--- a/nashorn/make/build.xml	Thu Dec 01 08:12:06 2016 -0800
+++ b/nashorn/make/build.xml	Fri Dec 02 05:39:13 2016 -0800
@@ -28,6 +28,10 @@
   <import file="code_coverage.xml"/>
 
   <target name="load-properties">
+    <!-- set default values to run.test.jvmargs.external property -->
+    <condition property="run.test.jvmargs.external" value="">
+     <not><isset property="run.test.jvmargs.external"/></not>
+    </condition>     
     <!-- loading locally defined resources and properties. NB they owerwrite default ones defined later -->
     <property file="${user.home}/.nashorn.project.local.properties"/>
 

--- a/nashorn/make/project.properties	Thu Dec 01 08:12:06 2016 -0800
+++ b/nashorn/make/project.properties	Fri Dec 02 05:39:13 2016 -0800
@@ -355,6 +355,7 @@
 run.test.jvmargs.common=\
   -server \
   ${test.module.imports} \
+  ${run.test.jvmargs.external} \
   ${nashorn.override.option} \
   -Dfile.encoding=UTF-8 \
   -Duser.language=${run.test.user.language} \