diff --git a/autoload/airline/extensions/tabline.vim b/autoload/airline/extensions/tabline.vim
index 47004751..64bd48c1 100644
--- a/autoload/airline/extensions/tabline.vim
+++ b/autoload/airline/extensions/tabline.vim
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ function! airline#extensions#tabline#add_tab_label(dict)
 endfunction
 
 
-if !exists(":def") || (exists(":def") && get(g:, "airline_experimental", 0) == 0)
+if !exists(":def") || !airline#util#has_vim9_script()
 
   " Legacy Vim Script Implementation
 
diff --git a/autoload/airline/extensions/tabline/formatters/default.vim b/autoload/airline/extensions/tabline/formatters/default.vim
index 5dab7b05..428be7b4 100644
--- a/autoload/airline/extensions/tabline/formatters/default.vim
+++ b/autoload/airline/extensions/tabline/formatters/default.vim
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 
 scriptencoding utf-8
 
-if !exists(":def") || (exists(":def") && get(g:, "airline_experimental", 0) == 0)
+if !exists(":def") || !airline#util#has_vim9_script()
   function! airline#extensions#tabline#formatters#default#format(bufnr, buffers)
     let fnametruncate = get(g:, 'airline#extensions#tabline#fnametruncate', 0)
     let fmod = get(g:, 'airline#extensions#tabline#fnamemod', ':~:.')
diff --git a/autoload/airline/highlighter.vim b/autoload/airline/highlighter.vim
index 348a8426..8f2e075a 100644
--- a/autoload/airline/highlighter.vim
+++ b/autoload/airline/highlighter.vim
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ let s:separators = {}
 let s:accents = {}
 let s:hl_groups = {}
 
-if !exists(":def") || (exists(":def") && get(g:, "airline_experimental", 0) == 0)
+if !exists(":def") || !airline#util#has_vim9_script()
 
   " Legacy Vimscript implementation
   function! s:gui2cui(rgb, fallback) abort
diff --git a/autoload/airline/msdos.vim b/autoload/airline/msdos.vim
index ebafdc7c..594c191e 100644
--- a/autoload/airline/msdos.vim
+++ b/autoload/airline/msdos.vim
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ let s:basic16 = [
   \ [ 0xFF, 0xFF, 0xFF ]
   \ ]
 
-if !exists(":def") || (exists(":def") && get(g:, "airline_experimental", 0) == 0)
+if !exists(":def") || !airline#util#has_vim9_script()
 
 	function! airline#msdos#round_msdos_colors(rgblist)
 		" Check for values from MSDOS 16 color terminal
diff --git a/autoload/airline/themes.vim b/autoload/airline/themes.vim
index 0ce28487..e12f1540 100644
--- a/autoload/airline/themes.vim
+++ b/autoload/airline/themes.vim
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 
 scriptencoding utf-8
 
-if !exists(":def") || (exists(":def") && get(g:, "airline_experimental", 0) == 0)
+if !exists(":def") || !airline#util#has_vim9_script()
 
   " Legacy Vim Script Implementation
 
diff --git a/autoload/airline/util.vim b/autoload/airline/util.vim
index 337851d8..d871249b 100644
--- a/autoload/airline/util.vim
+++ b/autoload/airline/util.vim
@@ -214,3 +214,10 @@ function! airline#util#try_focusgained()
   return dt >= 1
 endfunction
 
+function! airline#util#has_vim9_script()
+  " Returns true, if Vim is new enough to understand vim9 script
+  return (exists(":def") &&
+    \ v:versionlong >= 8022844 &&
+    \ get(g:, "airline_experimental", 0))
+endfunction
+