diff --git a/VERSION.txt b/VERSION.txt
index 2cb422167d5..b764dc45727 100644
--- a/VERSION.txt
+++ b/VERSION.txt
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ jetty-7.1.5-SNAPSHOT
  + 316597 Removed null check and fixed name in Resource#hrefEncodeURI
  + 316970 jetty.sh fails to find JETTY_HOME in standard directories
  + 316973 jetty.sh claims java installation is invalid
+ + 316976 removed quotes of JAVA_OPTIONS in jetty.sh
  + 317019 Date HTTP header not sent for HTTP/1.0 requests
  + JETTY-1237 Save local/remote address to be available after close
 
diff --git a/jetty-distribution/src/main/resources/bin/jetty.sh b/jetty-distribution/src/main/resources/bin/jetty.sh
index cc15d46ed2b..c0b1be6a7df 100755
--- a/jetty-distribution/src/main/resources/bin/jetty.sh
+++ b/jetty-distribution/src/main/resources/bin/jetty.sh
@@ -374,8 +374,8 @@ JETTY_START=$JETTY_HOME/start.jar
 START_INI=$(dirname $JETTY_START)/start.ini
 [ -r "$START_INI" ] || START_INI=""
 
-RUN_ARGS=("${JAVA_OPTIONS[@]}" -jar "$JETTY_START" $JETTY_ARGS "${CONFIGS[@]}")
-RUN_CMD=("$JAVA" "${RUN_ARGS[@]}")
+RUN_ARGS=(${JAVA_OPTIONS[@]} -jar "$JETTY_START" $JETTY_ARGS "${CONFIGS[@]}")
+RUN_CMD=("$JAVA" ${RUN_ARGS[@]})
 
 #####################################################
 # Comment these out after you're happy with what