diff --git a/bootstrapper-maven-plugin/src/main/resources/templates/pom.xml b/bootstrapper-maven-plugin/src/main/resources/templates/pom.xml
index d2ffb66b46..007525a38b 100644
--- a/bootstrapper-maven-plugin/src/main/resources/templates/pom.xml
+++ b/bootstrapper-maven-plugin/src/main/resources/templates/pom.xml
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
     <packaging>jar</packaging>
 
     <properties>
-        <java.version>11</java.version>
+        <java.version>17</java.version>
         <maven.compiler.source>${java.version}</maven.compiler.source>
         <maven.compiler.target>${java.version}</maven.compiler.target>
         <josdk.version>{{josdkVersion}}</josdk.version>
diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index 75f7c6dc28..b298fc1143 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@
 
     <properties>
         <project.build.sourceEncoding>UTF-8</project.build.sourceEncoding>
-        <java.version>11</java.version>
+        <java.version>17</java.version>
         <maven.compiler.source>${java.version}</maven.compiler.source>
         <maven.compiler.target>${java.version}</maven.compiler.target>
         <sonar.organization>java-operator-sdk</sonar.organization>
diff --git a/sample-operators/leader-election/pom.xml b/sample-operators/leader-election/pom.xml
index f9941b36f8..da03e443c1 100644
--- a/sample-operators/leader-election/pom.xml
+++ b/sample-operators/leader-election/pom.xml
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@
                 <version>${jib-maven-plugin.version}</version>
                 <configuration>
                     <from>
-                        <image>gcr.io/distroless/java:11</image>
+                        <image>gcr.io/distroless/java17-debian11</image>
                     </from>
                     <to>
                         <image>leader-election-operator</image>
diff --git a/sample-operators/mysql-schema/pom.xml b/sample-operators/mysql-schema/pom.xml
index 0d19f20d19..abbc564de2 100644
--- a/sample-operators/mysql-schema/pom.xml
+++ b/sample-operators/mysql-schema/pom.xml
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@
                 <version>${jib-maven-plugin.version}</version>
                 <configuration>
                     <from>
-                        <image>gcr.io/distroless/java:11</image>
+                        <image>gcr.io/distroless/java17-debian11</image>
                     </from>
                     <to>
                         <image>mysql-schema-operator</image>
diff --git a/sample-operators/tomcat-operator/pom.xml b/sample-operators/tomcat-operator/pom.xml
index f166c565e1..3465a6677a 100644
--- a/sample-operators/tomcat-operator/pom.xml
+++ b/sample-operators/tomcat-operator/pom.xml
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@
                 <version>${jib-maven-plugin.version}</version>
                 <configuration>
                     <from>
-                        <image>gcr.io/distroless/java:11</image>
+                        <image>gcr.io/distroless/java17-debian11</image>
                     </from>
                     <to>
                         <image>tomcat-operator</image>
diff --git a/sample-operators/webpage/pom.xml b/sample-operators/webpage/pom.xml
index fc0a839804..35ac7ea252 100644
--- a/sample-operators/webpage/pom.xml
+++ b/sample-operators/webpage/pom.xml
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@
                 <version>${jib-maven-plugin.version}</version>
                 <configuration>
                     <from>
-                        <image>gcr.io/distroless/java:11</image>
+                        <image>gcr.io/distroless/java17-debian11</image>
                     </from>
                     <to>
                         <image>webpage-operator</image>