diff --git a/java/runtime/src/main/java/org/ray/runtime/config/RayConfig.java b/java/runtime/src/main/java/org/ray/runtime/config/RayConfig.java
index f607b44ca..a2ef237e2 100644
--- a/java/runtime/src/main/java/org/ray/runtime/config/RayConfig.java
+++ b/java/runtime/src/main/java/org/ray/runtime/config/RayConfig.java
@@ -84,12 +84,12 @@ public class RayConfig {
     // run mode
     runMode = config.getEnum(RunMode.class, "ray.run-mode");
     // ray home
-    String rayHome = config.getString("ray.home");
-    if (!rayHome.startsWith("/")) {
+    String localRayHome = config.getString("ray.home");
+    if (!localRayHome.startsWith("/")) {
       // If ray.home isn't an absolute path, prepend it with current work dir.
-      rayHome = System.getProperty("user.dir") + "/" + rayHome;
+      localRayHome = System.getProperty("user.dir") + "/" + localRayHome;
     }
-    this.rayHome = removeTrailingSlash(rayHome);
+    rayHome = removeTrailingSlash(localRayHome);
     // node ip
     String nodeIp = config.getString("ray.node-ip");
     if (nodeIp.isEmpty()) {
@@ -150,7 +150,8 @@ public class RayConfig {
         rayHome + "/build/src/local_scheduler"
     ).addAll(customLibraryPath).build();
 
-    redisServerExecutablePath = rayHome + "/build/src/common/thirdparty/redis/src/redis-server";
+    redisServerExecutablePath = rayHome +
+        "/build/src/common/thirdparty/redis/src/redis-server";
     redisModulePath = rayHome + "/build/src/common/redis_module/libray_redis_module.so";
     plasmaStoreExecutablePath = rayHome + "/build/src/plasma/plasma_store_server";
     rayletExecutablePath = rayHome + "/build/src/ray/raylet/raylet";
diff --git a/java/test/src/main/java/org/ray/api/test/RayConfigTest.java b/java/test/src/main/java/org/ray/api/test/RayConfigTest.java
index f7b829bec..fd47e15ab 100644
--- a/java/test/src/main/java/org/ray/api/test/RayConfigTest.java
+++ b/java/test/src/main/java/org/ray/api/test/RayConfigTest.java
@@ -16,5 +16,11 @@ public class RayConfigTest {
     Assert.assertEquals("/path/to/ray", rayConfig.rayHome);
     Assert.assertEquals(WorkerMode.DRIVER, rayConfig.workerMode);
     Assert.assertEquals(RunMode.CLUSTER, rayConfig.runMode);
+
+    System.setProperty("ray.home", "");
+    rayConfig = RayConfig.create();
+    Assert.assertEquals(System.getProperty("user.dir"), rayConfig.rayHome);
+    Assert.assertEquals(System.getProperty("user.dir") +
+        "/build/src/common/thirdparty/redis/src/redis-server", rayConfig.redisServerExecutablePath);
   }
 }