diff --git a/server/jetty-app/build.gradle b/server/jetty-app/build.gradle
index 6bde308a950..956424ee13d 100644
--- a/server/jetty-app/build.gradle
+++ b/server/jetty-app/build.gradle
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ if (hasProperty('groovy')) {
     extraJvmArgs += ['-Ddeephaven.console.type=groovy']
 }
 
-if (property('includeHotspotImpl') == 'true') {
+if (!hasProperty('excludeHotspotImpl')) {
     dependencies {
         runtimeOnly project(':hotspot-impl')
     }
diff --git a/server/jetty-app/gradle.properties b/server/jetty-app/gradle.properties
index fa9132970a5..eeac3e65888 100644
--- a/server/jetty-app/gradle.properties
+++ b/server/jetty-app/gradle.properties
@@ -1,2 +1 @@
 io.deephaven.project.ProjectType=JAVA_LOCAL
-includeHotspotImpl=true
diff --git a/server/netty-app/build.gradle b/server/netty-app/build.gradle
index 7a8348680d5..e2a26dc89c1 100644
--- a/server/netty-app/build.gradle
+++ b/server/netty-app/build.gradle
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ if (hasProperty('groovy')) {
     extraJvmArgs += ['-Ddeephaven.console.type=groovy']
 }
 
-if (property('includeHotspotImpl') == 'true') {
+if (!hasProperty('excludeHotspotImpl')) {
     dependencies {
         runtimeOnly project(':hotspot-impl')
     }
diff --git a/server/netty-app/gradle.properties b/server/netty-app/gradle.properties
index fa9132970a5..eeac3e65888 100644
--- a/server/netty-app/gradle.properties
+++ b/server/netty-app/gradle.properties
@@ -1,2 +1 @@
 io.deephaven.project.ProjectType=JAVA_LOCAL
-includeHotspotImpl=true