diff --git a/distribution/src/bin/elasticsearch.bat b/distribution/src/bin/elasticsearch.bat
index 6e268c9b13321..28e33c9b71166 100644
--- a/distribution/src/bin/elasticsearch.bat
+++ b/distribution/src/bin/elasticsearch.bat
@@ -41,9 +41,9 @@ IF ERRORLEVEL 1 (
 	EXIT /B %ERRORLEVEL%
 )
 
-set "ES_JVM_OPTIONS=%ES_PATH_CONF%\jvm.options"
+set ES_JVM_OPTIONS=%ES_PATH_CONF%\jvm.options
 @setlocal
-for /F "usebackq delims=" %%a in (`"%JAVA% -cp "!ES_CLASSPATH!" "org.elasticsearch.tools.launchers.JvmOptionsParser" "!ES_JVM_OPTIONS!" || echo jvm_options_parser_failed"`) do set JVM_OPTIONS=%%a
+for /F "usebackq delims=" %%a in (`CALL %JAVA% -cp "!ES_CLASSPATH!" "org.elasticsearch.tools.launchers.JvmOptionsParser" "!ES_JVM_OPTIONS!" ^|^| echo jvm_options_parser_failed`) do set JVM_OPTIONS=%%a
 @endlocal & set "MAYBE_JVM_OPTIONS_PARSER_FAILED=%JVM_OPTIONS%" & set ES_JAVA_OPTS=%JVM_OPTIONS:${ES_TMPDIR}=!ES_TMPDIR!% %ES_JAVA_OPTS%
 
 if "%MAYBE_JVM_OPTIONS_PARSER_FAILED%" == "jvm_options_parser_failed" (