diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 0445c54..9863863 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 ## Version 0.1.2
 
+* make license header configurable via 'license-header.txt' (#48)
 * replace 'developer.properties' with generic Hiero entry (#38)
 * update 'io.github.gradle-nexus:publish-plugin' to 2.0.0 (#40)
 
diff --git a/src/main/kotlin/org.hiero.gradle.check.spotless-java.gradle.kts b/src/main/kotlin/org.hiero.gradle.check.spotless-java.gradle.kts
index 42cbf3f..54d87d9 100644
--- a/src/main/kotlin/org.hiero.gradle.check.spotless-java.gradle.kts
+++ b/src/main/kotlin/org.hiero.gradle.check.spotless-java.gradle.kts
@@ -1,4 +1,5 @@
 // SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+import org.hiero.gradle.spotless.LicenseHeader
 import org.hiero.gradle.spotless.RepairDashedCommentsFormatterStep
 import org.hiero.gradle.spotless.SortModuleInfoRequiresStep
 
@@ -22,6 +23,7 @@ spotless {
         // through git history (see "license" section below).
         // The delimiter override below is required to support some
         // of our test classes which are in the default package.
-        licenseHeader("// SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0\n", "(package|import|module)")
+        licenseHeader(LicenseHeader.javaFormat(project), "(package|import|module)")
+            .updateYearWithLatest(true)
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/main/kotlin/org.hiero.gradle.check.spotless-kotlin.gradle.kts b/src/main/kotlin/org.hiero.gradle.check.spotless-kotlin.gradle.kts
index 600baf9..007cb7d 100644
--- a/src/main/kotlin/org.hiero.gradle.check.spotless-kotlin.gradle.kts
+++ b/src/main/kotlin/org.hiero.gradle.check.spotless-kotlin.gradle.kts
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 // SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+import org.hiero.gradle.spotless.LicenseHeader
+
 plugins { id("com.diffplug.spotless") }
 
 spotless {
@@ -6,8 +8,9 @@ spotless {
         ktfmt().kotlinlangStyle()
 
         licenseHeader(
-            "// SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0\n",
-            "(import|plugins|pluginManagement|dependencyResolutionManagement|repositories|tasks|allprojects|subprojects|buildCache|version)"
-        )
+                LicenseHeader.javaFormat(project),
+                "(import|plugins|pluginManagement|dependencyResolutionManagement|repositories|tasks|allprojects|subprojects|buildCache|version)"
+            )
+            .updateYearWithLatest(true)
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/main/kotlin/org.hiero.gradle.check.spotless-yaml.gradle.kts b/src/main/kotlin/org.hiero.gradle.check.spotless-yaml.gradle.kts
index 0109312..d33b9d1 100644
--- a/src/main/kotlin/org.hiero.gradle.check.spotless-yaml.gradle.kts
+++ b/src/main/kotlin/org.hiero.gradle.check.spotless-yaml.gradle.kts
@@ -1,4 +1,6 @@
 // SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+import org.hiero.gradle.spotless.LicenseHeader
+
 plugins { id("com.diffplug.spotless") }
 
 spotless {
@@ -18,6 +20,6 @@ spotless {
         indentWithSpaces()
         endWithNewline()
 
-        licenseHeader("# SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0\n", "(name)")
+        licenseHeader(LicenseHeader.yamlFormat(project), "(name)").updateYearWithLatest(true)
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/main/kotlin/org/hiero/gradle/spotless/LicenseHeader.kt b/src/main/kotlin/org/hiero/gradle/spotless/LicenseHeader.kt
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..dc5a89d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/main/kotlin/org/hiero/gradle/spotless/LicenseHeader.kt
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+// SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0
+package org.hiero.gradle.spotless
+
+import org.gradle.api.Project
+
+object LicenseHeader {
+    const val default = "SPDX-License-Identifier: Apache-2.0"
+
+    fun javaFormat(project: Project): String {
+        val plainHeader = plainHeader(project).lines()
+        return if (plainHeader.size == 1) "// " + plainHeader.single()
+        else
+            (listOf("/*") +
+                    plainHeader.map { line ->
+                        when (line) {
+                            "" -> " *"
+                            else -> " * $line"
+                        }
+                    } +
+                    listOf(" */", "", ""))
+                .joinToString("\n")
+    }
+
+    fun yamlFormat(project: Project): String {
+        val plainHeader = plainHeader(project).lines()
+        return if (plainHeader.size == 1) "# " + plainHeader.single()
+        else
+            (listOf("##") +
+                    plainHeader.map { line ->
+                        when (line) {
+                            "" -> "#"
+                            else -> "# $line"
+                        }
+                    } +
+                    listOf("##", "", ""))
+                .joinToString("\n")
+    }
+
+    private fun plainHeader(project: Project): String {
+        @Suppress("UnstableApiUsage") val rootDir = project.isolated.rootProject.projectDirectory
+        val headerFile = rootDir.file("gradle/license-header.txt").asFile
+        val header = if (headerFile.exists()) headerFile.readText() else default
+        return header
+    }
+}