diff --git a/Help/command/DEPRECATED_POLICY_VERSIONS.txt b/Help/command/DEPRECATED_POLICY_VERSIONS.txt
index dbcbfc404c..92cdaeb11a 100644
--- a/Help/command/DEPRECATED_POLICY_VERSIONS.txt
+++ b/Help/command/DEPRECATED_POLICY_VERSIONS.txt
@@ -1,9 +1,9 @@
 .. versionchanged:: 4.0
 
-  Compatibility with versions of CMake older than 2.8.0 is removed.
+  Compatibility with versions of CMake older than 2.8.12 is removed.
   Calls to :command:`cmake_minimum_required(VERSION)` or
   :command:`cmake_policy(VERSION)` that do not specify at least
-  2.8.0 as their policy version (optionally via ``...<max>``)
+  2.8.12 as their policy version (optionally via ``...<max>``)
   will produce an error in CMake 4.0 and above.
 
 .. versionchanged:: 3.31
diff --git a/Help/release/dev/remove-old-compatibility.rst b/Help/release/dev/remove-old-compatibility.rst
index 2d828977d8..a02da41104 100644
--- a/Help/release/dev/remove-old-compatibility.rst
+++ b/Help/release/dev/remove-old-compatibility.rst
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 remove-old-compatibility
 ------------------------
 
-* Compatibility with versions of CMake older than 2.8.0 has been removed.
+* Compatibility with versions of CMake older than 2.8.12 has been removed.
   Calls to :command:`cmake_minimum_required` or :command:`cmake_policy`
   that set the policy version to an older value now issue an error.
   Note that calls to those commands can still support older versions of
diff --git a/Source/cmMakefile.cxx b/Source/cmMakefile.cxx
index 50ef9458bb..e8f4454dc7 100644
--- a/Source/cmMakefile.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmMakefile.cxx
@@ -1741,7 +1741,7 @@ void cmMakefile::Configure()
         this->SetCheckCMP0000(true);
 
         // Implicitly set the version for the user.
-        cmPolicies::ApplyPolicyVersion(this, 2, 8, 0,
+        cmPolicies::ApplyPolicyVersion(this, 2, 8, 12,
                                        cmPolicies::WarnCompat::Off);
       }
     }
diff --git a/Source/cmPolicies.cxx b/Source/cmPolicies.cxx
index f506f09b98..206d4ffbfa 100644
--- a/Source/cmPolicies.cxx
+++ b/Source/cmPolicies.cxx
@@ -295,16 +295,17 @@ bool cmPolicies::ApplyPolicyVersion(cmMakefile* mf, unsigned int majorVer,
                                     WarnCompat warnCompat)
 {
   // Error on policy versions for which support has been removed.
-  if (majorVer < 2 || (majorVer == 2 && minorVer < 8)) {
+  if (majorVer < 2 ||
+      (majorVer == 2 && (minorVer < 8 || (minorVer == 8 && patchVer < 12)))) {
     if (IsFromLegacyInstallEXPORT(mf, majorVer, minorVer, patchVer)) {
       // Silently tolerate cmake_policy calls generated by install(EXPORT)
       // in CMake versions prior to 3.18.
       majorVer = 2;
       minorVer = 8;
-      patchVer = 0;
+      patchVer = 12;
     } else {
       mf->IssueMessage(MessageType::FATAL_ERROR,
-                       "Compatibility with CMake < 2.8.0 has been removed "
+                       "Compatibility with CMake < 2.8.12 has been removed "
                        "from CMake.\n" ADVICE_UPDATE_VERSION_ARGUMENT);
       cmSystemTools::SetFatalErrorOccurred();
       return false;
diff --git a/Tests/RunCMake/cmake_minimum_required/BeforeVersionRemoved-stderr.txt b/Tests/RunCMake/cmake_minimum_required/BeforeVersionRemoved-stderr.txt
index 040a7c32c1..e20bf5b337 100644
--- a/Tests/RunCMake/cmake_minimum_required/BeforeVersionRemoved-stderr.txt
+++ b/Tests/RunCMake/cmake_minimum_required/BeforeVersionRemoved-stderr.txt
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 ^CMake Error at BeforeVersionRemoved\.cmake:1 \(cmake_minimum_required\):
-  Compatibility with CMake < 2\.8\.0 has been removed from CMake\.
+  Compatibility with CMake < 2\.8\.12 has been removed from CMake\.
 
   Update the VERSION argument <min> value\.  Or, use the <min>\.\.\.<max> syntax
   to tell CMake that the project requires at least <min> but has been updated
diff --git a/Tests/RunCMake/cmake_minimum_required/BeforeVersionRemoved.cmake b/Tests/RunCMake/cmake_minimum_required/BeforeVersionRemoved.cmake
index d20c1c8d5f..851745b4c8 100644
--- a/Tests/RunCMake/cmake_minimum_required/BeforeVersionRemoved.cmake
+++ b/Tests/RunCMake/cmake_minimum_required/BeforeVersionRemoved.cmake
@@ -1 +1 @@
-cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 2.6.4)
+cmake_minimum_required(VERSION 2.8.11)
diff --git a/Tests/RunCMake/cmake_minimum_required/PolicyBeforeVersionRemoved-stderr.txt b/Tests/RunCMake/cmake_minimum_required/PolicyBeforeVersionRemoved-stderr.txt
index 6824d8f203..273f103533 100644
--- a/Tests/RunCMake/cmake_minimum_required/PolicyBeforeVersionRemoved-stderr.txt
+++ b/Tests/RunCMake/cmake_minimum_required/PolicyBeforeVersionRemoved-stderr.txt
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 ^CMake Error at PolicyBeforeVersionRemoved\.cmake:1 \(cmake_policy\):
-  Compatibility with CMake < 2\.8\.0 has been removed from CMake\.
+  Compatibility with CMake < 2\.8\.12 has been removed from CMake\.
 
   Update the VERSION argument <min> value\.  Or, use the <min>\.\.\.<max> syntax
   to tell CMake that the project requires at least <min> but has been updated
diff --git a/Tests/RunCMake/cmake_minimum_required/PolicyBeforeVersionRemoved.cmake b/Tests/RunCMake/cmake_minimum_required/PolicyBeforeVersionRemoved.cmake
index 1a41499365..0e2c8fe788 100644
--- a/Tests/RunCMake/cmake_minimum_required/PolicyBeforeVersionRemoved.cmake
+++ b/Tests/RunCMake/cmake_minimum_required/PolicyBeforeVersionRemoved.cmake
@@ -1 +1 @@
-cmake_policy(VERSION 2.6.4)
+cmake_policy(VERSION 2.8.11)