diff --git a/build.gradle b/build.gradle
index 4d788a0a57..9638261cc2 100644
--- a/build.gradle
+++ b/build.gradle
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 plugins {
+	alias(libs.plugins.buildconfig) apply false
 	alias(libs.plugins.equo.ide)
 	alias(libs.plugins.test.logger) apply false
 	alias(libs.plugins.spotless.changelog) apply false
diff --git a/gradle/libs.versions.toml b/gradle/libs.versions.toml
index 03a754fa9a..e3c7e3e7f7 100644
--- a/gradle/libs.versions.toml
+++ b/gradle/libs.versions.toml
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ rewrite-recipe-third-party = "org.openrewrite.recipe:rewrite-third-party:0.40.1"
 errorprone-core = "com.google.errorprone:error_prone_core:2.42.0"
 
 [plugins]
+buildconfig = "com.github.gmazzo.buildconfig:6.0.10"
 test-logger = "com.adarshr.test-logger:4.0.0"
 spotless = "com.diffplug.spotless:8.10.0"
 spotless-changelog = "com.diffplug.spotless-changelog:3.1.2"
diff --git a/lib/build.gradle b/lib/build.gradle
index bd372a3d3f..ccf1f2921e 100644
--- a/lib/build.gradle
+++ b/lib/build.gradle
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import org.gradle.util.GradleVersion
 
 plugins {
 	id 'java-library'
+	id 'com.github.gmazzo.buildconfig'
 	id 'io.github.davidburstrom.version-compatibility'
 }
 ext.artifactId = project.artifactIdLib
@@ -9,6 +10,16 @@ version = rootProject.spotlessChangelog.versionNext
 apply from: rootProject.file('gradle/java-setup.gradle')
 apply from: rootProject.file('gradle/java-publish.gradle')
 
+buildConfig {
+	packageName('com.diffplug.spotless.java')
+	useJavaOutput {
+		defaultVisibility = true
+	}
+	buildConfigField(String, 'VERSION_GJF', libs.google.java.format.map {
+		it.versionConstraint.requiredVersion
+	})
+}
+
 def NEEDS_GLUE = [
 	// (alphabetic order please)
 	'cleanthat',
diff --git a/lib/src/main/java/com/diffplug/spotless/java/GoogleJavaFormatStep.java b/lib/src/main/java/com/diffplug/spotless/java/GoogleJavaFormatStep.java
index ff40fc0d6d..079955a731 100644
--- a/lib/src/main/java/com/diffplug/spotless/java/GoogleJavaFormatStep.java
+++ b/lib/src/main/java/com/diffplug/spotless/java/GoogleJavaFormatStep.java
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ private static FormatterStep createInternally(String name, String groupArtifact,
 			.addMin(21, "1.17.0") // java 21 requires at least 1.17.0 due to https://github.com/google/google-java-format/issues/898
 			.addMin(25, "1.30.0") // import module (JEP 511) requires google-java-format >= 1.30.0 (https://github.com/google/google-java-format/issues/1213)
 			.add(17, "1.28.0") // last version compatible with JDK 17 (1.30.0 references JCAnyPattern, JDK 21+ only)
-			.add(21, "1.30.0"); // default on JVM 21+ (1.30.0+ handles `import module` in RemoveUnusedImports on JVM 25+)
+			.add(21, BuildConfig.VERSION_GJF); // default on JVM 21+ (1.30.0+ handles `import module` in RemoveUnusedImports on JVM 25+)
 
 	public static String defaultGroupArtifact() {
 		return MAVEN_COORDINATE;