diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index a97410bd..be787d3b 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ on:
   pull_request:
 
 env:
-  JAVA_VERSION: 21
+  JAVA_VERSION: 25
   DOCKER_BUILD_SUMMARY: false
 
 jobs:
diff --git a/commafeed-server/pom.xml b/commafeed-server/pom.xml
index ea5b0ca8..51c195a6 100644
--- a/commafeed-server/pom.xml
+++ b/commafeed-server/pom.xml
@@ -192,6 +192,8 @@
 						<java.util.logging.manager>org.jboss.logmanager.LogManager</java.util.logging.manager>
 						<quarkus.datasource.db-kind>${build.database}</quarkus.datasource.db-kind>
 					</systemPropertyVariables>
+					<!-- fix for java.lang.NoClassDefFoundError: Could not initialize class org.jboss.threads.JDKSpecific$ThreadAccess (#1938) -->
+					<argLine>--add-opens java.base/java.lang=ALL-UNNAMED</argLine>
 				</configuration>
 				<!-- failsafe plugin does not seem to be able to pick up dependencies declared in profiles -->
 				<dependencies>