diff --git a/api-catalog-package/src/main/resources/bin/start.sh b/api-catalog-package/src/main/resources/bin/start.sh
index 16c2885bb1..efabcc8482 100755
--- a/api-catalog-package/src/main/resources/bin/start.sh
+++ b/api-catalog-package/src/main/resources/bin/start.sh
@@ -109,8 +109,8 @@ _BPX_JOBNAME=${ZWE_zowe_job_prefix}${CATALOG_CODE} ${JAVA_BIN_DIR}java \
     ${JVM_SECURITY_PROPERTIES} \
     ${EXTERNAL_URL} \
     ${CUSTOM_JVM_OPTS} \
-    -Dibm.serversocket.recover=true \
     -Dfile.encoding=UTF-8 \
+    -Dibm.serversocket.recover=true \
     -Dlogging.charset.console=${ZOWE_CONSOLE_LOG_CHARSET} \
     -Djava.io.tmpdir=${TMPDIR:-/tmp} \
     -Dspring.profiles.active=${ZWE_configs_spring_profiles_active:-} \
diff --git a/caching-service-package/src/main/resources/bin/start.sh b/caching-service-package/src/main/resources/bin/start.sh
index 0388b193ec..d09f25377f 100755
--- a/caching-service-package/src/main/resources/bin/start.sh
+++ b/caching-service-package/src/main/resources/bin/start.sh
@@ -101,8 +101,8 @@ _BPX_JOBNAME=${ZWE_zowe_job_prefix}${CACHING_CODE} ${JAVA_BIN_DIR}java \
   ${LOGBACK} \
   ${JVM_SECURITY_PROPERTIES} \
   ${CUSTOM_JVM_OPTS} \
-  -Dibm.serversocket.recover=true \
   -Dfile.encoding=UTF-8 \
+  -Dibm.serversocket.recover=true \
   -Dlogging.charset.console=${ZOWE_CONSOLE_LOG_CHARSET} \
   -Djava.io.tmpdir=${TMPDIR:-/tmp} \
   -Dspring.profiles.active=${ZWE_configs_spring_profiles_active:-} \
diff --git a/discovery-package/src/main/resources/bin/start.sh b/discovery-package/src/main/resources/bin/start.sh
index 922b7695d5..28864da723 100755
--- a/discovery-package/src/main/resources/bin/start.sh
+++ b/discovery-package/src/main/resources/bin/start.sh
@@ -123,13 +123,13 @@ _BPX_JOBNAME=${ZWE_zowe_job_prefix}${DISCOVERY_CODE} ${JAVA_BIN_DIR}java \
     -Dapiml.security.ssl.verifySslCertificatesOfServices=${verifySslCertificatesOfServices:-false} \
     -Dapiml.service.hostname=${ZWE_haInstance_hostname:-localhost} \
     -Dapiml.service.port=${ZWE_configs_port:-7553} \
-    -Dfile.encoding=UTF-8 \
     -Dibm.serversocket.recover=true \
     -Djava.io.tmpdir=${TMPDIR:-/tmp} \
     -Djava.library.path=${LIBPATH} \
     -Djava.protocol.handler.pkgs=com.ibm.crypto.provider \
     -Djavax.net.debug=${ZWE_configs_sslDebug:-""} \
     -Djdk.tls.client.cipherSuites=${client_ciphers} \
+    -Dfile.encoding=UTF-8 \
     -Dloader.path=${DISCOVERY_LOADER_PATH} \
     -Dlogging.charset.console=${ZOWE_CONSOLE_LOG_CHARSET} \
     -Dserver.address=${ZWE_configs_zowe_network_server_listenAddresses:-${ZWE_zowe_network_server_listenAddresses:-"0.0.0.0"}} \
diff --git a/gateway-package/src/main/resources/bin/start.sh b/gateway-package/src/main/resources/bin/start.sh
