diff --git a/buildSrc/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/gradle/test/DistroTestPlugin.java b/buildSrc/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/gradle/test/DistroTestPlugin.java
index 321929819a6..bd635a4f673 100644
--- a/buildSrc/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/gradle/test/DistroTestPlugin.java
+++ b/buildSrc/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/gradle/test/DistroTestPlugin.java
@@ -71,6 +71,8 @@ import static org.elasticsearch.gradle.vagrant.VagrantMachine.convertLinuxPath;
 import static org.elasticsearch.gradle.vagrant.VagrantMachine.convertWindowsPath;
 
 public class DistroTestPlugin implements Plugin<Project> {
+    private static final String SYSTEM_JDK_VERSION = "8u242+b08";
+    private static final String SYSTEM_JDK_VENDOR = "adoptopenjdk";
     private static final String GRADLE_JDK_VERSION = "14+36@076bab302c7b4508975440c56f6cc26a";
     private static final String GRADLE_JDK_VENDOR = "openjdk";
 
@@ -231,11 +233,13 @@ public class DistroTestPlugin implements Plugin<Project> {
 
         NamedDomainObjectContainer<Jdk> jdksContainer = JdkDownloadPlugin.getContainer(project);
         String platform = box.contains("windows") ? "windows" : "linux";
+        Jdk systemJdk = createJdk(jdksContainer, "system", SYSTEM_JDK_VENDOR, SYSTEM_JDK_VERSION, platform, "x64");
         Jdk gradleJdk = createJdk(jdksContainer, "gradle", GRADLE_JDK_VENDOR, GRADLE_JDK_VERSION, platform, "x64");
 
         // setup VM used by these tests
         VagrantExtension vagrant = project.getExtensions().getByType(VagrantExtension.class);
         vagrant.setBox(box);
+        vagrant.vmEnv("SYSTEM_JAVA_HOME", convertPath(project, vagrant, systemJdk, "", ""));
         vagrant.vmEnv("PATH", convertPath(project, vagrant, gradleJdk, "/bin:$PATH", "\\bin;$Env:PATH"));
         // pass these along to get correct build scans
         if (System.getenv("JENKINS_URL") != null) {
@@ -243,7 +247,7 @@ public class DistroTestPlugin implements Plugin<Project> {
         }
         vagrant.setIsWindowsVM(isWindows(project));
 
-        return Arrays.asList(gradleJdk);
+        return Arrays.asList(systemJdk, gradleJdk);
     }
 
     private static Object convertPath(Project project, VagrantExtension vagrant, Jdk jdk, String additionaLinux, String additionalWindows) {
diff --git a/qa/os/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/packaging/test/ArchiveTests.java b/qa/os/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/packaging/test/ArchiveTests.java
index 4a0281dd48c..786bce6d471 100644
--- a/qa/os/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/packaging/test/ArchiveTests.java
+++ b/qa/os/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/packaging/test/ArchiveTests.java
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ import static org.hamcrest.CoreMatchers.containsString;
 import static org.hamcrest.CoreMatchers.equalTo;
 import static org.hamcrest.CoreMatchers.is;
 import static org.hamcrest.CoreMatchers.not;
+import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.empty;
 import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.emptyString;
 import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.startsWith;
 import static org.junit.Assume.assumeThat;
@@ -134,8 +135,8 @@ public class ArchiveTests extends PackagingTestCase {
             throw e;
         }
 
-        final String gcLogName = distribution().hasJdk == false ? "gc.log.0.current" : "gc.log";
-        assertThat(installation.logs.resolve(gcLogName), fileExists());
+        List<Path> gcLogs = FileUtils.lsGlob(installation.logs, "gc.log*");
+        assertThat(gcLogs, is(not(empty())));
         ServerUtils.runElasticsearchTests();
 
         stopElasticsearch();
diff --git a/qa/os/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/packaging/test/PackagingTestCase.java b/qa/os/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/packaging/test/PackagingTestCase.java
index 5097f17b565..eed0d13e317 100644
--- a/qa/os/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/packaging/test/PackagingTestCase.java
+++ b/qa/os/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/packaging/test/PackagingTestCase.java
@@ -176,11 +176,15 @@ public abstract class PackagingTestCase extends Assert {
 
     @After
     public void teardown() throws Exception {
-        // move log file so we can avoid false positives when grepping for
-        // messages in logs during test
         if (installation != null && failed == false) {
             if (Files.exists(installation.logs)) {
                 Path logFile = installation.logs.resolve("elasticsearch.log");
+                if (Files.exists(logFile)) {
+                    logger.warn("Elasticsearch log:\n" + FileUtils.slurpAllLogs(installation.logs, "elasticsearch.log", "*.log.gz"));
+                }
+
+                // move log file so we can avoid false positives when grepping for
+                // messages in logs during test
                 String prefix = this.getClass().getSimpleName() + "." + testNameRule.getMethodName();
                 if (Files.exists(logFile)) {
                     Path newFile = installation.logs.resolve(prefix + ".elasticsearch.log");