diff --git a/airbyte_cdk/utils/docker.py b/airbyte_cdk/utils/docker.py
index d8654c39c..5516aa720 100644
--- a/airbyte_cdk/utils/docker.py
+++ b/airbyte_cdk/utils/docker.py
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 from airbyte_cdk.models.connector_metadata import ConnectorLanguage, MetadataFile
 from airbyte_cdk.utils.docker_image_templates import (
     DOCKERIGNORE_TEMPLATE,
+    JAVA_CONNECTOR_DOCKERFILE_TEMPLATE,
     MANIFEST_ONLY_DOCKERFILE_TEMPLATE,
     PYTHON_CONNECTOR_DOCKERFILE_TEMPLATE,
 )
@@ -197,6 +198,22 @@ def build_connector_image(
 
     base_tag = f"{metadata.data.dockerRepository}:{tag}"
     arch_images: list[str] = []
+
+    if metadata.data.language == ConnectorLanguage.JAVA:
+        # This assumes that the repo root ('airbyte') is three levels above the
+        # connector directory (airbyte/airbyte-integrations/connectors/source-foo).
+        repo_root = connector_directory.parent.parent.parent
+        # For Java connectors, we need to build the connector tar file first.
+        subprocess.run(
+            [
+                "./gradlew",
+                f":airbyte-integrations:connectors:{connector_name}:distTar",
+            ],
+            cwd=repo_root,
+            text=True,
+            check=True,
+        )
+
     for arch in [ArchEnum.AMD64, ArchEnum.ARM64]:
         docker_tag = f"{base_tag}-{arch.value}"
         docker_tag_parts = docker_tag.split("/")
@@ -248,10 +265,7 @@ def get_dockerfile_template(
         return MANIFEST_ONLY_DOCKERFILE_TEMPLATE
 
     if metadata.data.language == ConnectorLanguage.JAVA:
-        raise ValueError(
-            f"Java and Kotlin connectors are not yet supported. "
-            "Please use airbyte-ci or gradle to build your image."
-        )
+        return JAVA_CONNECTOR_DOCKERFILE_TEMPLATE
 
     raise ValueError(
         f"Unsupported connector language: {metadata.data.language}. "
@@ -322,10 +336,20 @@ def verify_connector_image(
         )
         # check that the output is valid JSON
         if result.stdout:
-            try:
-                json.loads(result.stdout)
-            except json.JSONDecodeError:
-                logger.error("Invalid JSON output from spec command.")
+            found_spec_output = False
+            for line in result.stdout.split("\n"):
+                if line.strip():
+                    try:
+                        # Check if the line is a valid JSON object
+                        msg = json.loads(line)
+                        if isinstance(msg, dict) and "type" in msg and msg["type"] == "SPEC":
+                            found_spec_output = True
+
+                    except json.JSONDecodeError as e:
+                        logger.warning(f"Invalid JSON output from spec command: {e}: {line}")
+
+            if not found_spec_output:
+                logger.error("No valid JSON output found for spec command.")
                 return False
         else:
             logger.error("No output from spec command.")
diff --git a/airbyte_cdk/utils/docker_image_templates.py b/airbyte_cdk/utils/docker_image_templates.py
index 17fff1e56..761b9adeb 100644
--- a/airbyte_cdk/utils/docker_image_templates.py
+++ b/airbyte_cdk/utils/docker_image_templates.py
@@ -14,8 +14,9 @@
 DOCKERIGNORE_TEMPLATE: str = "\n".join(
     [
         "# This file is auto-generated. Do not edit.",
-        # "*,"
+        "*,"  # Ignore everything not explicitly allowed below
         "build/",
+        "!build/distributions/*.tar",
         ".venv/",
         "secrets/",
         "!setup.py",
@@ -36,7 +37,7 @@
 # PYTHON CONNECTOR IMAGE ##
 ###########################
 
-PYTHON_CONNECTOR_DOCKERFILE_TEMPLATE = """
+PYTHON_CONNECTOR_DOCKERFILE_TEMPLATE = r"""
 # syntax=docker/dockerfile:1
 # check=skip=all
 ARG BASE_IMAGE
@@ -99,3 +100,37 @@
 ENV AIRBYTE_ENTRYPOINT="python ./main.py"
 ENTRYPOINT ["python", "./main.py"]
 """
+
+#########################
+# JAVA CONNECTOR IMAGE ##
+#########################
+
+JAVA_CONNECTOR_DOCKERFILE_TEMPLATE = """
+# Java connector Dockerfile for Airbyte
+
+# Build arguments
+ARG BASE_IMAGE
+
+# Base image - using Amazon Corretto (Amazon's distribution of OpenJDK)
+FROM ${BASE_IMAGE}
+ARG CONNECTOR_KEBAB_NAME
+
+# Set permissions for downloaded files
+RUN chmod +x /airbyte/base.sh /airbyte/javabase.sh && \
+    chown airbyte:airbyte /airbyte/base.sh /airbyte/javabase.sh /airbyte/dd-java-agent.jar
+
+ENV AIRBYTE_ENTRYPOINT="/airbyte/base.sh"
+ENV APPLICATION="${CONNECTOR_KEBAB_NAME}"
+
+# Add the connector TAR file and extract it
+COPY ./build/distributions/${CONNECTOR_KEBAB_NAME}.tar /tmp/${CONNECTOR_KEBAB_NAME}.tar
+RUN tar xf /tmp/${CONNECTOR_KEBAB_NAME}.tar --strip-components=1 -C /airbyte && \
+    rm -rf /tmp/${CONNECTOR_KEBAB_NAME}.tar && \
+    chown -R airbyte:airbyte /airbyte
+
+# Set the non-root user
+USER airbyte
+
+# Set entrypoint
+ENTRYPOINT ["/airbyte/base.sh"]
+"""