diff --git a/build.gradle.kts b/build.gradle.kts
index 47d59f05b27..2357d613483 100644
--- a/build.gradle.kts
+++ b/build.gradle.kts
@@ -12,9 +12,10 @@ buildscript {
         mavenCentral()
     }
     dependencies {
+        val kotlin_version: String by project
         classpath("com.android.tools.build:gradle:4.2.1")
         classpath("de.undercouch:gradle-download-task:4.1.1")
-
+        classpath("org.jetbrains.kotlin:kotlin-gradle-plugin:$kotlin_version")
         // NOTE: Do not place your application dependencies here; they belong
         // in the individual module build.gradle files
     }
diff --git a/gradle.properties b/gradle.properties
index 0edb7925961..94445081b28 100644
--- a/gradle.properties
+++ b/gradle.properties
@@ -6,3 +6,4 @@ org.gradle.parallel=true
 
 ANDROID_NDK_VERSION=20.1.5948944
 android.useAndroidX=true
+kotlin_version=1.4.21
diff --git a/packages/react-native-gradle-plugin/build.gradle.kts b/packages/react-native-gradle-plugin/build.gradle.kts
index baf3afc39d6..e81ff060a6e 100644
--- a/packages/react-native-gradle-plugin/build.gradle.kts
+++ b/packages/react-native-gradle-plugin/build.gradle.kts
@@ -8,7 +8,6 @@
 plugins {
   `java-gradle-plugin`
   `kotlin-dsl`
-  kotlin("jvm") version "1.4.20"
 }
 
 repositories {