diff --git a/biz.aQute.bndlib.tests/test/test/model/EETest.java b/biz.aQute.bndlib.tests/test/test/model/EETest.java
index 42d898d493..a262e7f152 100644
--- a/biz.aQute.bndlib.tests/test/test/model/EETest.java
+++ b/biz.aQute.bndlib.tests/test/test/model/EETest.java
@@ -90,6 +90,41 @@ public void checkEEHasCompatible(EE ee) throws Exception {
 		assertThat(compatible).isNotEmpty();
 	}
 
+	@ParameterizedTest(name = "Validate release target for {arguments}")
+	@ArgumentsSource(EEsArgumentsProvider.class)
+	@DisplayName("Validate release target for each EE")
+	public void checkEEHasValidRelease(EE ee) throws Exception {
+		switch (ee) {
+			case OSGI_Minimum_1_0 :
+			case OSGI_Minimum_1_1 :
+			case OSGI_Minimum_1_2 :
+			case J2SE_1_2 :
+			case J2SE_1_3 :
+			case J2SE_1_4 :
+			case J2SE_1_5 :
+			case JRE_1_1 :
+				assertThat(ee.getReleaseTarget()).isEmpty();
+				break;
+			case JavaSE_1_6 :
+				assertThat(ee.getReleaseTarget()).hasValue(6);
+				break;
+			case JavaSE_1_7 :
+				assertThat(ee.getReleaseTarget()).hasValue(7);
+				break;
+			case JavaSE_1_8 :
+			case JavaSE_compact1_1_8 :
+			case JavaSE_compact2_1_8 :
+			case JavaSE_compact3_1_8 :
+				assertThat(ee.getReleaseTarget()).hasValue(8);
+				break;
+
+			default :
+				assertThat(ee.getReleaseTarget()).hasValue(ee.getCapabilityVersion()
+					.getMajor());
+				break;
+		}
+	}
+
 	@ParameterizedTest(name = "Validate Packages exist for {arguments}")
 	@ArgumentsSource(EEsArgumentsProvider.class)
 	@DisplayName("Validate Packages exist for each EE")
diff --git a/biz.aQute.bndlib/src/aQute/bnd/build/model/EE.java b/biz.aQute.bndlib/src/aQute/bnd/build/model/EE.java
index 2b6a3dc8d0..4f94fa4f4c 100644
--- a/biz.aQute.bndlib/src/aQute/bnd/build/model/EE.java
+++ b/biz.aQute.bndlib/src/aQute/bnd/build/model/EE.java
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.EnumSet;
 import java.util.Optional;
+import java.util.OptionalInt;
 
 import aQute.bnd.exceptions.Exceptions;
 import aQute.bnd.header.Parameters;
@@ -145,6 +146,21 @@ public Version getCapabilityVersion() {
 		return capabilityVersion;
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * @return the java release target corresponding to this EE
+	 */
+	public OptionalInt getReleaseTarget() {
+		Version version = getCapabilityVersion();
+		int major = version.getMajor();
+		if (major > 1) {
+			return OptionalInt.of(major);
+		}
+		if (major == 1 && version.getMinor() > 5) {
+			return OptionalInt.of(version.getMinor());
+		}
+		return OptionalInt.empty();
+	}
+
 	public static Optional<EE> highestFromTargetVersion(String targetVersion) {
 		Version version = Optional.of(targetVersion)
 			.map(Analyzer::cleanupVersion)
diff --git a/biz.aQute.bndlib/src/aQute/bnd/build/model/package-info.java b/biz.aQute.bndlib/src/aQute/bnd/build/model/package-info.java
index 9bbcb86f9a..14c0b975dd 100644
--- a/biz.aQute.bndlib/src/aQute/bnd/build/model/package-info.java
+++ b/biz.aQute.bndlib/src/aQute/bnd/build/model/package-info.java
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-@Version("4.1.0")
+@Version("4.2.0")
 package aQute.bnd.build.model;
 
 import org.osgi.annotation.versioning.Version;