diff --git a/check_api/src/main/java/com/google/errorprone/util/SourceVersion.java b/check_api/src/main/java/com/google/errorprone/util/SourceVersion.java
index 23de9c6402a..39fdc7d6947 100644
--- a/check_api/src/main/java/com/google/errorprone/util/SourceVersion.java
+++ b/check_api/src/main/java/com/google/errorprone/util/SourceVersion.java
@@ -27,16 +27,21 @@
 public final class SourceVersion {
   /** Returns true if the compiler source version level supports switch expressions. */
   public static boolean supportsSwitchExpressions(Context context) {
-    return sourceIsAtLeast(context, "14");
+    return sourceIsAtLeast(context, 14);
   }
 
   /** Returns true if the compiler source version level supports text blocks. */
   public static boolean supportsTextBlocks(Context context) {
-    return sourceIsAtLeast(context, "15");
+    return sourceIsAtLeast(context, 15);
   }
 
-  private static boolean sourceIsAtLeast(Context context, String versionString) {
-    Source lowerBound = Source.lookup(versionString);
+  /** Returns true if the compiler source version level supports effectively final. */
+  public static boolean supportsEffectivelyFinal(Context context) {
+    return sourceIsAtLeast(context, 8);
+  }
+
+  private static boolean sourceIsAtLeast(Context context, int version) {
+    Source lowerBound = Source.lookup(Integer.toString(version));
     return lowerBound != null && Source.instance(context).compareTo(lowerBound) >= 0;
   }
 
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/com/google/errorprone/bugpatterns/VarChecker.java b/core/src/main/java/com/google/errorprone/bugpatterns/VarChecker.java
index d0e8b625834..e69d8591055 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/com/google/errorprone/bugpatterns/VarChecker.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/com/google/errorprone/bugpatterns/VarChecker.java
@@ -29,12 +29,12 @@
 import com.google.errorprone.fixes.SuggestedFixes;
 import com.google.errorprone.matchers.Description;
 import com.google.errorprone.util.ASTHelpers;
+import com.google.errorprone.util.SourceVersion;
 import com.sun.source.tree.ForLoopTree;
 import com.sun.source.tree.Tree;
 import com.sun.source.tree.VariableTree;
 import com.sun.source.util.TreePath;
 import com.sun.tools.javac.code.Flags;
-import com.sun.tools.javac.code.Source;
 import com.sun.tools.javac.code.Symbol;
 import com.sun.tools.javac.tree.JCTree;
 import com.sun.tools.javac.tree.TreeInfo;
@@ -99,7 +99,7 @@ boolean forLoopVariable(VariableTree tree, TreePath path) {
 
   private Description handleLocalOrParam(VariableTree tree, VisitorState state, Symbol sym) {
     if (sym.getModifiers().contains(Modifier.FINAL)) {
-      if (Source.instance(state.context).compareTo(Source.lookup("1.8")) >= 0) {
+      if (SourceVersion.supportsEffectivelyFinal(state.context)) {
         // In Java 8, the final modifier is never necessary on locals/parameters because
         // effectively final variables can be used anywhere a final variable is required.
         Optional<SuggestedFix> fix = SuggestedFixes.removeModifiers(tree, state, Modifier.FINAL);