diff --git a/nashorn/make/build-nasgen.xml b/nashorn/make/build-nasgen.xml
index 9dca5505316..16094cc964b 100644
--- a/nashorn/make/build-nasgen.xml
+++ b/nashorn/make/build-nasgen.xml
@@ -36,11 +36,13 @@
                 <pathelement location="${basedir}/jcov2/lib/jcov_j2se_rt.jar"/>
                 <pathelement location="${basedir}/buildtools/nasgen/dist/nasgen.jar"/>
                 <pathelement path="${basedir}/build/classes"/>
+                <pathelement location="${dist.dir}/nasgen.jar"/>
+                <pathelement path="${build.dir}/classes"/>
             </classpath>
             <jvmarg value="-Djava.ext.dirs="/>
-            <arg value="${basedir}/build/classes"/>
+            <arg value="${build.dir}/classes"/>
             <arg value="jdk.nashorn.internal.objects"/>
-            <arg value="${basedir}/build/classes"/>
+            <arg value="${build.dir}/classes"/>
         </java>
     </target>
 
diff --git a/nashorn/make/build.xml b/nashorn/make/build.xml
index 78cc8f9ea26..35edc417edb 100644
--- a/nashorn/make/build.xml
+++ b/nashorn/make/build.xml
@@ -304,6 +304,14 @@ grant codeBase "file:/${basedir}/${nashorn.internal.tests.jar}" {
 grant codeBase "file:/${basedir}/${file.reference.testng.jar}" {
     permission java.security.AllPermission;
 };
+//// in case of absolute path:
+grant codeBase "file:/${nashorn.internal.tests.jar}" {
+    permission java.security.AllPermission;
+};
+
+grant codeBase "file:/${file.reference.testng.jar}" {
+    permission java.security.AllPermission;
+};
 
