diff --git a/build-logic/src/main/kotlin/spotless.error-prone.gradle.kts b/build-logic/src/main/kotlin/spotless.error-prone.gradle.kts
index 45a97a7439..f5ba3f28f7 100644
--- a/build-logic/src/main/kotlin/spotless.error-prone.gradle.kts
+++ b/build-logic/src/main/kotlin/spotless.error-prone.gradle.kts
@@ -4,9 +4,15 @@ plugins {
   id("net.ltgt.errorprone")
 }
 
+// error_prone_core 2.43.0+ requires Java 21+ to run (compiled with classfile version 65.0).
+val isJava21Compatible = JavaVersion.current() >= JavaVersion.VERSION_21
+
 tasks.withType<JavaCompile>().configureEach {
   options.errorprone {
-    enabled = System.getenv("error-prone")?.toBooleanGroovy() == true
+    enabled =
+        isJava21Compatible &&
+            (System.getProperty("error-prone")?.toBooleanGroovy() == true ||
+                System.getenv("error-prone")?.toBooleanGroovy() == true)
     // https://github.com/diffplug/spotless/issues/2745
     // https://github.com/google/error-prone/issues/5365
     disableAllWarnings = true
@@ -34,5 +40,7 @@ tasks.withType<JavaCompile>().configureEach {
 }
 
 dependencies {
-  errorprone(libs.errorprone.core)
+  if (isJava21Compatible) {
+    errorprone(libs.errorprone.core)
+  }
 }
diff --git a/gradle/libs.versions.toml b/gradle/libs.versions.toml
index b4acb59da6..2da62c3667 100644
--- a/gradle/libs.versions.toml
+++ b/gradle/libs.versions.toml
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@ rewrite-recipe-migrate-java = "org.openrewrite.recipe:rewrite-migrate-java:3.42.
 rewrite-recipe-static-analysis = "org.openrewrite.recipe:rewrite-static-analysis:2.41.1"
 rewrite-recipe-third-party = "org.openrewrite.recipe:rewrite-third-party:0.45.0"
 
-errorprone-core = "com.google.errorprone:error_prone_core:2.42.0"
+errorprone-core = "com.google.errorprone:error_prone_core:2.50.0"
 
 [plugins]
 buildconfig = "com.github.gmazzo.buildconfig:6.1.0"