diff --git a/build-packaging/nano/bin/checkJava.sh b/build-packaging/nano/bin/checkJava.sh
index 43a4dfa..9630861 100755
--- a/build-packaging/nano/bin/checkJava.sh
+++ b/build-packaging/nano/bin/checkJava.sh
@@ -7,8 +7,15 @@
     CLASSPATH=$(cygpath -wp $CLASSPATH)
 fi
 
+if [ -z "$JAVA_HOME" ]
+then
+  	JAVA_EXECUTABLE=java
+else
+  	JAVA_EXECUTABLE=$JAVA_HOME/bin/java
+fi
+
 # Run java version check with the discovered java jvm.
-$JAVA_HOME/bin/java \
+$JAVA_EXECUTABLE \
 	-classpath $CLASSPATH \
 	org.eclipse.virgo.util.env.JavaVersionChecker
 
diff --git a/build-packaging/nano/bin/dmk.sh b/build-packaging/nano/bin/dmk.sh
index 15943ad..1fc2017 100755
--- a/build-packaging/nano/bin/dmk.sh
+++ b/build-packaging/nano/bin/dmk.sh
@@ -173,6 +173,13 @@
 		-Dcom.sun.management.jmxremote.ssl=true \
 		-Dcom.sun.management.jmxremote.ssl.need.client.auth=false"
 
+   	if [ -z "$JAVA_HOME" ]
+    then
+      	JAVA_EXECUTABLE=java
+    else
+     	JAVA_EXECUTABLE=$JAVA_HOME/bin/java
+    fi
+
 	# If we get here we have the correct Java version.
 	
 	if [ -z "$NO_START_FLAG" ]
@@ -185,7 +192,7 @@
                     -Xmx512m \
                     -XX:MaxPermSize=512m"
 
-		cd $KERNEL_HOME; exec $JAVA_HOME/bin/java \
+		cd $KERNEL_HOME; exec $JAVA_EXECUTABLE \
 			$JAVA_OPTS \
 			$DEBUG_OPTS \
 			$JMX_OPTS \
@@ -271,7 +278,7 @@
         CONFIG_DIR=$(cygpath -wp $CONFIG_DIR)
     fi
 
-	exec $JAVA_HOME/bin/java $JAVA_OPTS $JMX_OPTS \
+	exec $JAVA_EXECUTABLE $JAVA_OPTS $JMX_OPTS \
 		-classpath $CLASSPATH \
 		-Dorg.eclipse.virgo.kernel.home=$KERNEL_HOME \
 		-Dorg.eclipse.virgo.kernel.authentication.file=$CONFIG_DIR/org.eclipse.virgo.kernel.users.properties \
diff --git a/build-packaging/nano/bin/setupClasspath.sh b/build-packaging/nano/bin/setupClasspath.sh
index 4848183..cb333e9 100755
--- a/build-packaging/nano/bin/setupClasspath.sh
+++ b/build-packaging/nano/bin/setupClasspath.sh
@@ -3,8 +3,7 @@
 # make sure we have JAVA_HOME set
 if [ -z "$JAVA_HOME" ]
 then
-echo The JAVA_HOME environment variable is not defined
-exit 1
+echo The JAVA_HOME environment variable is not defined. Using PATH instead.
 fi
 
 CLASSPATH=