diff --git a/extide/gradle/src/org/netbeans/modules/gradle/api/execute/GradleDistributionManager.java b/extide/gradle/src/org/netbeans/modules/gradle/api/execute/GradleDistributionManager.java
index c90316077493..8075eb7a5a7d 100644
--- a/extide/gradle/src/org/netbeans/modules/gradle/api/execute/GradleDistributionManager.java
+++ b/extide/gradle/src/org/netbeans/modules/gradle/api/execute/GradleDistributionManager.java
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ public final class GradleDistributionManager {
     private static final Pattern DIST_VERSION_PATTERN = Pattern.compile(".*(gradle-(\\d+\\.\\d+.*))-(bin|all)\\.zip"); //NOI18N
     private static final Set<String> VERSION_BLACKLIST = new HashSet<>(Arrays.asList("2.3", "2.13")); //NOI18N
     private static final Map<File, GradleDistributionManager> CACHE = new WeakHashMap<>();
-    private static final GradleVersion MINIMUM_SUPPORTED_VERSION = GradleVersion.version("2.0"); //NOI18N
+    private static final GradleVersion MINIMUM_SUPPORTED_VERSION = GradleVersion.version("3.0"); //NOI18N
     private static final GradleVersion[] JDK_COMPAT = new GradleVersion[]{
         GradleVersion.version("4.2.1"), // JDK-9
         GradleVersion.version("4.7"), // JDK-10
@@ -103,6 +103,8 @@ public final class GradleDistributionManager {
         GradleVersion.version("8.5"), // JDK-21
     };
 
+    private static final GradleVersion LAST_KNOWN_GRADLE = GradleVersion.version("8.6"); //NOI18N
+
     final File gradleUserHome;
 
     private GradleDistributionManager(File gradleUserHome) {
@@ -496,10 +498,9 @@ public String getVersion() {
          */
         public boolean isCompatibleWithJava(int jdkMajorVersion) {
             
-            GradleVersion lastKnown = JDK_COMPAT[JDK_COMPAT.length - 1];
             // Optimistic bias, if the GradleVersion is newer than the last NB
             // knows, we say it's compatible with any JDK
-            return lastKnown.compareTo(version.getBaseVersion()) < 0 
+            return LAST_KNOWN_GRADLE.compareTo(version.getBaseVersion()) < 0
                     || jdkMajorVersion <= lastSupportedJava();
         }
 
diff --git a/extide/libs.gradle/external/binaries-list b/extide/libs.gradle/external/binaries-list
index a66dfd10f60f..39cc12abe227 100644
--- a/extide/libs.gradle/external/binaries-list
+++ b/extide/libs.gradle/external/binaries-list
@@ -15,4 +15,4 @@
 # specific language governing permissions and limitations
 # under the License.
 
-ADAA3E825C608D2428888126CF4D1DDD5B5203D6 https://repo.gradle.org/artifactory/libs-releases/org/gradle/gradle-tooling-api/8.4/gradle-tooling-api-8.4.jar gradle-tooling-api-8.4.jar
+36D0655781DD8645C834313FE8842FB5E8577925 https://repo.gradle.org/artifactory/libs-releases/org/gradle/gradle-tooling-api/8.6-rc-1/gradle-tooling-api-8.6-rc-1.jar gradle-tooling-api-8.6-rc-1.jar
diff --git a/extide/libs.gradle/external/gradle-tooling-api-8.4-license.txt b/extide/libs.gradle/external/gradle-tooling-api-8.6-rc-1-license.txt
similarity index 99%
rename from extide/libs.gradle/external/gradle-tooling-api-8.4-license.txt
rename to extide/libs.gradle/external/gradle-tooling-api-8.6-rc-1-license.txt
index 297bca2f3d3d..0e5e21d3bdc8 100644
--- a/extide/libs.gradle/external/gradle-tooling-api-8.4-license.txt
+++ b/extide/libs.gradle/external/gradle-tooling-api-8.6-rc-1-license.txt
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 Name: Gradle Tooling API
 Description: Gradle Tooling API
-Version: 8.4
-Files: gradle-tooling-api-8.4.jar
+Version: 8.6-rc-1
+Files: gradle-tooling-api-8.6-rc-1.jar
 License: Apache-2.0
 Origin: Gradle Inc.
 URL: https://gradle.org/
diff --git a/extide/libs.gradle/external/gradle-tooling-api-8.4-notice.txt b/extide/libs.gradle/external/gradle-tooling-api-8.6-rc-1-notice.txt
similarity index 100%
rename from extide/libs.gradle/external/gradle-tooling-api-8.4-notice.txt
rename to extide/libs.gradle/external/gradle-tooling-api-8.6-rc-1-notice.txt
diff --git a/extide/libs.gradle/manifest.mf b/extide/libs.gradle/manifest.mf
index 5460ef490142..0a6f67abde45 100644
--- a/extide/libs.gradle/manifest.mf
+++ b/extide/libs.gradle/manifest.mf
@@ -2,4 +2,4 @@ Manifest-Version: 1.0
 AutoUpdate-Show-In-Client: false
 OpenIDE-Module: org.netbeans.modules.libs.gradle/8
 OpenIDE-Module-Localizing-Bundle: org/netbeans/modules/libs/gradle/Bundle.properties
-OpenIDE-Module-Specification-Version: 8.5
+OpenIDE-Module-Specification-Version: 8.6
diff --git a/extide/libs.gradle/nbproject/project.properties b/extide/libs.gradle/nbproject/project.properties
index 57bf8681b692..6694fb0c9839 100644
--- a/extide/libs.gradle/nbproject/project.properties
+++ b/extide/libs.gradle/nbproject/project.properties
@@ -22,4 +22,4 @@ javac.compilerargs=-Xlint -Xlint:-serial
 # For more information, please see http://wiki.netbeans.org/SignatureTest
 sigtest.gen.fail.on.error=false
 
-release.external/gradle-tooling-api-8.4.jar=modules/gradle/gradle-tooling-api.jar
+release.external/gradle-tooling-api-8.6-rc-1.jar=modules/gradle/gradle-tooling-api.jar
diff --git a/extide/libs.gradle/nbproject/project.xml b/extide/libs.gradle/nbproject/project.xml
index 5539f821a237..66d028521a6e 100644
--- a/extide/libs.gradle/nbproject/project.xml
+++ b/extide/libs.gradle/nbproject/project.xml
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@
             </public-packages>
             <class-path-extension>
                 <runtime-relative-path>gradle/gradle-tooling-api.jar</runtime-relative-path>
-                <binary-origin>external/gradle-tooling-api-8.4.jar</binary-origin>
+                <binary-origin>external/gradle-tooling-api-8.6-rc-1.jar</binary-origin>
             </class-path-extension>
         </data>
     </configuration>