diff --git a/bin/logstash.lib.sh b/bin/logstash.lib.sh
index cbc611953..e8aa134b4 100755
--- a/bin/logstash.lib.sh
+++ b/bin/logstash.lib.sh
@@ -16,10 +16,10 @@ setup_ruby() {
 
 setup_java() {
   if [ -z "$JAVACMD" ] ; then
-    if [ -z "$JAVA_HOME/bin/java" ] ; then
+    if [ -n "$JAVA_HOME" ] ; then
       JAVACMD="$JAVA_HOME/bin/java"
     else
-      JAVACMD="java"
+      JAVACMD="$(which java 2> /dev/null)"
     fi
   elif [ "$(basename $JAVACMD)" = "drip" ] ; then
     export DRIP_INIT_CLASS="org.jruby.main.DripMain"
@@ -27,11 +27,8 @@ setup_java() {
   fi
 
   if [ ! -x "$JAVACMD" ] ; then
-    JAVACMD="$(which $JAVACMD 2> /dev/null)"
-    if [ ! -x "$JAVACMD" ] ; then
-      echo "Could not find any executable java binary (tried '$JAVACMD'). Please install java in your PATH or set JAVA_HOME."
-      exit 1
-    fi
+    echo "Could not find any executable java binary. Please install java in your PATH or set JAVA_HOME."
+    exit 1
   fi
 
   JAVA_OPTS="$JAVA_OPTS -Xmx${LS_HEAP_SIZE}"