diff --git a/pkgs/games/minecraft-server/default.nix b/pkgs/games/minecraft-server/default.nix
index f1ab122ffe0e..2ea8d2a5a508 100644
--- a/pkgs/games/minecraft-server/default.nix
+++ b/pkgs/games/minecraft-server/default.nix
@@ -1,14 +1,20 @@
-{ callPackage, lib }:
+{ callPackage, lib, javaPackages }:
 # if you add more versions make sure to add to all-packages.nix
 let
   versions = lib.importJSON ./versions.json;
+
   latestVersion = lib.last (builtins.sort lib.versionOlder (builtins.attrNames versions));
   escapeVersion = builtins.replaceStrings [ "." ] [ "_" ];
 
+  getJavaVersion = v: (builtins.getAttr "openjdk${toString v}" javaPackages.compiler).headless;
+
   packages = lib.mapAttrs'
     (version: value: {
       name = "minecraft-server_${escapeVersion version}";
-      value = callPackage ./derivation.nix { inherit (value) version url sha1; };
+      value = callPackage ./derivation.nix {
+        inherit (value) version url sha1;
+        jre_headless = getJavaVersion (if value.javaVersion == null then 8 else value.javaVersion); # versions <= 1.6 will default to 8
+      };
     })
     versions;
 in
diff --git a/pkgs/games/minecraft-server/update.py b/pkgs/games/minecraft-server/update.py
index ef54bcae6d4c..4fe84ee21a59 100755
--- a/pkgs/games/minecraft-server/update.py
+++ b/pkgs/games/minecraft-server/update.py
@@ -55,6 +55,13 @@ class Version(DataClassJsonMixin):
             for download_name, download_info in self.get_manifest()["downloads"].items()
         }
 
+    def get_java_version(self) -> Any:
+        """
+        Return the java version specified in a version's manifest, if it is
+        present. Versions <= 1.6 do not specify this.
+        """
+        return self.get_manifest().get("javaVersion", {}).get("majorVersion", None)
+
     def get_server(self) -> Optional[Download]:
         """
         If the version has a server download available, return the Download
@@ -138,6 +145,7 @@ def generate() -> Dict[str, Dict[str, str]]:
 
     for version, server in servers.items():
         server["version"] = latest_major_releases[version].id
+        server["javaVersion"] = latest_major_releases[version].get_java_version()
     return servers
 
