diff --git a/asterix-events/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/event/management/EventExecutor.java b/asterix-events/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/event/management/EventExecutor.java
index 39e1a2f..352d787 100644
--- a/asterix-events/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/event/management/EventExecutor.java
+++ b/asterix-events/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/event/management/EventExecutor.java
@@ -46,29 +46,38 @@
         pargs.add("/bin/bash");
         pargs.add(client.getEventsDir() + File.separator + "scripts" + File.separator + EXECUTE_SCRIPT);
         StringBuffer envBuffer = new StringBuffer(IP_LOCATION + "=" + node.getClusterIp() + " ");
+        boolean isMasterNode = node.getId().equals(cluster.getMasterNode().getId());
+
         if (!node.getId().equals(EventDriver.CLIENT_NODE_ID) && cluster.getEnv() != null) {
             for (Property p : cluster.getEnv().getProperty()) {
                 if (p.getKey().equals("JAVA_HOME")) {
                     String val = node.getJavaHome() == null ? p.getValue() : node.getJavaHome();
                     envBuffer.append(p.getKey() + "=" + val + " ");
-                } else if (p.getKey().equals("NC_JAVA_OPTS") && !node.getId().equals(cluster.getMasterNode().getId())) {
-                    StringBuilder builder = new StringBuilder();
-                    builder.append("\"");
-                    String javaOpts = p.getValue();
-                    if (javaOpts != null) {
-                        builder.append(javaOpts);
+                } else if (p.getKey().equals("NC_JAVA_OPTS")) {
+                    if (!isMasterNode) {
+                        StringBuilder builder = new StringBuilder();
+                        builder.append("\"");
+                        String javaOpts = p.getValue();
+                        if (javaOpts != null) {
+                            builder.append(javaOpts);
+                        }
+                        builder.append("\"");
+                        envBuffer.append("JAVA_OPTS" + "=" + builder + " ");
                     }
-                    builder.append("\"");
-                    envBuffer.append(p.getKey() + "=" + builder + " ");
-                } else if (p.getKey().equals("CC_JAVA_OPTS") && node.getId().equals(cluster.getMasterNode().getId())) {
-                    StringBuilder builder = new StringBuilder();
-                    builder.append("\"");
-                    String javaOpts = p.getValue();
-                    if (javaOpts != null) {
-                        builder.append(javaOpts);
+                } else if (p.getKey().equals("CC_JAVA_OPTS")) {
+                    if (isMasterNode) {
+                        StringBuilder builder = new StringBuilder();
+                        builder.append("\"");
+                        String javaOpts = p.getValue();
+                        if (javaOpts != null) {
+                            builder.append(javaOpts);
+                        }
+                        builder.append("\"");
+                        envBuffer.append("JAVA_OPTS" + "=" + builder + " ");
                     }
-                    builder.append("\"");
-                    envBuffer.append(p.getKey() + "=" + builder + " ");
+                } else if (p.getKey().equals("LOG_DIR")) {
+                    String val = node.getLogDir() == null ? p.getValue() : node.getLogDir();
+                    envBuffer.append(p.getKey() + "=" + val + " ");
                 } else {
                     envBuffer.append(p.getKey() + "=" + p.getValue() + " ");
                 }
diff --git a/asterix-events/src/main/resources/events/cc_start/cc_start.sh b/asterix-events/src/main/resources/events/cc_start/cc_start.sh
index dfc8ad9..003d9cf 100755
--- a/asterix-events/src/main/resources/events/cc_start/cc_start.sh
+++ b/asterix-events/src/main/resources/events/cc_start/cc_start.sh
@@ -3,5 +3,4 @@
   mkdir -p $LOG_DIR
 fi
 cd $WORKING_DIR
-export JAVA_OPTS=$CC_JAVA_OPTS
 $ASTERIX_HOME/bin/asterixcc -client-net-ip-address $CLIENT_NET_IP -client-net-port 1098 -cluster-net-ip-address $CLUSTER_NET_IP -cluster-net-port 1099 -http-port 8888  &> $LOG_DIR/cc.log
diff --git a/asterix-events/src/main/resources/events/node_join/nc_join.sh b/asterix-events/src/main/resources/events/node_join/nc_join.sh
index 2e2cfac..d8bbbd2 100755
--- a/asterix-events/src/main/resources/events/node_join/nc_join.sh
+++ b/asterix-events/src/main/resources/events/node_join/nc_join.sh
@@ -6,5 +6,4 @@
   mkdir -p $LOG_DIR
 fi
 cd $WORKING_DIR
-export JAVA_OPTS=$NC_JAVA_OPTS
 $ASTERIX_HOME/bin/asterixnc -node-id $NC_ID -cc-host $CC_HOST -cc-port 1099 -cluster-net-ip-address $IP_LOCATION  -data-ip-address $IP_LOCATION -iodevices $IO_DEVICES -result-ip-address $IP_LOCATION &> $LOG_DIR/${NC_ID}.log
diff --git a/asterix-installer/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/installer/command/AlterCommand.java b/asterix-installer/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/installer/command/AlterCommand.java
index 15c28cd..814f3c9 100644
--- a/asterix-installer/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/installer/command/AlterCommand.java
+++ b/asterix-installer/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/installer/command/AlterCommand.java
@@ -55,8 +55,7 @@
         return "\nAlter the instance's configuration settings."
                 + "\nPrior to running this command, the instance is required to be INACTIVE state."
                 + "\nChanged configuration settings will be reflected when the instance is started."
-                + "\n\nAvailable arguments/options" + "\n-n name of the ASTERIX instance"
-                + "\n-conf path to the ASTERIX configuration file.";
+                + "\n\nAvailable arguments/options" + "\n-n name of the ASTERIX instance.";
     }
 
 }
@@ -66,7 +65,7 @@
     @Option(name = "-n", required = true, usage = "Name of Asterix Instance")
     public String name;
 
-    @Option(name = "-conf", required = true, usage = "Path to instance configuration")
+    @Option(name = "-a", required = true, usage = "Path to asterix instance configuration")
     public String confPath;
 
 }
diff --git a/asterix-installer/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/installer/command/CreateCommand.java b/asterix-installer/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/installer/command/CreateCommand.java
index 3317483..01a409e 100644
--- a/asterix-installer/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/installer/command/CreateCommand.java
+++ b/asterix-installer/src/main/java/edu/uci/ics/asterix/installer/command/CreateCommand.java
@@ -90,7 +90,8 @@
         return "\nCreates an ASTERIX instance with a specified name."
                 + "\n\nPost creation, the instance is in ACTIVE state, indicating its "
                 + "\navailability for executing statements/queries." + "\n\nUsage arguments/options:"
-                + "\n-n Name of the ASTERIX instance." + "\n-c Path to the cluster configuration file";
+                + "\n-n Name of the ASTERIX instance." + "\n-c Path to the cluster configuration file"
+                + "\n[-a] Path to asterix configuration file" + "\n [..] indicates optional flag";
     }
 
 }
diff --git a/asterix-installer/src/main/resources/clusters/local/local.xml b/asterix-installer/src/main/resources/clusters/local/local.xml
index ff5e2f4..0af8dfc 100644
--- a/asterix-installer/src/main/resources/clusters/local/local.xml
+++ b/asterix-installer/src/main/resources/clusters/local/local.xml
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@
   <iodevices>/tmp</iodevices>
   <store>asterix/storage</store>
   <java_home></java_home>
-  <java_opts>-Xmx1024m</java_opts>
   <master_node>
     <id>master</id>
     <client_ip>127.0.0.1</client_ip>