+    <property value="${{ant.java.version}}" name="compile.target"/>
 
     <property value="rulesets/design.xml,rulesets/imports.xml"
                name="pmd.rulesets"/>
@@ -557,6 +559,8 @@
         <!-- Usually true by default setting, main work is done here! -->
         <xsl:if test="$hassrcdir">
           <mkdir dir="{$name}/${{build.src.dir}}"/>
+          <echo message="Build system version: ${{ant.java.version}} " />
+          <echo message="Compile target version: ${{compile.target}} " />
           <xsl:if test="$jdodirs">
             <if>
               <not>
@@ -2230,6 +2234,7 @@
       deprecation="${{compile.deprecation}}"
       verbose="${{compile.verbose}}"
       nowarn="${{compile.nowarn}}"
+      target="${{compile.target}}"
       destdir="{$destdir}"
       classpathref="{$classpathref}">
       <src refid="{$srcpathref}"/>
diff --git a/tools-ng/ecdc/conf/build.properties b/tools-ng/ecdc/conf/build.properties
index 287a23e0d..285a7cd17 100644
--- a/tools-ng/ecdc/conf/build.properties
+++ b/tools-ng/ecdc/conf/build.properties
@@ -43,6 +43,10 @@ compile.deprecation=off
 compile.verbose=off
 compile.nowarn=on
 
+# Optionally specifiy version of target JVM.
+# By default the version of the build system is determined and used as target.
+#compile.target=1.6
+
 # These properties are specific to Jikes
 build.compiler.emacs=off
 build.compiler.pedantic=off
diff --git a/tools-ng/ecdc/local.build.properties b/tools-ng/ecdc/local.build.properties
index f97e2d841..f714ee6f5 100644
--- a/tools-ng/ecdc/local.build.properties
+++ b/tools-ng/ecdc/local.build.properties
@@ -28,8 +28,6 @@
 
 # Set to Eclipse JDT batch compiler (requires ecj.jar) 
 #build.compiler=org.eclipse.jdt.core.JDTCompilerAdapter 
-#ant.build.javac.source=1.6 
-#ant.build.javac.target=1.6 
 
 # These properties apply to Javac and Jikes
 #compile.debug=on
@@ -38,6 +36,10 @@
 #compile.verbose=off
 #compile.nowarn=on
 
+# Optionally specifiy version of target JVM.
+# By default the version of the build system is determined and used as target.
+#compile.target=1.6
+
 # These properties are specific to Jikes
 #build.compiler.emacs=off
 #build.compiler.pedantic=off