 grant codeBase "file:/${basedir}/test/script/trusted/*" {
     permission java.security.AllPermission;
@@ -391,7 +399,7 @@ grant codeBase "file:/${basedir}/test/script/markdown.js" {
     <testng outputdir="${build.nosecurity.test.results.dir}" classfilesetref="test.nosecurity.classes"
        verbose="${testng.verbose}" haltonfailure="true" useDefaultListeners="false" listeners="${testng.listeners}" workingDir="${basedir}">
       <jvmarg line="${ext.class.path}"/>
-      <jvmarg line="${run.test.jvmargs} -Xmx${run.test.xmx}"/>
+      <jvmarg line="${run.test.jvmargs} -Xmx${run.test.xmx} -Dbuild.dir=${build.dir}"/>
       <sysproperty key="nashorn.jar" value="${dist.dir}/nashorn.jar"/>
       <propertyset>
         <propertyref prefix="nashorn."/>
@@ -413,7 +421,7 @@ grant codeBase "file:/${basedir}/test/script/markdown.js" {
     <testng outputdir="${build.test.results.dir}" classfilesetref="test.classes"
        verbose="${testng.verbose}" haltonfailure="true" useDefaultListeners="false" listeners="${testng.listeners}" workingDir="${basedir}">
       <jvmarg line="${ext.class.path}"/>
-      <jvmarg line="${run.test.jvmargs} -Xmx${run.test.xmx} ${run.test.jvmsecurityargs}"/>
+      <jvmarg line="${run.test.jvmargs} -Xmx${run.test.xmx} ${run.test.jvmsecurityargs} -Dbuild.dir=${build.dir}"/>
       <jvmarg line="${debug.test.jvmargs}"/>
       <propertyset>
         <propertyref prefix="nashorn."/>
@@ -451,7 +459,7 @@ grant codeBase "file:/${basedir}/test/script/markdown.js" {
     <testng outputdir="${build.test.results.dir}" classfilesetref="test.classes"
        verbose="${testng.verbose}" haltonfailure="true" useDefaultListeners="false" listeners="${testng.listeners}" workingDir="${basedir}">
       <jvmarg line="${ext.class.path}"/>
-      <jvmarg line="${run.test.jvmargs} -Xmx${run.test.xmx}"/>
+      <jvmarg line="${run.test.jvmargs} -Xmx${run.test.xmx} -Dbuild.dir=${build.dir}"/>
       <propertyset>
         <propertyref prefix="testjfx-test-sys-prop."/>
         <mapper from="testjfx-test-sys-prop.*" to="*" type="glob"/>
@@ -471,7 +479,7 @@ grant codeBase "file:/${basedir}/test/script/markdown.js" {
     <testng outputdir="${build.test.results.dir}" classfilesetref="test.classes"
        verbose="${testng.verbose}" haltonfailure="true" useDefaultListeners="false" listeners="${testng.listeners}" workingDir="${basedir}">
       <jvmarg line="${ext.class.path}"/>
-      <jvmarg line="${run.test.jvmargs} -Xmx${run.test.xmx} ${run.test.jvmsecurityargs}"/>
+      <jvmarg line="${run.test.jvmargs} -Xmx${run.test.xmx} ${run.test.jvmsecurityargs} -Dbuild.dir=${build.dir}"/>
       <propertyset>
         <propertyref prefix="testmarkdown-test-sys-prop."/>
         <mapper from="testmarkdown-test-sys-prop.*" to="*" type="glob"/>
@@ -490,7 +498,7 @@ grant codeBase "file:/${basedir}/test/script/markdown.js" {
     <testng outputdir="${build.test.results.dir}" classfilesetref="test.classes"
        verbose="${testng.verbose}" haltonfailure="true" useDefaultListeners="false" listeners="${testng.listeners}" workingDir="${basedir}">
       <jvmarg line="${ext.class.path}"/>
-      <jvmarg line="${run.test.jvmargs} -Xmx${run.test.xmx} ${run.test.jvmsecurityargs}"/>
+      <jvmarg line="${run.test.jvmargs} -Xmx${run.test.xmx} ${run.test.jvmsecurityargs} -Dbuild.dir=${build.dir}"/>
       <propertyset>
         <propertyref prefix="nashorn."/>
       </propertyset>
@@ -510,7 +518,7 @@ grant codeBase "file:/${basedir}/test/script/markdown.js" {
     <!-- use just build.test.classes.dir to avoid referring to TestNG -->
     <java classname="${parallel.test.runner}" dir="${basedir}" fork="true">
       <jvmarg line="${ext.class.path}"/>
-      <jvmarg line="${run.test.jvmargs} -Xmx${run.test.xmx} ${run.test.jvmsecurityargs}"/>
+      <jvmarg line="${run.test.jvmargs} -Xmx${run.test.xmx} ${run.test.jvmsecurityargs} -Dbuild.dir=${build.dir}"/>
       <classpath>
           <pathelement path="${run.test.classpath}"/>
       </classpath>
diff --git a/nashorn/make/project.properties b/nashorn/make/project.properties
index 77f8ed73bf7..642793a8e66 100644
--- a/nashorn/make/project.properties
+++ b/nashorn/make/project.properties
@@ -309,7 +309,7 @@ run.test.jvmargs.main=${run.test.jvmargs.common} -ea
 run.test.jvmargs.octane.main=${run.test.jvmargs.common} -XX:+UnlockDiagnosticVMOptions -XX:+UseNewCode -XX:TypeProfileLevel=222
 
 # Security manager args - make sure that we run with the nashorn.policy that the build creates
-run.test.jvmsecurityargs=-Xverify:all -Djava.security.manager -Djava.security.policy=${basedir}/build/nashorn.policy
+run.test.jvmsecurityargs=-Xverify:all -Djava.security.manager -Djava.security.policy=${build.dir}/nashorn.policy
 
 # VM options for script tests with @fork option
 test-sys-prop.test.fork.jvm.options=${run.test.jvmargs.main} -Xmx${run.test.xmx} ${run.test.jvmsecurityargs} -cp ${run.test.classpath}
diff --git a/nashorn/test/src/jdk/nashorn/internal/test/framework/TestHelper.java b/nashorn/test/src/jdk/nashorn/internal/test/framework/TestHelper.java
index b48ed8b5c19..bb16cf48caa 100644
--- a/nashorn/test/src/jdk/nashorn/internal/test/framework/TestHelper.java
+++ b/nashorn/test/src/jdk/nashorn/internal/test/framework/TestHelper.java
@@ -39,7 +39,8 @@ import java.io.Reader;
 public abstract class TestHelper {
 
     public static final String TEST_ROOT   = "test";
-    public static final String BUILD_ROOT  = "build/test";
+    public static final String BUILD_ROOT =
+        System.getProperty("build.dir", "build") + File.separator + "test";
     public static final String TEST_PREFIX = TEST_ROOT + File.separator;
 
     private TestHelper() {