diff --git a/plexus-compilers/plexus-compiler-javac/src/main/java/org/codehaus/plexus/compiler/javac/JavacCompiler.java b/plexus-compilers/plexus-compiler-javac/src/main/java/org/codehaus/plexus/compiler/javac/JavacCompiler.java
index 8f92a64c..3038c0e7 100644
--- a/plexus-compilers/plexus-compiler-javac/src/main/java/org/codehaus/plexus/compiler/javac/JavacCompiler.java
+++ b/plexus-compilers/plexus-compiler-javac/src/main/java/org/codehaus/plexus/compiler/javac/JavacCompiler.java
@@ -283,12 +283,21 @@ public static String[] buildCompilerArguments( CompilerConfiguration config, Str
                 args.add( buffer.toString() );
             }
             if ( config.getProcessorPathEntries() != null && !config.getProcessorPathEntries().isEmpty() ) {
-                args.add( "-processorpath" );
 
+                if(!isPreJava9(config) && Arrays.asList(sourceFiles).contains("module-info.java")){
+                    args.add( "--processor-module-path" );
+
+                } else {
+                    args.add( "-processorpath" );
+
+                }
                 args.add( getPathString( config.getProcessorPathEntries() ) );
             }
+
         }
 
+
+
         if ( config.isOptimize() )
         {
             args.add( "-O" );
@@ -432,29 +441,59 @@ private static boolean isPreJava14( CompilerConfiguration config )
      */
     private static boolean isPreJava16( CompilerConfiguration config )
     {
-        String v = config.getCompilerVersion();
+        String v = config.getReleaseVersion();
 
         if ( v == null )
         {
-            //mkleint: i haven't completely understood the reason for the
-            //compiler version parameter, checking source as well, as most projects will have this one set, not the compiler
-            String s = config.getSourceVersion();
-            if ( s == null )
-            {
-                //now return true, as the 1.6 version is not the default - 1.4 is.
-                return true;
-            }
-            return s.startsWith( "1.5" ) || s.startsWith( "1.4" ) || s.startsWith( "1.3" ) || s.startsWith( "1.2" )
-                || s.startsWith( "1.1" ) || s.startsWith( "1.0" );
+            v = config.getCompilerVersion();
         }
 
-        return v.startsWith( "1.5" ) || v.startsWith( "1.4" ) || v.startsWith( "1.3" ) || v.startsWith( "1.2" )
+        if ( v == null )
+        {
+            v = config.getSourceVersion();
+        }
+
+        if ( v == null )
+        {
+            return true;
+        }
+
+        return v.startsWith( "5" ) || v.startsWith( "1.5" ) || v.startsWith( "1.4" ) || v.startsWith( "1.3" ) || v.startsWith( "1.2" )
             || v.startsWith( "1.1" ) || v.startsWith( "1.0" );
     }
 
     private static boolean isPreJava18( CompilerConfiguration config )
     {
-        String v = config.getCompilerVersion();
+        String v = config.getReleaseVersion();
+
+        if ( v == null )
+        {
+            v = config.getCompilerVersion();
+        }
+
+        if ( v == null )
+        {
+            v = config.getSourceVersion();
+        }
+
+        if ( v == null )
+        {
+            return true;
+        }
+
+        return v.startsWith( "7" ) || v.startsWith( "1.7" ) || v.startsWith( "6" ) ||v.startsWith( "1.6" ) || v.startsWith( "1.5" ) || v.startsWith( "1.4" )
+                || v.startsWith( "1.3" ) || v.startsWith( "1.2" ) || v.startsWith( "1.1" ) || v.startsWith( "1.0" );
+    }
+
+    private static boolean isPreJava9( CompilerConfiguration config )
+    {
+
+        String v = config.getReleaseVersion();
+
+        if ( v == null )
+        {
+            v = config.getCompilerVersion();
+        }
 
         if ( v == null )
         {
@@ -466,7 +505,7 @@ private static boolean isPreJava18( CompilerConfiguration config )
             return true;
         }
 
