diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 0ee5c852..35962dcf 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 bin
 build
 out
+.java-version
 .classpath
 .settings
 .project
diff --git a/build.gradle b/build.gradle
index e017bd41..e275cc8b 100644
--- a/build.gradle
+++ b/build.gradle
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ apply plugin: 'nexus'
 apply plugin: 'codenarc'
 
 group = 'com.github.ben-manes'
-version = '0.23.0'
+version = '0.24.0'
 
 sourceCompatibility = '1.6'
 
diff --git a/src/main/groovy/com/github/benmanes/gradle/versions/updates/DependencyUpdatesTask.groovy b/src/main/groovy/com/github/benmanes/gradle/versions/updates/DependencyUpdatesTask.groovy
index 66551056..92606ac7 100644
--- a/src/main/groovy/com/github/benmanes/gradle/versions/updates/DependencyUpdatesTask.groovy
+++ b/src/main/groovy/com/github/benmanes/gradle/versions/updates/DependencyUpdatesTask.groovy
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@ import org.gradle.api.DefaultTask
 import org.gradle.api.tasks.Input
 import org.gradle.api.tasks.Optional
 import org.gradle.api.tasks.TaskAction
+import org.gradle.util.ConfigureUtil
+import org.gradle.util.SingleMessageLogger;
 
 import static com.github.benmanes.gradle.versions.updates.gradle.GradleReleaseChannel.*
 
@@ -53,7 +55,9 @@ class DependencyUpdatesTask extends DefaultTask {
   boolean checkForGradleUpdate = true
 
   Object outputFormatter = 'plain'
-  Action<? super ResolutionStrategyWithCurrent> resolutionStrategyAction = null
+
+  Closure resolutionStrategy = null;
+  private Action<? super ResolutionStrategyWithCurrent> resolutionStrategyAction = null
 
   DependencyUpdatesTask() {
     description = 'Displays the dependency updates for the project.'
@@ -66,6 +70,12 @@ class DependencyUpdatesTask extends DefaultTask {
   def dependencyUpdates() {
     project.evaluationDependsOnChildren()
 
+    if (resolutionStrategy != null) {
+      resolutionStrategy(ConfigureUtil.configureUsing(resolutionStrategy))
+      SingleMessageLogger.nagUserWith('dependencyUpdates.resolutionStrategy', /* removalDetails */ '',
+        'Remove the assignment operator, \'=\', when setting this task property', /* contextualAdvice */ null);
+    }
+
     def evaluator = new DependencyUpdates(project, resolutionStrategyAction, revisionLevel(),
       outputFormatterProp(), outputDirectory(), getReportfileName(), checkForGradleUpdate, gradleReleaseChannelLevel())
     DependencyUpdatesReporter reporter = evaluator.run()
@@ -78,6 +88,7 @@ class DependencyUpdatesTask extends DefaultTask {
    */
   void resolutionStrategy(final Action<? super ResolutionStrategyWithCurrent> resolutionStrategy) {
     this.resolutionStrategyAction = resolutionStrategy
+    this.resolutionStrategy = null
   }
 
   /** Returns the resolution revision level. */
diff --git a/src/test/groovy/com/github/benmanes/gradle/versions/ComponentSelectionRuleSourceSpec.groovy b/src/test/groovy/com/github/benmanes/gradle/versions/ComponentSelectionRuleSourceSpec.groovy
index fbfb93dd..bc90aace 100644
--- a/src/test/groovy/com/github/benmanes/gradle/versions/ComponentSelectionRuleSourceSpec.groovy
+++ b/src/test/groovy/com/github/benmanes/gradle/versions/ComponentSelectionRuleSourceSpec.groovy
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ final class ComponentSelectionRuleSourceSpec extends Specification {
   }
 
   @Unroll
-  def 'component selection works with rule-source'() {
+  def 'component selection works with rule-source (#assignment)'() {
     given:
     def classpathString = pluginClasspath
       .collect { it.absolutePath.replace('\\', '\\\\') } // escape backslashes in Windows paths
@@ -55,15 +55,15 @@ final class ComponentSelectionRuleSourceSpec extends Specification {
         dependencies {
           compile 'com.google.inject:guice:2.0'
         }
-        
-        dependencyUpdates.resolutionStrategy {
+
+        dependencyUpdates.resolutionStrategy ${assignment} {
           componentSelection {
             all(new Rule())
           }
         }
-        
+
         class Rule {
-        
+
           @Mutate
           void select(ComponentSelectionWithCurrent selection) {
             if (selection.candidate.version == "3.1" && selection.currentVersion == "2.0") {
@@ -83,5 +83,8 @@ final class ComponentSelectionRuleSourceSpec extends Specification {
     then:
     result.output.contains('com.google.inject:guice [2.0 -> 3.0]')
     srdErrWriter.toString().empty
+
+    where:
+    assignment << [' ', '=']
   }
 }