diff --git a/m2-bootstrap-all.sh b/m2-bootstrap-all.sh
index 22ac8b47b7..608ab6a728 100644
--- a/m2-bootstrap-all.sh
+++ b/m2-bootstrap-all.sh
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 JAVACMD=$JAVA_HOME/bin/java
 
 ARGS="$@"
+ORIG_ARGS="$ARGS"
 
 # OS specific support.  $var _must_ be set to either true or false.
 cygwin=false;
@@ -64,7 +65,7 @@ ret=$?; if [ $ret != 0 ]; then exit $ret; fi
   echo
   echo "Running maven-core integration tests ..."
   echo 
-  ./maven-core-it.sh $ARGS
+  ./maven-core-it.sh "$ORIG_ARGS"
   ret=$?; if [ $ret != 0 ]; then exit $ret; fi
 )
 ret=$?; if [ $ret != 0 ]; then exit $ret; fi
diff --git a/maven-core-it/maven-core-it.sh b/maven-core-it/maven-core-it.sh
index 29c011e451..72a56b444c 100755
--- a/maven-core-it/maven-core-it.sh
+++ b/maven-core-it/maven-core-it.sh
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ verifier=org.apache.maven.it.Verifier
 jvm_args="$@"
 
 if [ ! -z "$MAVEN_OPTS" ]; then
-  jvm_args="$jvm_args $MAVEN_OPTS"
+  jvm_args="$MAVEN_OPTS $jvm_args"
 fi
 
 # OS specific support.  $var _must_ be set to either true or false.