diff --git a/ale_linters/java/javalsp.vim b/ale_linters/java/javalsp.vim
index a327363d..f56675d6 100644
--- a/ale_linters/java/javalsp.vim
+++ b/ale_linters/java/javalsp.vim
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 " Author: Horacio Sanson <https://github.com/hsanson>
 " Description: Support for the Java language server https://github.com/georgewfraser/vscode-javac
 
-call ale#Set('java_javalsp_executable', 'java')
+call ale#Set('java_javalsp_executable', '')
 
 function! ale_linters#java#javalsp#Executable(buffer) abort
     return ale#Var(a:buffer, 'java_javalsp_executable')
@@ -10,7 +10,25 @@ endfunction
 function! ale_linters#java#javalsp#Command(buffer) abort
     let l:executable = ale_linters#java#javalsp#Executable(a:buffer)
 
-    return ale#Escape(l:executable) . ' -Xverify:none -m javacs/org.javacs.Main'
+    if fnamemodify(l:executable, ':t') is# 'java'
+        " For backward compatibility.
+        let l:cmd = [
+        \ ale#Escape(l:executable),
+        \ '--add-exports jdk.compiler/com.sun.tools.javac.api=javacs',
+        \ '--add-exports jdk.compiler/com.sun.tools.javac.code=javacs',
+        \ '--add-exports jdk.compiler/com.sun.tools.javac.comp=javacs',
+        \ '--add-exports jdk.compiler/com.sun.tools.javac.main=javacs',
+        \ '--add-exports jdk.compiler/com.sun.tools.javac.tree=javacs',
+        \ '--add-exports jdk.compiler/com.sun.tools.javac.model=javacs',
+        \ '--add-exports jdk.compiler/com.sun.tools.javac.util=javacs',
+        \ '--add-opens jdk.compiler/com.sun.tools.javac.api=javacs',
+        \ '-m javacs/org.javacs.Main',
+        \]
+
+        return join(l:cmd, ' ')
+    else
+        return ale#Escape(l:executable)
+    endif
 endfunction
 
 call ale#linter#Define('java', {
diff --git a/doc/ale-java.txt b/doc/ale-java.txt
index 65d2299b..a563f1fb 100644
--- a/doc/ale-java.txt
+++ b/doc/ale-java.txt
@@ -117,16 +117,19 @@ or
 
 This generates a dist/mac or dist/windows directory that contains the
 language server. To let ALE use this language server you need to set the
-g:ale_java_javalsp_executable variable to the absolute path of the java
+g:ale_java_javalsp_executable variable to the absolute path of the launcher
 executable in this directory.
 
 g:ale_java_javalsp_executable                   *g:ale_java_javalsp_executable*
                                                 *b:ale_java_javalsp_executable*
   Type: |String|
-  Default: `'java'`
-
-This variable can be changed to use a different executable for java.
+  Default: `'launcher'`
 
+This variable must be set to the absolute path of the language server launcher
+executable. For example:
+>
+  let g:ale_java_javalsp_executable=/java-language-server/dist/mac/bin/launcher
+<
 
 ===============================================================================
 eclipselsp                                                *ale-java-eclipselsp*
diff --git a/test/command_callback/test_javalsp_command_callback.vader b/test/command_callback/test_javalsp_command_callback.vader
index 8bfaa8ee..ca7388c0 100644
--- a/test/command_callback/test_javalsp_command_callback.vader
+++ b/test/command_callback/test_javalsp_command_callback.vader
@@ -6,9 +6,26 @@ After:
   call ale#assert#TearDownLinterTest()
 
 Execute(The javalsp callback should return the correct default value):
-  AssertLinter 'java', ale#Escape('java') . ' -Xverify:none -m javacs/org.javacs.Main'
+  AssertLinter '', ale#Escape('')
 
 Execute(The javalsp java executable should be configurable):
   let b:ale_java_javalsp_executable = '/bin/foobar'
 
-  AssertLinter '/bin/foobar', ale#Escape('/bin/foobar') . ' -Xverify:none -m javacs/org.javacs.Main'
+  AssertLinter '/bin/foobar', ale#Escape('/bin/foobar')
+
+Execute(The javalsp callback should return backward compatible value):
+  let b:ale_java_javalsp_executable = '/bin/java'
+  let cmd = [
+  \ ale#Escape('/bin/java'),
+  \ '--add-exports jdk.compiler/com.sun.tools.javac.api=javacs',
+  \ '--add-exports jdk.compiler/com.sun.tools.javac.code=javacs',
+  \ '--add-exports jdk.compiler/com.sun.tools.javac.comp=javacs',
+  \ '--add-exports jdk.compiler/com.sun.tools.javac.main=javacs',
+  \ '--add-exports jdk.compiler/com.sun.tools.javac.tree=javacs',
+  \ '--add-exports jdk.compiler/com.sun.tools.javac.model=javacs',
+  \ '--add-exports jdk.compiler/com.sun.tools.javac.util=javacs',
+  \ '--add-opens jdk.compiler/com.sun.tools.javac.api=javacs',
+  \ '-m javacs/org.javacs.Main',
+  \]
+  AssertLinter '/bin/java', join(cmd, ' ')
+