diff --git a/detekt-cli/src/main/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/cli/ArgumentConverters.kt b/detekt-cli/src/main/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/cli/ArgumentConverters.kt
index 97490dc6c86..a5140adba96 100644
--- a/detekt-cli/src/main/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/cli/ArgumentConverters.kt
+++ b/detekt-cli/src/main/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/cli/ArgumentConverters.kt
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ package io.gitlab.arturbosch.detekt.cli
 
 import com.beust.jcommander.IStringConverter
 import com.beust.jcommander.ParameterException
-import org.jetbrains.kotlin.config.JvmTarget
 import org.jetbrains.kotlin.config.LanguageVersion
 import java.io.File
 import java.net.URL
@@ -55,15 +54,6 @@ class LanguageVersionConverter : IStringConverter<LanguageVersion> {
     }
 }
 
-class JvmTargetConverter : IStringConverter<JvmTarget> {
-    override fun convert(value: String): JvmTarget {
-        val validValues by lazy { JvmTarget.values().joinToString { it.description } }
-        return requireNotNull(JvmTarget.fromString(value)) {
-            "\"$value\" passed to --jvm-target, expected one of [$validValues]"
-        }
-    }
-}
-
 class ClasspathResourceConverter : IStringConverter<URL> {
     override fun convert(resource: String): URL {
         val relativeResource = if (resource.startsWith("/")) resource else "/$resource"
diff --git a/detekt-cli/src/main/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/cli/CliArgs.kt b/detekt-cli/src/main/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/cli/CliArgs.kt
index 76d89245a1d..4d2714a5d2d 100644
--- a/detekt-cli/src/main/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/cli/CliArgs.kt
+++ b/detekt-cli/src/main/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/cli/CliArgs.kt
@@ -188,11 +188,10 @@ class CliArgs {
 
     @Parameter(
         names = ["--jvm-target"],
-        converter = JvmTargetConverter::class,
         description = "EXPERIMENTAL: Target version of the generated JVM bytecode that was generated during " +
-            "compilation and is now being used for type resolution"
+            "compilation and is now being used for type resolution (1.6, 1.8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 or 17)"
     )
-    var jvmTarget: JvmTarget = JvmTarget.DEFAULT
+    var jvmTarget: String = JvmTarget.DEFAULT.description
 
     @Parameter(
         names = ["--version"],
diff --git a/detekt-cli/src/main/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/cli/Spec.kt b/detekt-cli/src/main/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/cli/Spec.kt
index 0b569cc9683..a3347e86f13 100644
--- a/detekt-cli/src/main/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/cli/Spec.kt
+++ b/detekt-cli/src/main/kotlin/io/gitlab/arturbosch/detekt/cli/Spec.kt
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ internal fun CliArgs.createSpec(output: Appendable, error: Appendable): Processi
         }
 
         compiler {
-            jvmTarget = args.jvmTarget.toString()
+            jvmTarget = args.jvmTarget
             languageVersion = args.languageVersion?.versionString
             classpath = args.classpath?.trim()
         }