diff --git a/docs/pages/release_notes.md b/docs/pages/release_notes.md
index aa08a0a363..50643e2b71 100644
--- a/docs/pages/release_notes.md
+++ b/docs/pages/release_notes.md
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ extended for lambda parameters with Java 11 via
 ### Fixed Issues
 
 *   core
+    *   [#1178](https://github.com/pmd/pmd/issues/1178): \[core] "Unsupported build listener" in gradle build
     *   [#1225](https://github.com/pmd/pmd/issues/1225): \[core] Error in sed expression on line 82 of run.sh while detecting installed version of Java
 *   doc
     *   [#1215](https://github.com/pmd/pmd/issues/1215): \[doc] TOC links don't work?
diff --git a/pmd-core/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/util/log/AntLogHandler.java b/pmd-core/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/util/log/AntLogHandler.java
index e1fe7702cf..0eb3162aa4 100644
--- a/pmd-core/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/util/log/AntLogHandler.java
+++ b/pmd-core/src/main/java/net/sourceforge/pmd/util/log/AntLogHandler.java
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ public class AntLogHandler extends Handler {
     public AntLogHandler(Project project) {
         this.project = project;
     }
-    
+
     public Level getAntLogLevel() {
         for (final BuildListener l : project.getBuildListeners()) {
             Field declaredField = null;
@@ -50,10 +50,10 @@ public class AntLogHandler extends Handler {
                     try {
                         declaredField = l.getClass().getDeclaredField("logLevel");
                     } catch (final NoSuchFieldException e) {
-                        project.log("Unsupported build listener: " + l.getClass(), Project.MSG_WARN);
+                        project.log("Unsupported build listener: " + l.getClass(), Project.MSG_DEBUG);
                     }
                 }
-                
+
                 if (declaredField != null) {
                     declaredField.setAccessible(true);
                     return LOG_LEVELS[declaredField.getInt(l)];
@@ -62,7 +62,10 @@ public class AntLogHandler extends Handler {
                 // Just ignore it
             }
         }
-        
+
+        project.log("Could not determine ant log level, no supported build listeners found. "
+                + "Log level is set to FINEST", Project.MSG_WARN);
+
         return Level.FINEST;
     }