diff --git a/.github/workflows/beam_PostCommit_Go_VR_Samza.yml b/.github/workflows/beam_PostCommit_Go_VR_Samza.yml
index 29a4f941adb4..a056d13e3e8c 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/beam_PostCommit_Go_VR_Samza.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/beam_PostCommit_Go_VR_Samza.yml
@@ -74,10 +74,12 @@ jobs:
         uses: ./.github/actions/setup-environment-action
         # TODO(https://github.com/apache/beam/issues/32208) move to Java11 after bump to Samza 1.8
         with:
-          java-version: 8
+          java-version: |
+            11
+            8
       - name: run Go Samza ValidatesRunner script
         env:
           CLOUDSDK_CONFIG: ${{ env.KUBELET_GCLOUD_CONFIG_PATH}}
         uses: ./.github/actions/gradle-command-self-hosted-action
         with:
-          gradle-command: :sdks:go:test:samzaValidatesRunner
\ No newline at end of file
+          gradle-command: :sdks:go:test:samzaValidatesRunner -Pjava11Home=$JAVA_HOME_11_X64
diff --git a/runners/google-cloud-dataflow-java/build.gradle b/runners/google-cloud-dataflow-java/build.gradle
index 63125a68efb2..bc69bae4a942 100644
--- a/runners/google-cloud-dataflow-java/build.gradle
+++ b/runners/google-cloud-dataflow-java/build.gradle
@@ -346,10 +346,8 @@ tasks.register('buildAndPushDistrolessContainerImage', Task.class) {
 // task directly ('dependsOn buildAndPushDockerJavaContainer'). This ensures the correct
 // task ordering such that the registry doesn't get cleaned up prior to task completion.
 def buildAndPushDockerJavaContainer = tasks.register("buildAndPushDockerJavaContainer") {
-  def javaVer = getSupportedJavaVersion()
-  if(project.hasProperty('testJavaVersion')) {
-    javaVer = "java${project.getProperty('testJavaVersion')}"
-  }
+  def javaVer = getSupportedJavaVersion(project.findProperty('testJavaVersion') as String)
+
   dependsOn ":sdks:java:container:${javaVer}:docker"
   def defaultDockerImageName = containerImageName(
           name: "${project.docker_image_default_repo_prefix}${javaVer}_sdk",