index 8e6be09942..78955019c1 100755
--- a/gateway-package/src/main/resources/bin/start.sh
+++ b/gateway-package/src/main/resources/bin/start.sh
@@ -206,13 +206,13 @@ _BPX_JOBNAME=${ZWE_zowe_job_prefix}${GATEWAY_CODE} ${JAVA_BIN_DIR}java \
     -Dapiml.service.http.password=${ZWE_configs_apiml_service_http_password:-} \
     -Dapiml.zoweManifest=${ZWE_zowe_runtimeDirectory}/manifest.json \
     -Deureka.client.serviceUrl.defaultZone=${ZWE_DISCOVERY_SERVICES_LIST} \
-    -Dfile.encoding=UTF-8 \
     -Dibm.serversocket.recover=true \
     -Djava.io.tmpdir=${TMPDIR:-/tmp} \
     -Djava.library.path=${LIBPATH} \
     -Djava.protocol.handler.pkgs=com.ibm.crypto.provider \
     -Djavax.net.debug=${ZWE_configs_sslDebug:-""} \
     -Djdk.tls.client.cipherSuites=${client_ciphers} \
+    -Dfile.encoding=UTF-8 \
     -Dloader.path=${GATEWAY_LOADER_PATH} \
     -Dlogging.charset.console=${ZOWE_CONSOLE_LOG_CHARSET} \
     -Dserver.address=${ZWE_configs_zowe_network_server_listenAddresses:-${ZWE_zowe_network_server_listenAddresses:-"0.0.0.0"}} \
diff --git a/scripts/apiml-common-scripts.sh b/scripts/apiml-common-scripts.sh
index c0246551a5..4cb6039d86 100755
--- a/scripts/apiml-common-scripts.sh
+++ b/scripts/apiml-common-scripts.sh
@@ -103,11 +103,11 @@ if [ "$(uname)" = "OS/390" ]; then
         | grep "major version" \
         | cut -d " " -f5)
 
-    if [ $JAVA_VERSION -ge 65 ]; then # Java 21
+    JAVA_VERSION=${JAVA_VERSION:-0}
+
+    if [ "$JAVA_VERSION" -ge 65 ]; then # Java 21
         ZOWE_CONSOLE_LOG_CHARSET=IBM-1047
-        # Java 21+ changed default encoding to UTF-8 (JEP 400). Set console encoding
-        # to EBCDIC for z/OS SYSPRINT to prevent garbled characters in early startup logs
-        JAVA21_CONSOLE_ENCODING="-Dstdout.encoding=${ZOWE_CONSOLE_LOG_CHARSET} -Dstderr.encoding=${ZOWE_CONSOLE_LOG_CHARSET}"
+        JAVA21_CONSOLE_ENCODING="-Dlogging.charset.console=${ZOWE_CONSOLE_LOG_CHARSET}"
     fi
 fi
 
diff --git a/zaas-package/src/main/resources/bin/start.sh b/zaas-package/src/main/resources/bin/start.sh
index 9f6b620ae3..e4e0fa46f6 100755
--- a/zaas-package/src/main/resources/bin/start.sh
+++ b/zaas-package/src/main/resources/bin/start.sh
@@ -148,8 +148,8 @@ _BPX_JOBNAME=${ZWE_zowe_job_prefix}${ZAAS_CODE} ${JAVA_BIN_DIR}java \
     ${LOGBACK} \
     ${JVM_SECURITY_PROPERTIES} \
     ${CUSTOM_JVM_OPTS} \
-    -Dibm.serversocket.recover=true \
     -Dfile.encoding=UTF-8 \
+    -Dibm.serversocket.recover=true \
     -Dlogging.charset.console=${ZOWE_CONSOLE_LOG_CHARSET} \
     -Djava.io.tmpdir=${TMPDIR:-/tmp} \
     -Dspring.profiles.active=${ZWE_configs_spring_profiles_active:-} \