diff --git a/plugins/devkit/devkit-core/src/inspections/OldJetBrainsAnnotationInspection.java b/plugins/devkit/devkit-core/src/inspections/OldJetBrainsAnnotationInspection.java
index 88b66be3a6ca..5a8444569b49 100644
--- a/plugins/devkit/devkit-core/src/inspections/OldJetBrainsAnnotationInspection.java
+++ b/plugins/devkit/devkit-core/src/inspections/OldJetBrainsAnnotationInspection.java
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ import com.intellij.codeInspection.ProblemDescriptor;
 import com.intellij.codeInspection.ProblemsHolder;
 import com.intellij.openapi.project.Project;
 import com.intellij.psi.*;
+import com.intellij.psi.util.PsiUtil;
 import com.intellij.util.ObjectUtils;
 import org.jetbrains.annotations.Contract;
 import org.jetbrains.annotations.Nls;
@@ -20,6 +21,9 @@ public class OldJetBrainsAnnotationInspection extends AbstractBaseJavaLocalInspe
   @NotNull
   @Override
   public PsiElementVisitor buildVisitor(@NotNull ProblemsHolder holder, boolean isOnTheFly) {
+    if (!PsiUtil.isLanguageLevel8OrHigher(holder.getFile())) {
+      return PsiElementVisitor.EMPTY_VISITOR;
+    }
     return new JavaElementVisitor() {
       @Override
       public void visitAnnotation(PsiAnnotation annotation) {