diff --git a/external/build.xml b/external/build.xml
index f01b347196..e1832e4cc7 100644
--- a/external/build.xml
+++ b/external/build.xml
@@ -25,8 +25,10 @@
 	<property environment="env" />
 	<property name="top" location="../" />
 
+	<set-property name="DOCKERIMAGE_TAG_ISSET" if-property-isset="env.DOCKERIMAGE_TAG"/>
+	<set-property name="EXTRA_DOCKER_ARGS_ISSET" if-property-isset="env.EXTRA_DOCKER_ARGS"/>
 	<if>
-		<isset property="env.DOCKERIMAGE_TAG"/>
+		<isset property="DOCKERIMAGE_TAG_ISSET"/>
 		<then>
 			<property name="dockerImageTag" value="${env.DOCKERIMAGE_TAG}"/>
 		</then>
@@ -35,7 +37,7 @@
 		</else>
 	</if>
 	<if>
-		<isset property="env.EXTRA_DOCKER_ARGS"/>
+		<isset property="EXTRA_DOCKER_ARGS_ISSET"/>
 		<then>
 			<property name="extra_docker_args" value="${env.EXTRA_DOCKER_ARGS}"/>
 		</then>
diff --git a/external/external_custom/build.xml b/external/external_custom/build.xml
index f8224b50ff..5418be1e5f 100644
--- a/external/external_custom/build.xml
+++ b/external/external_custom/build.xml
@@ -9,14 +9,17 @@
 	<!-- set properties for this build -->
 	<property name="TEST" value="external_custom" />
 	<property environment="env" />
+	<set-property name="EXTERNAL_CUSTOM_REPO_ISSET" if-property-isset="env.EXTERNAL_CUSTOM_REPO"/>
+	<set-property name="EXTERNAL_REPO_BRANCH_ISSET" if-property-isset="env.EXTERNAL_REPO_BRANCH"/>
+	<set-property name="EXTERNAL_TEST_CMD_ISSET" if-property-isset="env.EXTERNAL_TEST_CMD"/>
 	<condition property="EXTERNAL_CUSTOM_REPO" value="${env.EXTERNAL_CUSTOM_REPO}" else="">
-		<isset property="env.EXTERNAL_CUSTOM_REPO" />
+		<isset property="EXTERNAL_CUSTOM_REPO_ISSET" />
 	</condition>
 	<condition property="EXTERNAL_REPO_BRANCH" value="${env.EXTERNAL_REPO_BRANCH}" else="master">
-		<isset property="env.EXTERNAL_REPO_BRANCH" />
+		<isset property="EXTERNAL_REPO_BRANCH_ISSET" />
 	</condition>
 	<condition property="EXTERNAL_TEST_CMD" value="${env.EXTERNAL_TEST_CMD}" else="mvn clean install">
-		<isset property="env.EXTERNAL_TEST_CMD" />
+		<isset property="EXTERNAL_TEST_CMD_ISSET" />
 	</condition>
 	<property name="DEST" value="${BUILD_ROOT}/external/${TEST}" />
 	<property name="src" location="." />
diff --git a/functional/OpenJcePlusTests/build.xml b/functional/OpenJcePlusTests/build.xml
index 651c596f66..f884ea0789 100644
--- a/functional/OpenJcePlusTests/build.xml
+++ b/functional/OpenJcePlusTests/build.xml
@@ -35,9 +35,9 @@
 			<available file="OpenJCEPlus" type="dir"/>
 		</condition>
 	</target>
-
+	<set-property name="OPENJCEPLUS_GIT_REPO_ISSET" if-property-isset="env.OPENJCEPLUS_GIT_REPO"/>
 	<if>
-		<isset property="env.OPENJCEPLUS_GIT_REPO"/>
+		<isset property="OPENJCEPLUS_GIT_REPO_ISSET"/>
 		<then>
 			<property name="openjceplusGitRepo" value="${env.OPENJCEPLUS_GIT_REPO}"/>
 		</then>
@@ -45,8 +45,9 @@
 			<property name="openjceplusGitRepo" value="https://github.com/ibmruntimes/OpenJCEPlus.git"/>
 		</else>
 	</if>
+	<set-property name="OPENJCEPLUS_GIT_BRANCH_ISSET" if-property-isset="env.OPENJCEPLUS_GIT_BRANCH"/>	
 	<if>
-		<isset property="env.OPENJCEPLUS_GIT_BRANCH"/>
+		<isset property="OPENJCEPLUS_GIT_BRANCH_ISSET"/>
 		<then>
 			<property name="openjceplusGitBranch" value="${env.OPENJCEPLUS_GIT_BRANCH}"/>
 		</then>
diff --git a/jck/build.xml b/jck/build.xml
index ed5278537c..8c9e213734 100644
--- a/jck/build.xml
+++ b/jck/build.xml
@@ -37,9 +37,10 @@
 	<condition property="src-encoding" value="IBM-1047" else="UTF-8">
 		<isset property="isZOS"/>
 	</condition>
-	
+
+	<set-property name="JCK_GIT_BRANCH_ISSET" if-property-isset="env.JCK_GIT_BRANCH"/>
 	<condition property="jck_branch" value="${env.JCK_GIT_BRANCH}" else="main">
-		<isset property="env.JCK_GIT_BRANCH"/>
+		<isset property="JCK_GIT_BRANCH_ISSET"/>
 	</condition>
 	
 	<property name="jtrunner_src_dir" value="${TEST_ROOT}/jck/jtrunner"/>
@@ -346,9 +347,9 @@
 		<property name="JCK_ROOT_USED" location="${JCK_ROOT_RELATIVE_PATH}"/>
 
 		<echo>=== JCK_ROOT_USED is set to ${JCK_ROOT_USED} ===</echo>
-
+        <set-property name="JCK_VERSION_ISSET" if-property-isset="env.JCK_VERSION"/>
 		<if>
-			<isset property="env.JCK_VERSION" />
+			<isset property="JCK_VERSION_ISSET" />
 			<then>
 				<property name="JCK_VERSION_USED" value="${env.JCK_VERSION}" />
 			</then>