diff --git a/lib/manager/gradle/index.ts b/lib/manager/gradle/index.ts
index b535adec707bad..2362cad7125acf 100644
--- a/lib/manager/gradle/index.ts
+++ b/lib/manager/gradle/index.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { exists } from 'fs-extra';
+import { access, constants, exists } from 'fs-extra';
 import upath from 'upath';
 
 import { exec } from '../../util/exec';
@@ -139,7 +139,10 @@ async function getGradleCommandLine(
   cwd: string
 ): Promise<string> {
   let cmd: string;
-  const gradlewExists = await exists(upath.join(cwd, 'gradlew'));
+  const gradlewPath = upath.join(cwd, 'gradlew');
+  const gradlewExists = await exists(gradlewPath);
+  const gradlewExecutable = gradlewExists && (await canExecute(gradlewPath));
+
   if (config.binarySource === 'docker') {
     cmd = `docker run --rm `;
     // istanbul ignore if
@@ -148,6 +151,8 @@ async function getGradleCommandLine(
     }
     cmd += `-v ${cwd}:${cwd} -w ${cwd} `;
     cmd += `renovate/gradle gradle`;
+  } else if (gradlewExecutable) {
+    cmd = './gradlew';
   } else if (gradlewExists) {
     cmd = 'sh gradlew';
   } else {
@@ -156,4 +161,13 @@ async function getGradleCommandLine(
   return cmd + ' ' + GRADLE_DEPENDENCY_REPORT_OPTIONS;
 }
 
+async function canExecute(path: string): Promise<boolean> {
+  try {
+    await access(path, constants.X_OK);
+    return true;
+  } catch {
+    return false;
+  }
+}
+
 export const language = 'java';
diff --git a/test/manager/gradle/index.spec.ts b/test/manager/gradle/index.spec.ts
index 79b6f69d436ce8..56653c59d764f6 100644
--- a/test/manager/gradle/index.spec.ts
+++ b/test/manager/gradle/index.spec.ts
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ describe('manager/gradle', () => {
     fs.readFile.mockResolvedValue(updatesDependenciesReport as any);
     fs.mkdir.mockResolvedValue();
     fs.exists.mockResolvedValue(true);
+    fs.access.mockResolvedValue(undefined);
     exec.mockResolvedValue({ stdout: 'gradle output', stderr: '' } as never);
     platform.getFile.mockResolvedValue('some content');
   });
@@ -109,6 +110,19 @@ describe('manager/gradle', () => {
     it('should execute gradlew when available', async () => {
       await manager.extractAllPackageFiles(config, ['build.gradle']);
 
+      expect(exec.mock.calls[0][0]).toBe(
+        './gradlew --init-script renovate-plugin.gradle renovate'
+      );
+      expect(exec.mock.calls[0][1]).toMatchObject({
+        cwd: 'localDir',
+        timeout: 20000,
+      });
+    });
+
+    it('should run gradlew through `sh` when available but not executable', async () => {
+      fs.access.mockRejectedValue(undefined);
+      await manager.extractAllPackageFiles(config, ['build.gradle']);
+
       expect(exec.mock.calls[0][0]).toBe(
         'sh gradlew --init-script renovate-plugin.gradle renovate'
       );