diff --git a/.kokoro/build.sh b/.kokoro/build.sh
index a3ce28669510..ae5755dbf435 100755
--- a/.kokoro/build.sh
+++ b/.kokoro/build.sh
@@ -54,14 +54,14 @@ fi
 mvn install -DskipTests=true -Dmaven.javadoc.skip=true -Dgcloud.download.skip=true -B -V
 
 # prepend Kokoro root directory onto GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS path
-if [[ ! -z "$GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS" ]]; then
+if [[ ! -z "${GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS}" ]]; then
     export GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS=$(realpath ${KOKORO_ROOT}/src/${GOOGLE_APPLICATION_CREDENTIALS})
 fi
 
-case $JOB_TYPE in
+case ${JOB_TYPE} in
 test)
     mvn test -B
-    bash $KOKORO_GFILE_DIR/codecov.sh
+    bash ${KOKORO_GFILE_DIR}/codecov.sh
     ;;
 lint)
     mvn com.coveo:fmt-maven-plugin:check
diff --git a/google-cloud-clients/pom.xml b/google-cloud-clients/pom.xml
index a11be7329860..4e7ddcb5f935 100644
--- a/google-cloud-clients/pom.xml
+++ b/google-cloud-clients/pom.xml
@@ -660,37 +660,6 @@
           <check/>
         </configuration>
       </plugin>
-      <plugin>
-        <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
-        <artifactId>maven-checkstyle-plugin</artifactId>
-        <version>2.17</version>
-        <dependencies>
-          <dependency>
-            <groupId>com.puppycrawl.tools</groupId>
-            <artifactId>checkstyle</artifactId>
-            <version>6.16</version>
-          </dependency>
-        </dependencies>
-        <executions>
-          <execution>
-            <id>checkstyle</id>
-            <phase>validate</phase>
-            <goals>
-              <goal>check</goal>
-            </goals>
-            <configuration>
-              <headerLocation>java.header</headerLocation>
-              <configLocation>license-checks.xml</configLocation>
-              <consoleOutput>true</consoleOutput>
-              <failOnViolation>true</failOnViolation>
-              <violationSeverity>error</violationSeverity>
-              <failsOnError>true</failsOnError>
-              <includeTestSourceDirectory>true</includeTestSourceDirectory>
-              <excludes>com/google/cloud/*/v*/**</excludes><!-- We need to exclude autogenerated code -->
-            </configuration>
-          </execution>
-        </executions>
-      </plugin>
       <plugin>
         <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
         <artifactId>maven-site-plugin</artifactId>
@@ -928,5 +897,48 @@
         </plugins>
       </build>
     </profile>
+
+    <profile>
+      <!-- Only run checkstyle plugin on Java 8+ (checkstyle artifact only supports Java 8+) -->
+      <id>checkstyle-tests</id>
+      <activation>
+        <jdk>[1.8,)</jdk>
+      </activation>
+      <build>
+        <plugins>
+          <plugin>
+            <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
+            <artifactId>maven-checkstyle-plugin</artifactId>
+            <version>3.0.0</version>
+            <dependencies>
+              <dependency>
+                <groupId>com.puppycrawl.tools</groupId>
+                <artifactId>checkstyle</artifactId>
+                <version>8.19</version>
+              </dependency>
+            </dependencies>
+            <executions>
+              <execution>
+                <id>checkstyle</id>
+                <phase>validate</phase>
+                <goals>
+                  <goal>check</goal>
+                </goals>
+                <configuration>
+                  <headerLocation>java.header</headerLocation>
+                  <configLocation>license-checks.xml</configLocation>
+                  <consoleOutput>true</consoleOutput>
+                  <failOnViolation>true</failOnViolation>
+                  <violationSeverity>error</violationSeverity>
+                  <failsOnError>true</failsOnError>
+                  <includeTestSourceDirectory>true</includeTestSourceDirectory>
+                  <excludes>com/google/cloud/*/v*/**</excludes><!-- We need to exclude autogenerated code -->
+                </configuration>
+              </execution>
+            </executions>
+          </plugin>
+        </plugins>
+      </build>
+    </profile>
   </profiles>
 </project>
diff --git a/google-cloud-util/google-cloud-compat-checker/pom.xml b/google-cloud-util/google-cloud-compat-checker/pom.xml
index b39ec2371bc0..2f7ca9670386 100644
--- a/google-cloud-util/google-cloud-compat-checker/pom.xml
+++ b/google-cloud-util/google-cloud-compat-checker/pom.xml
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@
       <plugin>
         <groupId>org.apache.maven.plugins</groupId>
         <artifactId>maven-checkstyle-plugin</artifactId>
-        <version>2.17</version>
+        <version>3.0.0</version>
         <executions>
           <execution>
             <id>checkstyle</id>