diff --git a/.github/trigger_files/beam_PostCommit_XVR_PythonUsingJavaSQL_Dataflow.json b/.github/trigger_files/beam_PostCommit_XVR_PythonUsingJavaSQL_Dataflow.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..9e26dfeeb6e6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/trigger_files/beam_PostCommit_XVR_PythonUsingJavaSQL_Dataflow.json
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+{}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/.github/trigger_files/beam_PostCommit_XVR_Samza.json b/.github/trigger_files/beam_PostCommit_XVR_Samza.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..9e26dfeeb6e6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.github/trigger_files/beam_PostCommit_XVR_Samza.json
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+{}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/CHANGES.md b/CHANGES.md
index 979cbbd67329..9a80678821d9 100644
--- a/CHANGES.md
+++ b/CHANGES.md
@@ -70,6 +70,7 @@
 
 ## Breaking Changes
 
+* Upgraded ZetaSQL to 2024.11.1 ([#32902](https://github.com/apache/beam/pull/32902)). Java11+ is now needed if Beam's ZetaSQL component is used.
 * X behavior was changed ([#X](https://github.com/apache/beam/issues/X)).
 
 ## Deprecations
diff --git a/runners/google-cloud-dataflow-java/build.gradle b/runners/google-cloud-dataflow-java/build.gradle
index 4906d9cf9cb8..2dcfecb3bea2 100644
--- a/runners/google-cloud-dataflow-java/build.gradle
+++ b/runners/google-cloud-dataflow-java/build.gradle
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@
  * limitations under the License.
  */
 
+import static org.apache.beam.gradle.BeamModulePlugin.getSupportedJavaVersion
+
 import groovy.json.JsonOutput
 
 plugins { id 'org.apache.beam.module' }
@@ -278,7 +280,7 @@ def createRunnerV2ValidatesRunnerTest = { Map args ->
 // 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 = "java8"
+  def javaVer = getSupportedJavaVersion()
   if(project.hasProperty('testJavaVersion')) {
     javaVer = "java${project.getProperty('testJavaVersion')}"
   }
diff --git a/sdks/python/apache_beam/transforms/sql_test.py b/sdks/python/apache_beam/transforms/sql_test.py
index 854aec078ce5..a7da253c4617 100644
--- a/sdks/python/apache_beam/transforms/sql_test.py
+++ b/sdks/python/apache_beam/transforms/sql_test.py
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 # pytype: skip-file
 
 import logging
+import subprocess
 import typing
 import unittest
 
@@ -69,6 +70,22 @@ class SqlTransformTest(unittest.TestCase):
   """
   _multiprocess_can_split_ = True
 
+  @staticmethod
+  def _disable_zetasql_test():
+    # disable if run on Java8 which is no longer supported by ZetaSQL
+    try:
+      result = subprocess.run(['java', '-version'],
+                              check=True,
+                              capture_output=True,
+                              text=True)
+      version_line = result.stderr.splitlines()[0]
+      version = version_line.split()[2].strip('\"')
+      if version.startswith("1."):
+        return True
+      return False
+    except:  # pylint: disable=bare-except
+      return False
+
   def test_generate_data(self):
     with TestPipeline() as p:
       out = p | SqlTransform(
@@ -150,6 +167,9 @@ def test_row(self):
       assert_that(out, equal_to([(1, 1), (4, 1), (100, 2)]))
 
   def test_zetasql_generate_data(self):
+    if self._disable_zetasql_test():
+      raise unittest.SkipTest("ZetaSQL tests need Java11+")
+
     with TestPipeline() as p:
       out = p | SqlTransform(
           """SELECT