diff --git a/script/tool/CHANGELOG.md b/script/tool/CHANGELOG.md
index 17b28927538d..1e447721d13f 100644
--- a/script/tool/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/script/tool/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
-## NEXT
+## 0.4.1
 
 - Improved `license-check` output.
+- Use `java -version` rather than `java --version`, for compatibility with more
+  versions of Java.
 
 ## 0.4.0
 
diff --git a/script/tool/lib/src/format_command.dart b/script/tool/lib/src/format_command.dart
index c67fb96d2835..d09a94b1aefe 100644
--- a/script/tool/lib/src/format_command.dart
+++ b/script/tool/lib/src/format_command.dart
@@ -244,9 +244,12 @@ class FormatCommand extends PluginCommand {
 
   /// Returns true if [command] can be run successfully.
   Future<bool> _hasDependency(String command) async {
+    // Some versions of Java accept both -version and --version, but some only
+    // accept -version.
+    final String versionFlag = command == 'java' ? '-version' : '--version';
     try {
       final io.ProcessResult result =
-          await processRunner.run(command, <String>['--version']);
+          await processRunner.run(command, <String>[versionFlag]);
       if (result.exitCode != 0) {
         return false;
       }
diff --git a/script/tool/pubspec.yaml b/script/tool/pubspec.yaml
index 7dadc598d4b4..7b2cdd4f4101 100644
--- a/script/tool/pubspec.yaml
+++ b/script/tool/pubspec.yaml
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 name: flutter_plugin_tools
 description: Productivity utils for flutter/plugins and flutter/packages
 repository: https://github.com/flutter/plugins/tree/master/script/tool
-version: 0.4.0
+version: 0.4.1
 
 dependencies:
   args: ^2.1.0
diff --git a/script/tool/test/format_command_test.dart b/script/tool/test/format_command_test.dart
index 4728c3136556..b072e5d30aaf 100644
--- a/script/tool/test/format_command_test.dart
+++ b/script/tool/test/format_command_test.dart
@@ -146,7 +146,7 @@ void main() {
     expect(
         processRunner.recordedCalls,
         orderedEquals(<ProcessCall>[
-          const ProcessCall('java', <String>['--version'], null),
+          const ProcessCall('java', <String>['-version'], null),
           ProcessCall(
               'java',
               <String>[