diff --git a/core/deployment/src/main/java/io/quarkus/deployment/pkg/steps/NativeImageBuildContainerRunner.java b/core/deployment/src/main/java/io/quarkus/deployment/pkg/steps/NativeImageBuildContainerRunner.java
index dfa908100fad0..e597b2c9b31a1 100644
--- a/core/deployment/src/main/java/io/quarkus/deployment/pkg/steps/NativeImageBuildContainerRunner.java
+++ b/core/deployment/src/main/java/io/quarkus/deployment/pkg/steps/NativeImageBuildContainerRunner.java
@@ -39,7 +39,8 @@ public NativeImageBuildContainerRunner(NativeConfig nativeConfig, Path outputDir
 
         outputPath = outputDir == null ? null : outputDir.toAbsolutePath().toString();
         containerName = "build-native-" + RandomStringUtils.random(5, true, false);
-        this.needJava17Image = javaVersion.isExactlyJava11() == CompiledJavaVersionBuildItem.JavaVersion.Status.FALSE;
+        // Default to using java17 builder images
+        this.needJava17Image = true;
     }
 
     @Override