diff --git a/examples/toolchains/java/WORKSPACE b/examples/toolchains/java/WORKSPACE
index 71d4b567..ee9c696f 100644
--- a/examples/toolchains/java/WORKSPACE
+++ b/examples/toolchains/java/WORKSPACE
@@ -9,9 +9,9 @@ load("@bazel_tools//tools/build_defs/repo:http.bzl", "http_archive")
 http_archive(
     name = "rules_java",
     urls = [
-        "https://github.com/bazelbuild/rules_java/releases/download/7.3.1/rules_java-7.3.1.tar.gz",
+        "https://github.com/bazelbuild/rules_java/releases/download/8.5.1/rules_java-8.5.1.tar.gz",
     ],
-    sha256 = "4018e97c93f97680f1650ffd2a7530245b864ac543fd24fae8c02ba447cb2864",
+    sha256 = "1389206b2208c5f33a05dd96e51715b0855c480c082b7bb4889a8e07fcff536c",
 )
 
 load("@rules_java//java:repositories.bzl", "rules_java_dependencies", "rules_java_toolchains")
diff --git a/testing/cc/MODULE.bazel b/testing/cc/MODULE.bazel
index 2a5fe9c4..1a4766a0 100644
--- a/testing/cc/MODULE.bazel
+++ b/testing/cc/MODULE.bazel
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ bazel_dep(name = "rules_cc", version = "0.0.9")
 # TODO[AH] Remove these transitive dependencies once nixpkgs_java_configure has
 #   become a module extension in rules_nixpkgs_java.
 bazel_dep(name = "platforms", version = "0.0.10")
-bazel_dep(name = "rules_java", version = "7.3.1")
+bazel_dep(name = "rules_java", version = "8.5.1")
 
 non_module_deps = use_extension("//:non_module_deps.bzl", "non_module_deps")
 use_repo(non_module_deps, "nixpkgs")
diff --git a/testing/core/WORKSPACE.bzlmod b/testing/core/WORKSPACE.bzlmod
index 8e608f34..a78f1420 100644
--- a/testing/core/WORKSPACE.bzlmod
+++ b/testing/core/WORKSPACE.bzlmod
@@ -44,9 +44,9 @@ nixpkgs_local_repository(
 http_archive(
     name = "rules_java",
     urls = [
-        "https://github.com/bazelbuild/rules_java/releases/download/7.3.1/rules_java-7.3.1.tar.gz",
+        "https://github.com/bazelbuild/rules_java/releases/download/8.5.1/rules_java-8.5.1.tar.gz",
     ],
-    sha256 = "4018e97c93f97680f1650ffd2a7530245b864ac543fd24fae8c02ba447cb2864",
+    sha256 = "1389206b2208c5f33a05dd96e51715b0855c480c082b7bb4889a8e07fcff536c",
 )
 
 local_repository(
diff --git a/testing/go-bzlmod/MODULE.bazel b/testing/go-bzlmod/MODULE.bazel
index 73ec10d2..158b4bbb 100644
--- a/testing/go-bzlmod/MODULE.bazel
+++ b/testing/go-bzlmod/MODULE.bazel
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ bazel_dep(name = "rules_cc", version = "0.0.9")
 # TODO[AH] Remove these transitive dependencies once nixpkgs_java_configure has
 #   become a module extension in rules_nixpkgs_java.
 bazel_dep(name = "platforms", version = "0.0.10")
-bazel_dep(name = "rules_java", version = "7.3.1")
+bazel_dep(name = "rules_java", version = "8.5.1")
 
 non_module_deps = use_extension("//:non_module_deps.bzl", "non_module_deps")
 use_repo(non_module_deps, "nixpkgs")
diff --git a/testing/java/MODULE.bazel b/testing/java/MODULE.bazel
index 77062b6a..4bcf3291 100644
--- a/testing/java/MODULE.bazel
+++ b/testing/java/MODULE.bazel
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ bazel_dep(name = "bazel_skylib", version = "1.7.1")
 # TODO[AH] Remove these transitive dependencies once nixpkgs_java_configure has
 #   become a module extension in rules_nixpkgs_java.
 bazel_dep(name = "platforms", version = "0.0.10")
-bazel_dep(name = "rules_java", version = "7.3.1")
+bazel_dep(name = "rules_java", version = "8.5.1")
 
 non_module_deps = use_extension("//:non_module_deps.bzl", "non_module_deps")
 use_repo(non_module_deps, "nixpkgs")
diff --git a/testing/posix/MODULE.bazel b/testing/posix/MODULE.bazel
index 07424a5e..6b501ac5 100644
--- a/testing/posix/MODULE.bazel
+++ b/testing/posix/MODULE.bazel
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ bazel_dep(name = "rules_sh", version = "0.4.0")
 # TODO[AH] Remove these transitive dependencies once nixpkgs_java_configure has
 #   become a module extension in rules_nixpkgs_java.
 bazel_dep(name = "platforms", version = "0.0.10")
-bazel_dep(name = "rules_java", version = "7.3.1")
+bazel_dep(name = "rules_java", version = "8.5.1")
 
 non_module_deps = use_extension("//:non_module_deps.bzl", "non_module_deps")
 use_repo(non_module_deps, "nixpkgs")
diff --git a/testing/python/MODULE.bazel b/testing/python/MODULE.bazel
index ec2db29b..11e7f5c0 100644
--- a/testing/python/MODULE.bazel
+++ b/testing/python/MODULE.bazel
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ bazel_dep(name = "rules_cc", version = "0.0.9")
 # TODO[AH] Remove these transitive dependencies once nixpkgs_java_configure has
 #   become a module extension in rules_nixpkgs_java.
 bazel_dep(name = "platforms", version = "0.0.10")
-bazel_dep(name = "rules_java", version = "7.3.1")
+bazel_dep(name = "rules_java", version = "8.5.1")
 
 non_module_deps = use_extension("//:non_module_deps.bzl", "non_module_deps")
 
diff --git a/testing/rust/MODULE.bazel b/testing/rust/MODULE.bazel
index 8deac088..2a10b614 100644
--- a/testing/rust/MODULE.bazel
+++ b/testing/rust/MODULE.bazel
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ bazel_dep(name = "rules_rust", version = "0.53.0")
 # TODO[AH] Remove these transitive dependencies once nixpkgs_java_configure has
 #   become a module extension in rules_nixpkgs_java.
 bazel_dep(name = "platforms", version = "0.0.10")
-bazel_dep(name = "rules_java", version = "7.3.1")
+bazel_dep(name = "rules_java", version = "8.5.1")
 
 # we must use the extension, and we must call the `toolchain` tag
 rust = use_extension("@rules_rust//rust:extensions.bzl", "rust")
diff --git a/toolchains/nodejs/testing/MODULE.bazel b/toolchains/nodejs/testing/MODULE.bazel
index 7ba8a9a0..e33d7db7 100644
--- a/toolchains/nodejs/testing/MODULE.bazel
+++ b/toolchains/nodejs/testing/MODULE.bazel
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ use_repo(nix_repo, "nixpkgs")
 # TODO[AH] Remove these transitive dependencies once nixpkgs_java_configure has
 #   become a module extension in rules_nixpkgs_java.
 bazel_dep(name = "platforms", version = "0.0.10")
-bazel_dep(name = "rules_java", version = "7.3.1")
+bazel_dep(name = "rules_java", version = "8.5.1")
 
 non_module_deps = use_extension("//:non_module_deps.bzl", "non_module_deps")
 use_repo(non_module_deps, "nixpkgs_config_cc")