diff --git a/.bazelrc b/.bazelrc
index 8389f346d6906..9fffb304af2ff 100644
--- a/.bazelrc
+++ b/.bazelrc
@@ -1,8 +1,7 @@
 build --cxxopt=-std=c++17 --host_cxxopt=-std=c++17
 
-# Needed for java_lite_proto_library, that's using ProguardSpecProvider
-# Once the provider is ported to Starlark the flag may be removed.
-common --experimental_google_legacy_api
+# TODO: ErrorProne's SelfAssertions are violated in protobuf's test
+build --javacopt=-Xep:SelfAssertion:WARN
 
 build:dbg --compilation_mode=dbg
 
diff --git a/MODULE.bazel b/MODULE.bazel
index 0df17bbb3f8f7..031d01cc7dcb6 100644
--- a/MODULE.bazel
+++ b/MODULE.bazel
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ bazel_dep(
 
 bazel_dep(
     name = "rules_java",
-    version = "7.11.1",
+    version = "7.12.2",
 )
 
 bazel_dep(
diff --git a/ci/common.bazelrc b/ci/common.bazelrc
index 9b58ac21c4162..04f68fcbfaa50 100644
--- a/ci/common.bazelrc
+++ b/ci/common.bazelrc
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
-# Needed for java_lite_proto_library, that's using ProguardSpecProvider
-# TODO: Once the provider is ported to Starlark the flag may be removed.
-common --experimental_google_legacy_api
+# TODO: ErrorProne's SelfAssertions are violated in tests
+build --javacopt=-Xep:SelfAssertion:WARN
 
 build:dbg --compilation_mode=dbg
 
diff --git a/examples/.bazelrc b/examples/.bazelrc
index 2c2ccfdd8cbbd..f37d75bc21126 100644
--- a/examples/.bazelrc
+++ b/examples/.bazelrc
@@ -1,9 +1,5 @@
 common --enable_platform_specific_config
 
-# Needed for java_lite_proto_library, that's using ProguardSpecProvider
-# TODO: Once the provider is ported to Starlark the flag may be removed.
-common --experimental_google_legacy_api
-
 build:linux --cxxopt=-std=c++14 --host_cxxopt=-std=c++14
 build:macos --cxxopt=-std=c++14 --host_cxxopt=-std=c++14
 
diff --git a/protobuf_deps.bzl b/protobuf_deps.bzl
index bdedeef4cf238..7e9931271716f 100644
--- a/protobuf_deps.bzl
+++ b/protobuf_deps.bzl
@@ -100,8 +100,8 @@ def protobuf_deps():
     if not native.existing_rule("rules_java"):
         http_archive(
             name = "rules_java",
-            url = "https://github.com/bazelbuild/rules_java/releases/download/7.11.1/rules_java-7.11.1.tar.gz",
-            sha256 = "6f3ce0e9fba979a844faba2d60467843fbf5191d8ca61fa3d2ea17655b56bb8c",
+            url = "https://github.com/bazelbuild/rules_java/releases/download/7.12.2/rules_java-7.12.2.tar.gz",
+            sha256 = "a9690bc00c538246880d5c83c233e4deb83fe885f54c21bb445eb8116a180b83",
         )
 
     if not native.existing_rule("rules_shell"):