diff --git a/java/com/google/gerrit/launcher/GerritLauncher.java b/java/com/google/gerrit/launcher/GerritLauncher.java
index b7d232d..13dad0e 100644
--- a/java/com/google/gerrit/launcher/GerritLauncher.java
+++ b/java/com/google/gerrit/launcher/GerritLauncher.java
@@ -305,9 +305,9 @@
 
     ClassLoader parent = ClassLoader.getSystemClassLoader();
     if (!extapi.isEmpty()) {
-      parent = new URLClassLoader(extapi.toArray(new URL[extapi.size()]), parent);
+      parent = URLClassLoader.newInstance(extapi.toArray(new URL[extapi.size()]), parent);
     }
-    return new URLClassLoader(jars.values().toArray(new URL[jars.size()]), parent);
+    return URLClassLoader.newInstance(jars.values().toArray(new URL[jars.size()]), parent);
   }
 
   private static void extractJar(ZipFile zf, ZipEntry ze, SortedMap<String, URL> jars)
@@ -718,7 +718,7 @@
         dirs.add(u);
       }
     }
-    return new URLClassLoader(
+    return URLClassLoader.newInstance(
         dirs.toArray(new URL[dirs.size()]), ClassLoader.getSystemClassLoader().getParent());
   }
 
diff --git a/java/com/google/gerrit/pgm/init/InitPluginStepsLoader.java b/java/com/google/gerrit/pgm/init/InitPluginStepsLoader.java
index c1d142b..0fd9eba 100644
--- a/java/com/google/gerrit/pgm/init/InitPluginStepsLoader.java
+++ b/java/com/google/gerrit/pgm/init/InitPluginStepsLoader.java
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@
   private InitStep loadInitStep(Path jar) {
     try {
       URLClassLoader pluginLoader =
-          new URLClassLoader(
+          URLClassLoader.newInstance(
               new URL[] {jar.toUri().toURL()}, InitPluginStepsLoader.class.getClassLoader());
       try (JarFile jarFile = new JarFile(jar.toFile())) {
         Attributes jarFileAttributes = jarFile.getManifest().getMainAttributes();
diff --git a/java/com/google/gerrit/server/plugins/JarPluginProvider.java b/java/com/google/gerrit/server/plugins/JarPluginProvider.java
index de82370..87c3df7 100644
--- a/java/com/google/gerrit/server/plugins/JarPluginProvider.java
+++ b/java/com/google/gerrit/server/plugins/JarPluginProvider.java
@@ -136,7 +136,8 @@
       urls.add(tmp.toUri().toURL());
 
       ClassLoader pluginLoader =
-          new URLClassLoader(urls.toArray(new URL[urls.size()]), PluginUtil.parentFor(type));
+          URLClassLoader.newInstance(
+              urls.toArray(new URL[urls.size()]), PluginUtil.parentFor(type));
 
       JarScanner jarScanner = createJarScanner(tmp);
       PluginConfig pluginConfig = configFactory.getFromGerritConfig(name);
diff --git a/java/com/google/gerrit/server/rules/RulesCache.java b/java/com/google/gerrit/server/rules/RulesCache.java
index d7a614d..6ef11fa 100644
--- a/java/com/google/gerrit/server/rules/RulesCache.java
+++ b/java/com/google/gerrit/server/rules/RulesCache.java
@@ -175,7 +175,7 @@
       Path jarPath = rulesDir.resolve("rules-" + rulesId.getName() + ".jar");
       if (Files.isRegularFile(jarPath)) {
         URL[] cp = new URL[] {toURL(jarPath)};
-        return save(newEmptyMachine(new URLClassLoader(cp, systemLoader)));
+        return save(newEmptyMachine(URLClassLoader.newInstance(cp, systemLoader)));
       }
     }