diff --git a/.github/workflows/_meta-build.yaml b/.github/workflows/_meta-build.yaml
index 63bdb74a5..7361e09c5 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/_meta-build.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/_meta-build.yaml
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ jobs:
         uses: actions/setup-java@v4.0.0
         with:
           distribution: 'temurin'
-          java-version: '17'
+          java-version: '21'
           cache: 'maven'
 
       - name: Setup CycloneDX CLI
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci-release.yaml b/.github/workflows/ci-release.yaml
index e2280f44c..9064ae573 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci-release.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci-release.yaml
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ jobs:
         uses: actions/setup-java@v4.0.0
         with:
           distribution: 'temurin'
-          java-version: '17'
+          java-version: '21'
           cache: 'maven'
 
       - name: Set Version
diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci-test.yaml b/.github/workflows/ci-test.yaml
index 31624e79b..1488b1739 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci-test.yaml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci-test.yaml
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ jobs:
         uses: actions/setup-java@v4.0.0
         with:
           distribution: 'temurin'
-          java-version: '17'
+          java-version: '21'
           cache: 'maven'
 
       - name: Execute unit tests
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/dependencytrack/common/ManagedHttpClientFactoryTest.java b/src/test/java/org/dependencytrack/common/ManagedHttpClientFactoryTest.java
index 80c9de6ad..c3bcef0cb 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/dependencytrack/common/ManagedHttpClientFactoryTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/dependencytrack/common/ManagedHttpClientFactoryTest.java
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ public class ManagedHttpClientFactoryTest {
 
     @Before
     public void before() {
-        environmentVariables.set("http_proxy", "http://acme\\username:password@127.0.0.1:1080");
+        environmentVariables.set("http_proxy", "http://acme%5Cusername:password@127.0.0.1:1080");
         environmentVariables.set("no_proxy", "localhost:443,127.0.0.1:8080,example.com,www.example.net");
     }