diff --git a/common.js b/common.js
index f66798e..c8b8614 100644
--- a/common.js
+++ b/common.js
@@ -409,7 +409,7 @@ export async function setupJavaHome() {
   await measure("Modifying JAVA_HOME for JRuby", async () => {
     console.log("attempting to run with existing JAVA_HOME")
 
-    let ret = await exec.exec('ruby', ['--version'])
+    let ret = await exec.exec('ruby', ['--version'], {ignoreReturnCode: true})
 
     if (ret === 0) {
       console.log("JRuby successfully starts, using existing JAVA_HOME")
diff --git a/dist/index.js b/dist/index.js
index 1c0de8e..a657f40 100644
--- a/dist/index.js
+++ b/dist/index.js
@@ -729,7 +729,7 @@ async function setupJavaHome() {
   await measure("Modifying JAVA_HOME for JRuby", async () => {
     console.log("attempting to run with existing JAVA_HOME")
 
-    let ret = await exec.exec('ruby', ['--version'])
+    let ret = await exec.exec('ruby', ['--version'], {ignoreReturnCode: true})
 
     if (ret === 0) {
       console.log("JRuby successfully starts, using existing JAVA_HOME")