diff --git a/Rakefile b/Rakefile
index 7d2c84a272d..65c7f386439 100644
--- a/Rakefile
+++ b/Rakefile
@@ -5,11 +5,13 @@ require "rake/extensiontask"
 require "rake/testtask"
 require "rake/clean"
 require "rdoc/task"
-require "ruby_memcheck"
 
 Rake.add_rakelib("tasks")
 
-RubyMemcheck.config(binary_name: "yarp")
+if RUBY_ENGINE != "jruby"
+  require "ruby_memcheck"
+  RubyMemcheck.config(binary_name: "yarp")
+end
 
 task compile: :make
 task compile_no_debug: :make_no_debug
@@ -61,11 +63,26 @@ task build: [:templates, :check_manifest]
 
 # the C extension
 task "compile:yarp" => ["configure", "templates"] # must be before the ExtensionTask is created
-Rake::ExtensionTask.new(:compile) do |ext|
-  ext.name = "yarp"
-  ext.ext_dir = "ext/yarp"
-  ext.lib_dir = "lib"
-  ext.gem_spec = Gem::Specification.load("yarp.gemspec")
+
+if RUBY_ENGINE == 'jruby'
+  require 'rake/javaextensiontask'
+
+  # This compiles java to make sure any templating changes produces valid code.
+  Rake::JavaExtensionTask.new(:compile) do |ext|
+    ext.name = "yarp"
+    ext.ext_dir = "java"
+    ext.lib_dir = "tmp"
+    ext.source_version = "1.8"
+    ext.target_version = "1.8"
+    ext.gem_spec = Gem::Specification.load("yarp.gemspec")
+  end
+else
+  Rake::ExtensionTask.new(:compile) do |ext|
+    ext.name = "yarp"
+    ext.ext_dir = "ext/yarp"
+    ext.lib_dir = "lib"
+    ext.gem_spec = Gem::Specification.load("yarp.gemspec")
+  end
 end
 
 # So `rake clobber` will delete generated files
diff --git a/tasks/test.rake b/tasks/test.rake
index 76403a1b3ac..fcabaed581a 100644
--- a/tasks/test.rake
+++ b/tasks/test.rake
@@ -21,17 +21,19 @@ class LldbTestTask < Rake::TestTask
 end
 
 namespace :test do
-  RubyMemcheck::TestTask.new(valgrind_internal: :compile, &test_config)
-  Rake::Task['test:valgrind_internal'].clear_comments # Hide test:valgrind_internal from rake -T
+  if RUBY_ENGINE != "jruby"
+    RubyMemcheck::TestTask.new(valgrind_internal: :compile, &test_config)
+    Rake::Task['test:valgrind_internal'].clear_comments # Hide test:valgrind_internal from rake -T
+  
+    desc "Run tests under valgrind"
+    task :valgrind do
+      # Recompile with YARP_DEBUG_MODE_BUILD=1
+      ENV['YARP_DEBUG_MODE_BUILD'] = '1'
+      Rake::Task['clobber'].invoke
+      Rake::Task['test:valgrind_internal'].invoke
+    end
 
-  desc "Run tests under valgrind"
-  task :valgrind do
-    # Recompile with YARP_DEBUG_MODE_BUILD=1
-    ENV['YARP_DEBUG_MODE_BUILD'] = '1'
-    Rake::Task['clobber'].invoke
-    Rake::Task['test:valgrind_internal'].invoke
+    GdbTestTask.new(gdb: :compile, &test_config)
+    LldbTestTask.new(lldb: :compile, &test_config)
   end
-
-  GdbTestTask.new(gdb: :compile, &test_config)
-  LldbTestTask.new(lldb: :compile, &test_config)
 end