diff --git a/external/dockerfile_functions.sh b/external/dockerfile_functions.sh
index ea9b9f81dd..e1faba04ff 100755
--- a/external/dockerfile_functions.sh
+++ b/external/dockerfile_functions.sh
@@ -197,11 +197,11 @@ print_jdk_install() {
             "\n\t PATH=\"/opt/java/openjdk/bin:\$PATH\" " \
             "\n" >> ${file}
 
-    echo -e "\nENV JAVA_TOOL_OPTIONS=\"-XX:+IgnoreUnrecognizedVMOptions -XX:+IdleTuningGcOnIdle\" " \
+    echo -e "\nENV JAVA_TOOL_OPTIONS=\"$JAVA_TOOL_OPTIONS -XX:+IgnoreUnrecognizedVMOptions -XX:+IdleTuningGcOnIdle\" " \
             "\n" >> ${file}
 
     echo -e "\nENV RANDFILE=/tmp/.rnd  \\" \
-            "\n\t OPENJ9_JAVA_OPTIONS=\"-XX:+IgnoreUnrecognizedVMOptions -XX:+IdleTuningGcOnIdle -Dosgi.checkConfiguration=false\" " \
+            "\n\t OPENJ9_JAVA_OPTIONS=\"$OPENJ9_JAVA_OPTIONS -XX:+IgnoreUnrecognizedVMOptions -XX:+IdleTuningGcOnIdle -Dosgi.checkConfiguration=false\" " \
             "\n" >> ${file}
 
 }
@@ -445,7 +445,7 @@ print_maven_install() {
 print_java_tool_options() {
     local file=$1
 
-    echo -e "ENV JAVA_TOOL_OPTIONS=\"-Dfile.encoding=UTF8 -Djava.security.egd=file:/dev/./urandom\"\n" >> ${file}
+    echo -e "ENV JAVA_TOOL_OPTIONS=\"$JAVA_TOOL_OPTIONS -Dfile.encoding=UTF8 -Djava.security.egd=file:/dev/./urandom\"\n" >> ${file}
 }
 
 print_environment_variable() {
diff --git a/external/jenkins/test.sh b/external/jenkins/test.sh
index a78b9054df..c7dc1a0754 100644
--- a/external/jenkins/test.sh
+++ b/external/jenkins/test.sh
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ source $(dirname "$0")/test_base_functions.sh
 # Set up Java to be used by the jenkins test
 echo_setup
 
-export JAVA_TOOL_OPTIONS="-Dfile.encoding=UTF8"
+export JAVA_TOOL_OPTIONS="$JAVA_TOOL_OPTIONS -Dfile.encoding=UTF8"
 #begin jenkins test
 
 set -e
@@ -29,4 +29,4 @@ echo "Run jenkins test phase alone with cmd: \"mvn surefire:test\"" && \
 mvn --batch-mode surefire:test -Denforcer.fail=false
 test_exit_code=$?
 find ./ -type d -name 'surefire-reports' -exec cp -r "{}" /testResults \;
-exit $test_exit_code
\ No newline at end of file
+exit $test_exit_code
diff --git a/external/scala/test.sh b/external/scala/test.sh
index fb2d2b40a1..322405c426 100644
--- a/external/scala/test.sh
+++ b/external/scala/test.sh
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ source $(dirname "$0")/test_base_functions.sh
 echo_setup
 
 TEST_SUITE=$1
-export JAVA_TOOL_OPTIONS="-Dfile.encoding=UTF8"
+export JAVA_TOOL_OPTIONS="$JAVA_TOOL_OPTIONS -Dfile.encoding=UTF8"
 #begin scala test
 set -e
 
@@ -27,4 +27,4 @@ sbt -Dsbt.log.noformat=true "scala -version"
 echo "Begin to execute Scala test with cmd: sbt \"partest $TEST_SUITE\"" && \
 sbt -Dsbt.log.noformat=true "partest --terse $TEST_SUITE"
 
-set +e
\ No newline at end of file
+set +e