diff --git a/freemarker.spec b/freemarker.spec
index 1841aa6..78ee84d 100644
--- a/freemarker.spec
+++ b/freemarker.spec
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ echo "ERROR: Sources should not contain JAR files:" && echo "$F" && exit 1
 
 Name:           freemarker
 Version:        %{fm_ver}
-Release:        3%{?dist}
+Release:        4%{?dist}
 Summary:        A template engine
 License:        BSD
 URL:            http://freemarker.sourceforge.net/
@@ -29,6 +29,8 @@ Patch5:         no-javarebel.patch
 Patch6:         enable-jdom.patch
 # use system javacc and fix Token.java
 Patch7:         javacc.patch
+# Fix compatibility with javacc 7
+Patch8:         javacc-7.patch
 
 BuildArch:      noarch
 
@@ -93,6 +95,10 @@ rm -rf documentation/_html/api/
 %patch5 -p1
 %patch6 -p1
 %patch7 -p1
+%patch8 -p1
+
+# javacc generated sources are not Java 4 compatible, set source and target levels to Java 8
+sed -i 's/"1\.4"/"1.8"/g' source/build.xml
 
 %{__rm} -rf source/ivysettings.xml
 
@@ -124,6 +130,9 @@ ant -Divy.mode=local javacc jar javadoc maven-pom
 %license LICENSE.txt NOTICE.txt
 
 %changelog
+* Tue Apr 04 2017 Michael Simacek <msimacek@redhat.com> - 2.3.23-4
+- Fix compatibility with javacc 7
+
 * Fri Feb 10 2017 Fedora Release Engineering <releng@fedoraproject.org> - 2.3.23-3
 - Rebuilt for https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Fedora_26_Mass_Rebuild
 
diff --git a/javacc-7.patch b/javacc-7.patch
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..3d891cc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/javacc-7.patch
@@ -0,0 +1,62 @@
+From c119c7d20b46c91f2c661e4f3789194041c4ba16 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001
+From: Michael Simacek <msimacek@redhat.com>
+Date: Tue, 4 Apr 2017 16:56:33 +0200
+Subject: [PATCH] Fix compatibility with javacc 7
+
+---
+ build.xml                                        | 16 +++++++++++++++-
+ src/main/java/freemarker/core/TokenMgrError.java |  5 +++++
+ 2 files changed, 20 insertions(+), 1 deletion(-)
+
+diff --git a/source/build.xml b/source/build.xml
+index 6542da9..20d1d56 100644
+--- a/source/build.xml
++++ b/source/build.xml
+@@ -131,13 +131,27 @@
+ 
+     <mkdir dir="${_javaccOutputDir}" />
+     <ivy:retrieve conf="parser" pattern="build/javacc-home.tmp/[artifact].[ext]" />
++    <!-- avoid usage of word template which is now a keyword in javacc -->
++    <copy file="src/main/javacc/FTL.jj" tofile="${_javaccOutputDir}/FTL.jj"/>
++    <replace
++      file="${_javaccOutputDir}/FTL.jj"
++      token="template"
++      value="xtemplate"
++    />
+     <javacc:generate
+-      target="src/main/javacc/FTL.jj"
++      target="${_javaccOutputDir}/FTL.jj"
+       outputdirectory="${_javaccOutputDir}"
+       javacchome="/usr/share/java/" jdkversion="1.3"
+     />
+     <delete dir="build/javacc-home.tmp" />
+     
++    <!-- undo template keyword replacement -->
++    <replace
++      dir="${_javaccOutputDir}"
++      token="xtemplate"
++      value="template"
++    />
++
+     <replace
+       file="${_javaccOutputDir}/FMParser.java"
+       token="private final LookaheadSuccess"
+diff --git a/source/src/main/java/freemarker/core/TokenMgrError.java b/source/src/main/java/freemarker/core/TokenMgrError.java
+index 34354ee..0d00d36 100644
+--- a/source/src/main/java/freemarker/core/TokenMgrError.java
++++ b/source/src/main/java/freemarker/core/TokenMgrError.java
+@@ -194,6 +194,11 @@ public class TokenMgrError extends Error
+       this.endColumnNumber = this.columnNumber; 
+    }
+ 
++
++    public TokenMgrError(boolean EOFSeen, int lexState, int errorLine, int errorColumn, String errorAfter, int curChar, int reason) {
++        this(EOFSeen, lexState, errorLine, errorColumn, errorAfter, (char)curChar, reason);
++    }
++
+    /**
+     * 1-based line number of the unexpected character(s).
+     * 
+-- 
+2.9.3
+