diff --git a/src/universal/bin/sbt-launch-lib.bash b/src/universal/bin/sbt-launch-lib.bash
index 7e49163f3..3bc47cd72 100755
--- a/src/universal/bin/sbt-launch-lib.bash
+++ b/src/universal/bin/sbt-launch-lib.bash
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ get_mem_opts () {
     local arg_xms=$([[ "${java_args[@]}" == *-Xms* ]] && echo "" || echo "-Xms${mem}m")
     local arg_xmx=$([[ "${java_args[@]}" == *-Xmx* ]] && echo "" || echo "-Xmx${mem}m")
     local arg_rccs=$([[ "${java_args[@]}" == *-XX:ReservedCodeCacheSize* ]] && echo "" || echo "-XX:ReservedCodeCacheSize=${codecache}m")
-    local arg_meta=$([[ "${java_args[@]}" == *-XX:${class_metadata_opt}* ]] && echo "" || echo "-XX:${class_metadata_opt}=${class_metadata_size}m")
+    local arg_meta=$([[ "${java_args[@]}" == *-XX:${class_metadata_opt}* && ! "$java_version" < "1.8" ]] && echo "" || echo "-XX:${class_metadata_opt}=${class_metadata_size}m")
 
     echo "${arg_xms} ${arg_xmx} ${arg_rccs} ${arg_meta}"
   fi