diff --git a/src/universal/bin/sbt-launch-lib.bash b/src/universal/bin/sbt-launch-lib.bash
index f51460a2a..c66f5e849 100755
--- a/src/universal/bin/sbt-launch-lib.bash
+++ b/src/universal/bin/sbt-launch-lib.bash
@@ -154,13 +154,6 @@ process_args () {
   ## parses 1.7, 1.8, 9, etc out of java version "1.8.0_91"
   java_version=$("$java_cmd" -Xmx512M -version 2>&1 | sed 's/.*version "\([0-9]*\)\(\.[0-9]*\)\{0,1\}\(.*\)*"/\1\2/; 1q')
   vlog "[process_args] java_version = '$java_version'"
-  rtexport=$(rt_export_file)
-  sbt_global_dir=$("$java_cmd" ${JAVA_OPTS} ${SBT_OPTS:-$default_sbt_opts} ${java_args[@]} \
-    -jar "$rtexport" --global-base)
-  java9_ext=$(echo "$sbt_global_dir/java9-rt-ext")
-  java9_rt=$(echo "$java9_ext/rt.jar")
-  vlog "[process_args] sbt_global_dir = '$sbt_global_dir'"
-  vlog "[process_args] java9_rt = '$java9_rt'"
 }
 
 # Detect that we have java installed.
@@ -187,21 +180,27 @@ checkJava() {
 }
 
 copyRt() {
-  if [[ "$java_version" > "8" ]] && [[ ! -f "$java9_rt" ]]; then
-    echo Copying runtime jar.
-    execRunner "$java_cmd" \
-      ${JAVA_OPTS} \
-      ${SBT_OPTS:-$default_sbt_opts} \
-      ${java_args[@]} \
-      -jar "$rtexport" \
-      "${java9_rt}"
-  fi
   if [[ "$java_version" > "8" ]]; then
+    rtexport=$(rt_export_file)
+    sbt_global_dir=$("$java_cmd" ${JAVA_OPTS} ${SBT_OPTS:-$default_sbt_opts} ${java_args[@]} \
+      -jar "$rtexport" --global-base)
+    java9_ext=$(echo "$sbt_global_dir/java9-rt-ext")
+    java9_rt=$(echo "$java9_ext/rt.jar")
+    vlog "[copyRt] sbt_global_dir = '$sbt_global_dir'"
+    vlog "[copyRt] java9_rt = '$java9_rt'"
+    if [[ ! -f "$java9_rt" ]]; then
+      echo Copying runtime jar.
+      execRunner "$java_cmd" \
+        ${JAVA_OPTS} \
+        ${SBT_OPTS:-$default_sbt_opts} \
+        ${java_args[@]} \
+        -jar "$rtexport" \
+        "${java9_rt}"
+    fi
     addJava "-Dscala.ext.dirs=${java9_ext}"
   fi
 }
 
-
 run() {
   # no jar? download it.
   [[ -f "$sbt_jar" ]] || acquire_sbt_jar "$sbt_version" || {
diff --git a/src/universal/bin/sbt.bat b/src/universal/bin/sbt.bat
index 4411697a1..a02088a23 100644
--- a/src/universal/bin/sbt.bat
+++ b/src/universal/bin/sbt.bat
@@ -115,15 +115,6 @@ if /I %ERRORLEVEL% EQU 0 (set JAVA_VERSION=1.6)
 findstr /c:"version \"1.5" "%TEMP%.\out.txt"
 if /I %ERRORLEVEL% EQU 0 (set JAVA_VERSION=1.5)
 
-set rtexport=%SBT_HOME%java9-rt-export.jar
-
-"%_JAVACMD%" %_JAVA_OPTS% %SBT_OPTS% -jar "%rtexport%" --global-base > "%TEMP%.\global_base.txt"
-set /p sbt_global_dir= < "%TEMP%.\global_base.txt"
-set java9_ext=%sbt_global_dir%\java9-rt-ext
-set java9_rt=%java9_ext%\rt.jar
-
-echo %java9_rt%
-
 exit /B 0
 
 :checkjava
@@ -143,6 +134,13 @@ exit /B 1
 
 :copyrt
 if /I "%JAVA_VERSION%" GEQ "9" (
+  set rtexport=%SBT_HOME%java9-rt-export.jar
+
+  "%_JAVACMD%" %_JAVA_OPTS% %SBT_OPTS% -jar "%rtexport%" --global-base > "%TEMP%.\global_base.txt"
+  set /p sbt_global_dir= < "%TEMP%.\global_base.txt"
+  set java9_ext=%sbt_global_dir%\java9-rt-ext
+  set java9_rt=%java9_ext%\rt.jar
+
   if not exist "%java9_rt%" (
     echo Copying runtime jar.
     mkdir "%java9_ext%"