diff --git a/asterixdb/asterix-server/src/main/opt/local/bin/start-sample-cluster.sh b/asterixdb/asterix-server/src/main/opt/local/bin/start-sample-cluster.sh
index f7e0e34..4f3caed 100755
--- a/asterixdb/asterix-server/src/main/opt/local/bin/start-sample-cluster.sh
+++ b/asterixdb/asterix-server/src/main/opt/local/bin/start-sample-cluster.sh
@@ -39,13 +39,56 @@
   export JAVA_HOME
 fi
 
-[ -z "$JAVA_HOME" ] && {
-  echo "JAVA_HOME not set"
-  exit 1
-}
-"$JAVA_HOME/bin/java" -version 2>&1 | grep -q '1\.[89]' || {
+# OS specific support.  $var _must_ be set to either true or false.
+cygwin=false;
+darwin=false;
+case "`uname`" in
+  CYGWIN*) cygwin=true ;;
+  Darwin*) darwin=true
+           if [ -z "$JAVA_VERSION" ] ; then
+             JAVA_VERSION="CurrentJDK"
+           else
+             echo "Using Java version: $JAVA_VERSION"
+           fi
+           if [ -z "$JAVA_HOME" ]; then
+              if [ -x "/usr/libexec/java_home" ]; then
+                  JAVA_HOME=`/usr/libexec/java_home`
+              else
+                  JAVA_HOME=/System/Library/Frameworks/JavaVM.framework/Versions/${JAVA_VERSION}/Home
+              fi
+           fi
+           ;;
+esac
+
+if [ -z "$JAVA_HOME" ] ; then
+  if [ -r /etc/gentoo-release ] ; then
+    JAVA_HOME=`java-config --jre-home`
+  fi
+fi
+
+# For Cygwin, ensure paths are in UNIX format before anything is touched
+if $cygwin ; then
+  [ -n "$JAVA_HOME" ] && JAVA_HOME=`cygpath --unix "$JAVA_HOME"`
+  [ -n "$CLASSPATH" ] && CLASSPATH=`cygpath --path --unix "$CLASSPATH"`
+fi
+
+# If a specific java binary isn't specified search for the standard 'java' binary
+if [ -z "$JAVACMD" ] ; then
+  if [ -n "$JAVA_HOME"  ] ; then
+    if [ -x "$JAVA_HOME/jre/sh/java" ] ; then
+      # IBM's JDK on AIX uses strange locations for the executables
+      JAVACMD="$JAVA_HOME/jre/sh/java"
+    else
+      JAVACMD="$JAVA_HOME/bin/java"
+    fi
+  else
+    JAVACMD=`which java`
+  fi
+fi
+
+"$JAVACMD" -version 2>&1 | grep -q '1\.[89]' || {
   echo "JAVA_HOME must be at version 1.8 or later:"
-  "$JAVA_HOME/bin/java" -version
+  "$JAVACMD" -version
   exit 2
 }
 DIRNAME=$(dirname "$0")
diff --git a/asterixdb/asterix-server/src/main/opt/local/bin/stop-sample-cluster.sh b/asterixdb/asterix-server/src/main/opt/local/bin/stop-sample-cluster.sh
index dbce377..522fb7c 100755
--- a/asterixdb/asterix-server/src/main/opt/local/bin/stop-sample-cluster.sh
+++ b/asterixdb/asterix-server/src/main/opt/local/bin/stop-sample-cluster.sh
@@ -39,13 +39,69 @@
   export JAVA_HOME
 fi
 
-[ -z "$JAVA_HOME" ] && {
-  echo "JAVA_HOME not set"
-  exit 1
-}
-"$JAVA_HOME/bin/java" -version 2>&1 | grep -q '1\.[89]' || {
+while [ -n "$1" ]; do
+  case $1 in
+    -f|-force) force=1;;
+    -help|--help|-usage|--usage) usage; exit 0;;
+    *) echo "ERROR: unknown argument '$1'"; usage; exit 1;;
+  esac
+  shift
+done
+
+if [ -z "$JAVA_HOME" -a -x /usr/libexec/java_home ]; then
+  JAVA_HOME=$(/usr/libexec/java_home)
+  export JAVA_HOME
+fi
+
+# OS specific support.  $var _must_ be set to either true or false.
+cygwin=false;
+darwin=false;
+case "`uname`" in
+  CYGWIN*) cygwin=true ;;
+  Darwin*) darwin=true
+           if [ -z "$JAVA_VERSION" ] ; then
+             JAVA_VERSION="CurrentJDK"
+           else
+             echo "Using Java version: $JAVA_VERSION"
+           fi
+           if [ -z "$JAVA_HOME" ]; then
+              if [ -x "/usr/libexec/java_home" ]; then
+                  JAVA_HOME=`/usr/libexec/java_home`
+              else
+                  JAVA_HOME=/System/Library/Frameworks/JavaVM.framework/Versions/${JAVA_VERSION}/Home
+              fi
+           fi
+           ;;
+esac
+
+if [ -z "$JAVA_HOME" ] ; then
+  if [ -r /etc/gentoo-release ] ; then
+    JAVA_HOME=`java-config --jre-home`
+  fi
+fi
+
+# For Cygwin, ensure paths are in UNIX format before anything is touched
+if $cygwin ; then
+  [ -n "$JAVA_HOME" ] && JAVA_HOME=`cygpath --unix "$JAVA_HOME"`
+  [ -n "$CLASSPATH" ] && CLASSPATH=`cygpath --path --unix "$CLASSPATH"`
+fi
+
+# If a specific java binary isn't specified search for the standard 'java' binary
+if [ -z "$JAVACMD" ] ; then
+  if [ -n "$JAVA_HOME"  ] ; then
+    if [ -x "$JAVA_HOME/jre/sh/java" ] ; then
+      # IBM's JDK on AIX uses strange locations for the executables
+      JAVACMD="$JAVA_HOME/jre/sh/java"
+    else
+      JAVACMD="$JAVA_HOME/bin/java"
+    fi
+  else
+    JAVACMD=`which java`
+  fi
+fi
+"$JAVACMD" -version 2>&1 | grep -q '1\.[89]' || {
   echo "JAVA_HOME must be at version 1.8 or later:"
-  "$JAVA_HOME/bin/java" -version
+  "$JAVACMD" -version
   exit 2
 }
 DIRNAME=$(dirname "$0")