diff --git a/webapp/build.xml b/webapp/build.xml
index 2ba31da34..fdf4a7a70 100644
--- a/webapp/build.xml
+++ b/webapp/build.xml
@@ -9,6 +9,36 @@
      ====================================================================== -->
 
 <project name="vitroCore" default="describe">
+	<property environment="env" />
+
+	<!-- We must be using a suitable version of Java. -->
+	<fail>
+		<condition>
+			<not>
+				<or>
+					<equals arg1="1.7" arg2="${ant.java.version}" />
+					<equals arg1="1.8" arg2="${ant.java.version}" />
+				</or>
+			</not>
+		</condition>
+		The Vitro build script requires Java 7 or later.
+		Java system property java.version = ${java.version}
+		Java system property java.home = ${java.home}
+		JAVA_HOME environment variable = ${env.JAVA_HOME}
+	</fail>
+
+	<!-- We must be using a suitable version of Ant. -->
+	<fail>
+		<condition>
+			<not>
+				<antversion atleast="1.8" />
+			</not>
+		</condition>
+		The Vitro build script requires Ant 1.8 or later.
+		Ant property ant.version = ${ant.version}
+		Ant property ant.home = ${ant.home}
+		ANT_HOME environment variable = ${env.ANT_HOME}
+	</fail>
 
 	<!-- A product script will override appbase.dir, but not corebase.dir -->
 	<dirname property="corebase.dir" file="${ant.file.vitroCore}" />