diff --git a/jps/jps-builders/src/org/jetbrains/jps/incremental/java/JavaBuilder.java b/jps/jps-builders/src/org/jetbrains/jps/incremental/java/JavaBuilder.java
index 139bbf20ef0e..71babde60c79 100644
--- a/jps/jps-builders/src/org/jetbrains/jps/incremental/java/JavaBuilder.java
+++ b/jps/jps-builders/src/org/jetbrains/jps/incremental/java/JavaBuilder.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2000-2013 JetBrains s.r.o.
+ * Copyright 2000-2015 JetBrains s.r.o.
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -749,18 +749,7 @@ public class JavaBuilder extends ModuleLevelBuilder {
 
   private static String getLanguageLevel(JpsModule module) {
     final LanguageLevel level = JpsJavaExtensionService.getInstance().getLanguageLevel(module);
-    if (level != null) {
-      switch (level) {
-        case JDK_1_3: return "1.3";
-        case JDK_1_4: return "1.4";
-        case JDK_1_5: return "1.5";
-        case JDK_1_6: return "1.6";
-        case JDK_1_7: return "1.7";
-        case JDK_1_8: return "8";
-        case JDK_1_9: return "9";
-      }
-    }
-    return null;
+    return level != null ? level.getComplianceOption() : null;
   }
 
   private static boolean isEncodingSet(List<String> options) {
diff --git a/jps/model-api/src/org/jetbrains/jps/model/java/LanguageLevel.java b/jps/model-api/src/org/jetbrains/jps/model/java/LanguageLevel.java
index 3d9b302d38cf..c18991800f96 100644
--- a/jps/model-api/src/org/jetbrains/jps/model/java/LanguageLevel.java
+++ b/jps/model-api/src/org/jetbrains/jps/model/java/LanguageLevel.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2000-2012 JetBrains s.r.o.
+ * Copyright 2000-2015 JetBrains s.r.o.
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -15,9 +15,26 @@
  */
 package org.jetbrains.jps.model.java;
 
+import org.jetbrains.annotations.NotNull;
+
 /**
  * @author nik
  */
 public enum LanguageLevel {
-  JDK_1_3, JDK_1_4, JDK_1_5, JDK_1_6, JDK_1_7, JDK_1_8, JDK_1_9
+  JDK_1_3("1.3"), JDK_1_4("1.4"), JDK_1_5("1.5"), JDK_1_6("1.6"), JDK_1_7("1.7"), JDK_1_8("1.8"), JDK_1_9("1.9");
+
+  private final String myComplianceOption;
+
+  LanguageLevel(String complianceOption) {
+    myComplianceOption = complianceOption;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * String representation of the level, suitable to pass as a value of compiler's "-source" and "-target" options.
+   * Should work for Javac and ECJ (including ECJ-based) compilers.
+   */
+  @NotNull
+  public String getComplianceOption() {
+    return myComplianceOption;
+  }
 }