 
diff --git a/pkgs/games/minecraft-server/versions.json b/pkgs/games/minecraft-server/versions.json
index 238f8af9eef0..ba0b652a6bdc 100644
--- a/pkgs/games/minecraft-server/versions.json
+++ b/pkgs/games/minecraft-server/versions.json
@@ -2,86 +2,103 @@
   "1.18": {
     "url": "https://launcher.mojang.com/v1/objects/125e5adf40c659fd3bce3e66e67a16bb49ecc1b9/server.jar",
     "sha1": "125e5adf40c659fd3bce3e66e67a16bb49ecc1b9",
-    "version": "1.18.1"
+    "version": "1.18.1",
+    "javaVersion": 17
   },
   "1.17": {
     "url": "https://launcher.mojang.com/v1/objects/a16d67e5807f57fc4e550299cf20226194497dc2/server.jar",
     "sha1": "a16d67e5807f57fc4e550299cf20226194497dc2",
-    "version": "1.17.1"
+    "version": "1.17.1",
+    "javaVersion": 16
   },
   "1.16": {
     "url": "https://launcher.mojang.com/v1/objects/1b557e7b033b583cd9f66746b7a9ab1ec1673ced/server.jar",
     "sha1": "1b557e7b033b583cd9f66746b7a9ab1ec1673ced",
-    "version": "1.16.5"
+    "version": "1.16.5",
+    "javaVersion": 8
   },
   "1.15": {
     "url": "https://launcher.mojang.com/v1/objects/bb2b6b1aefcd70dfd1892149ac3a215f6c636b07/server.jar",
     "sha1": "bb2b6b1aefcd70dfd1892149ac3a215f6c636b07",
-    "version": "1.15.2"
+    "version": "1.15.2",
+    "javaVersion": 8
   },
   "1.14": {
     "url": "https://launcher.mojang.com/v1/objects/3dc3d84a581f14691199cf6831b71ed1296a9fdf/server.jar",
     "sha1": "3dc3d84a581f14691199cf6831b71ed1296a9fdf",
-    "version": "1.14.4"
+    "version": "1.14.4",
+    "javaVersion": 8
   },
   "1.13": {
     "url": "https://launcher.mojang.com/v1/objects/3737db93722a9e39eeada7c27e7aca28b144ffa7/server.jar",
     "sha1": "3737db93722a9e39eeada7c27e7aca28b144ffa7",
-    "version": "1.13.2"
+    "version": "1.13.2",
+    "javaVersion": 8
   },
   "1.12": {
     "url": "https://launcher.mojang.com/v1/objects/886945bfb2b978778c3a0288fd7fab09d315b25f/server.jar",
     "sha1": "886945bfb2b978778c3a0288fd7fab09d315b25f",
-    "version": "1.12.2"
+    "version": "1.12.2",
+    "javaVersion": 8
   },
   "1.11": {
     "url": "https://launcher.mojang.com/v1/objects/f00c294a1576e03fddcac777c3cf4c7d404c4ba4/server.jar",
     "sha1": "f00c294a1576e03fddcac777c3cf4c7d404c4ba4",
-    "version": "1.11.2"
+    "version": "1.11.2",
+    "javaVersion": 8
   },
   "1.10": {
     "url": "https://launcher.mojang.com/v1/objects/3d501b23df53c548254f5e3f66492d178a48db63/server.jar",
     "sha1": "3d501b23df53c548254f5e3f66492d178a48db63",
-    "version": "1.10.2"
+    "version": "1.10.2",
+    "javaVersion": 8
   },
   "1.9": {
     "url": "https://launcher.mojang.com/v1/objects/edbb7b1758af33d365bf835eb9d13de005b1e274/server.jar",
     "sha1": "edbb7b1758af33d365bf835eb9d13de005b1e274",
-    "version": "1.9.4"
+    "version": "1.9.4",
+    "javaVersion": 8
   },
   "1.8": {
     "url": "https://launcher.mojang.com/v1/objects/b58b2ceb36e01bcd8dbf49c8fb66c55a9f0676cd/server.jar",
     "sha1": "b58b2ceb36e01bcd8dbf49c8fb66c55a9f0676cd",
-    "version": "1.8.9"
+    "version": "1.8.9",
+    "javaVersion": 8
   },
   "1.7": {
     "url": "https://launcher.mojang.com/v1/objects/4cec86a928ec171fdc0c6b40de2de102f21601b5/server.jar",
     "sha1": "4cec86a928ec171fdc0c6b40de2de102f21601b5",
-    "version": "1.7.9"
+    "version": "1.7.9",
+    "javaVersion": 8
   },
   "1.6": {
     "url": "https://launcher.mojang.com/v1/objects/050f93c1f3fe9e2052398f7bd6aca10c63d64a87/server.jar",
     "sha1": "050f93c1f3fe9e2052398f7bd6aca10c63d64a87",
-    "version": "1.6.4"
+    "version": "1.6.4",
+    "javaVersion": null
   },
   "1.5": {
     "url": "https://launcher.mojang.com/v1/objects/f9ae3f651319151ce99a0bfad6b34fa16eb6775f/server.jar",
     "sha1": "f9ae3f651319151ce99a0bfad6b34fa16eb6775f",
-    "version": "1.5.2"
+    "version": "1.5.2",
+    "javaVersion": null
   },
   "1.4": {
     "url": "https://launcher.mojang.com/v1/objects/2f0ec8efddd2f2c674c77be9ddb370b727dec676/server.jar",
     "sha1": "2f0ec8efddd2f2c674c77be9ddb370b727dec676",
-    "version": "1.4.7"
+    "version": "1.4.7",
+    "javaVersion": null
   },
   "1.3": {
     "url": "https://launcher.mojang.com/v1/objects/3de2ae6c488135596e073a9589842800c9f53bfe/server.jar",
     "sha1": "3de2ae6c488135596e073a9589842800c9f53bfe",
-    "version": "1.3.2"
+    "version": "1.3.2",
+    "javaVersion": null
   },
   "1.2": {
     "url": "https://launcher.mojang.com/v1/objects/d8321edc9470e56b8ad5c67bbd16beba25843336/server.jar",
     "sha1": "d8321edc9470e56b8ad5c67bbd16beba25843336",
-    "version": "1.2.5"
+    "version": "1.2.5",
+    "javaVersion": null
   }
 }
diff --git a/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix b/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
index 91683111a354..48ac8d6200f6 100644
--- a/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
+++ b/pkgs/top-level/all-packages.nix
@@ -30810,7 +30810,7 @@ with pkgs;
 
   minecraft = callPackage ../games/minecraft { };
 
-  inherit (import ../games/minecraft-server { inherit callPackage lib; })
+  inherit (import ../games/minecraft-server { inherit callPackage lib javaPackages; })
     minecraft-server_1_2
     minecraft-server_1_3
     minecraft-server_1_4