-        return v.startsWith( "1.7" ) || v.startsWith( "1.6" ) || v.startsWith( "1.5" ) || v.startsWith( "1.4" )
+        return v.startsWith( "8" )  || v.startsWith( "1.8" )  || v.startsWith( "7" ) || v.startsWith( "1.7" ) || v.startsWith( "1.6" ) || v.startsWith( "1.5" ) || v.startsWith( "1.4" )
                 || v.startsWith( "1.3" ) || v.startsWith( "1.2" ) || v.startsWith( "1.1" ) || v.startsWith( "1.0" );
     }
 
diff --git a/plexus-compilers/plexus-compiler-javac/src/test/java/org/codehaus/plexus/compiler/javac/AbstractJavacCompilerTest.java b/plexus-compilers/plexus-compiler-javac/src/test/java/org/codehaus/plexus/compiler/javac/AbstractJavacCompilerTest.java
index fdee0363..3b22dc1e 100644
--- a/plexus-compilers/plexus-compiler-javac/src/test/java/org/codehaus/plexus/compiler/javac/AbstractJavacCompilerTest.java
+++ b/plexus-compilers/plexus-compiler-javac/src/test/java/org/codehaus/plexus/compiler/javac/AbstractJavacCompilerTest.java
@@ -139,9 +139,13 @@ protected Collection<String> expectedOutputFiles()
             "org/codehaus/foo/Person.class", "org/codehaus/foo/ReservedWord.class" } );
     }
 
-    public void internalTest( CompilerConfiguration compilerConfiguration, List<String> expectedArguments )
+    public void internalTest(CompilerConfiguration compilerConfiguration, List<String> expectedArguments) {
+        internalTest(compilerConfiguration, expectedArguments, new String[0]);
+    }
+
+    public void internalTest(CompilerConfiguration compilerConfiguration, List<String> expectedArguments, String[] sources)
     {
-        String[] actualArguments = JavacCompiler.buildCompilerArguments( compilerConfiguration, new String[0] );
+        String[] actualArguments = JavacCompiler.buildCompilerArguments( compilerConfiguration, sources );
 
         assertEquals( "The expected and actual argument list sizes differ.", expectedArguments.size(),
                       actualArguments.length );
@@ -261,6 +265,40 @@ public void testJRuntimeArguments()
         internalTest( compilerConfiguration, expectedArguments );
     }
 
+    public void testModulePathAnnotations() throws Exception
+    {
+        List<String> expectedArguments = new ArrayList<>();
+
+        CompilerConfiguration compilerConfiguration = new CompilerConfiguration();
+
+        final String[] source = {"module-info.java"};
+
+        // outputLocation
+        compilerConfiguration.setOutputLocation( "/output" );
+        expectedArguments.add( "-d" );
+        expectedArguments.add( new File( "/output" ).getAbsolutePath() );
+
+        // failOnWarning
+        compilerConfiguration.setModulepathEntries( Arrays.asList( "/repo/a/b/1.0/b-1.0.jar",
+                "/repo/c/d/1.0/d-1.0.jar" ) );
+        expectedArguments.add( "--module-path" );
+        expectedArguments.add( "/repo/a/b/1.0/b-1.0.jar" + File.pathSeparator +
+                "/repo/c/d/1.0/d-1.0.jar" + File.pathSeparator );
+
+        compilerConfiguration.setProcessorPathEntries(Arrays.asList("/repo/a/b/1.0/annotations-1.0.jar",
+                "/repo/f/a/1.0/annotations-4.0.jar"));
+        expectedArguments.add( "--processor-module-path" );
+        expectedArguments.add("/repo/a/b/1.0/annotations-1.0.jar" + File.pathSeparator +
+                "/repo/f/a/1.0/annotations-4.0.jar" + File.pathSeparator );
+
+        // releaseVersion
+        compilerConfiguration.setReleaseVersion( "9" );
+        expectedArguments.add( "--release" );
+        expectedArguments.add( "9" );
+
+        internalTest( compilerConfiguration, expectedArguments, source);
+    }
+
     public void testModulePath() throws Exception
     {
         List<String> expectedArguments = new ArrayList<>();