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 f641e9227bf..13b69b76410 100644
--- a/buildSrc/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/gradle/test/DistroTestPlugin.java
+++ b/buildSrc/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/gradle/test/DistroTestPlugin.java
@@ -289,13 +289,8 @@ public class DistroTestPlugin implements Plugin<Project> {
         VagrantExtension vagrant = project.getExtensions().getByType(VagrantExtension.class);
         vagrant.setBox(box);
         vagrant.vmEnv("SYSTEM_JAVA_HOME", convertPath(project, vagrant, systemJdkProvider, "", ""));
-        vagrant.vmEnv("JAVA_HOME", convertPath(project, vagrant, gradleJdkProvider, "", "")); // make sure any default java on the system is
-                                                                                              // ignored
-        // also set RUNTIME_JAVA_HOME, not because it is used, but to ensure the bundled jdk version is not loaded by gradle on legacy
-        // systems
-        vagrant.vmEnv("RUNTIME_JAVA_HOME", convertPath(project, vagrant, gradleJdkProvider, "", ""));
-        vagrant.vmEnv("PATH", convertPath(project, vagrant, gradleJdkProvider, "/bin:$PATH", "\\bin;$Env:PATH"));
-        // pass these along to get correct build scans
+        // set java home for gradle to use. package tests will overwrite/remove this for each test case
+        vagrant.vmEnv("JAVA_HOME", convertPath(project, vagrant, gradleJdkProvider, "", ""));
         if (System.getenv("JENKINS_URL") != null) {
             Stream.of("JOB_NAME", "JENKINS_URL", "BUILD_NUMBER", "BUILD_URL").forEach(name -> vagrant.vmEnv(name, System.getenv(name)));
         }
diff --git a/qa/os/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/packaging/util/Shell.java b/qa/os/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/packaging/util/Shell.java
index 6411a1aa100..859f718ec76 100644
--- a/qa/os/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/packaging/util/Shell.java
+++ b/qa/os/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/packaging/util/Shell.java
@@ -166,6 +166,7 @@ public class Shell {
         if (workingDirectory != null) {
             setWorkingDirectory(builder, workingDirectory);
         }
+        builder.environment().keySet().remove("JAVA_HOME"); // start with a fresh environment
         for (Map.Entry<String, String> entry : env.entrySet()) {
             builder.environment().put(entry.getKey(), entry.getValue());
         }