diff --git a/community-build/src/scala/dotty/communitybuild/projects.scala b/community-build/src/scala/dotty/communitybuild/projects.scala
index 23b37c042388..8dfbd9fbea7e 100644
--- a/community-build/src/scala/dotty/communitybuild/projects.scala
+++ b/community-build/src/scala/dotty/communitybuild/projects.scala
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ final case class SbtCommunityProject(
       case Some(ivyHome) => List(s"-Dsbt.ivy.home=$ivyHome")
       case _ => Nil
     extraSbtArgs ++ sbtProps ++ List(
-      "-sbt-version", "1.5.7",
+      "-sbt-version", "1.6.1",
       "-Dsbt.supershell=false",
       s"-Ddotty.communitybuild.dir=$communitybuildDir",
       s"--addPluginSbtFile=$sbtPluginFilePath"
diff --git a/project/build.properties b/project/build.properties
index baf5ff3ec78b..3161d2146c63 100644
--- a/project/build.properties
+++ b/project/build.properties
@@ -1 +1 @@
-sbt.version=1.5.7
+sbt.version=1.6.1
diff --git a/sbt-test/sbt-dotty/dotty-knowledge.i17/project/build.properties b/sbt-test/sbt-dotty/dotty-knowledge.i17/project/build.properties
index a919a9b5f46b..3161d2146c63 100644
--- a/sbt-test/sbt-dotty/dotty-knowledge.i17/project/build.properties
+++ b/sbt-test/sbt-dotty/dotty-knowledge.i17/project/build.properties
@@ -1 +1 @@
-sbt.version=1.3.8
+sbt.version=1.6.1
diff --git a/semanticdb/project/build.properties b/semanticdb/project/build.properties
index 7c58a83abffb..3161d2146c63 100644
--- a/semanticdb/project/build.properties
+++ b/semanticdb/project/build.properties
@@ -1 +1 @@
-sbt.version=1.2.6
+sbt.version=1.6.1
diff --git a/tests/cmdTest-sbt-tests/sourcepath-with-inline-api-hash/project/build.properties b/tests/cmdTest-sbt-tests/sourcepath-with-inline-api-hash/project/build.properties
index 10fd9eee04ac..3161d2146c63 100644
--- a/tests/cmdTest-sbt-tests/sourcepath-with-inline-api-hash/project/build.properties
+++ b/tests/cmdTest-sbt-tests/sourcepath-with-inline-api-hash/project/build.properties
@@ -1 +1 @@
-sbt.version=1.5.5
+sbt.version=1.6.1
diff --git a/tests/cmdTest-sbt-tests/sourcepath-with-inline/project/build.properties b/tests/cmdTest-sbt-tests/sourcepath-with-inline/project/build.properties
index 10fd9eee04ac..3161d2146c63 100644
--- a/tests/cmdTest-sbt-tests/sourcepath-with-inline/project/build.properties
+++ b/tests/cmdTest-sbt-tests/sourcepath-with-inline/project/build.properties
@@ -1 +1 @@
-sbt.version=1.5.5
+sbt.version=1.6.1