diff --git a/org.eclipse.jdt.debug.tests/tests/org/eclipse/jdt/debug/tests/core/ModuleOptionsTests.java b/org.eclipse.jdt.debug.tests/tests/org/eclipse/jdt/debug/tests/core/ModuleOptionsTests.java
index dd80bbde6d..5a33700281 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jdt.debug.tests/tests/org/eclipse/jdt/debug/tests/core/ModuleOptionsTests.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jdt.debug.tests/tests/org/eclipse/jdt/debug/tests/core/ModuleOptionsTests.java
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 import org.eclipse.jdt.core.JavaCore;
 import org.eclipse.jdt.core.JavaModelException;
 import org.eclipse.jdt.debug.tests.AbstractDebugTest;
+import org.eclipse.jdt.launching.IVMInstall;
 import org.eclipse.jdt.launching.JavaRuntime;
 
 public class ModuleOptionsTests extends AbstractDebugTest {
@@ -112,8 +113,9 @@ private int indexOfJREContainer(IClasspathEntry[] rawClasspath) {
 		return -1;
 	}
 
-	public void testAddModules1() throws JavaModelException {
+	public void testAddModules1() throws Exception {
 		IJavaProject javaProject = getProjectContext();
+		checkVMInstall(javaProject);
 		List<String> defaultModules = getDefaultModules(javaProject);
 		defaultModules.add("jdk.crypto.cryptoki"); // requires jdk.crypto.ec up to Java 21
 		try {
@@ -135,8 +137,9 @@ public void testAddModules1() throws JavaModelException {
 		}
 	}
 
-	public void testLimitModules_release9() throws CoreException {
+	public void testLimitModules_release9() throws Exception {
 		IJavaProject javaProject = getProjectContext();
+		checkVMInstall(javaProject);
 		try {
 			javaProject.setOption(JavaCore.COMPILER_RELEASE, JavaCore.ENABLED);
 			List<String> defaultModules = getDefaultModules(javaProject);
@@ -153,7 +156,7 @@ public void testLimitModules_release9() throws CoreException {
 							+ "jdk.net," //
 							+ "jdk.nio.mapmode," //
 							// + "jdk.packager,jdk.packager.services,jdk.plugin.dom,"
-							// + "jdk.scripting.nashorn," 
+									// + "jdk.scripting.nashorn,"
 							+ "jdk.sctp,"
 							+ "jdk.security.auth,jdk.security.jgss,jdk.unsupported," //
 							+ "jdk.unsupported.desktop,jdk.xml.dom";
@@ -178,8 +181,10 @@ public void testLimitModules_release9() throws CoreException {
 		}
 	}
 
-	public void testLimitModules1() throws JavaModelException {
+	public void testLimitModules1() throws Exception {
 		IJavaProject javaProject = getProjectContext();
+		javaProject.setOption(JavaCore.COMPILER_RELEASE, JavaCore.DISABLED);
+		checkVMInstall(javaProject);
 		List<String> defaultModules = getDefaultModules(javaProject);
 		String expectedModules;
 		String moduleList = String.join(",", defaultModules);
@@ -218,4 +223,10 @@ public void testLimitModules1() throws JavaModelException {
 			removeClasspathAttributesFromSystemLibrary(javaProject);
 		}
 	}
+
+	private void checkVMInstall(IJavaProject javaProject) throws CoreException {
+		IVMInstall vm = JavaRuntime.getVMInstall(javaProject);
+		assertTrue("Expected at least Java 21 for project JVM but got: " + vm.getName() + ", with location: "
+				+ vm.getInstallLocation(), JavaRuntime.compareJavaVersions(vm, JavaCore.VERSION_21) >= 0);
+	}
 }
diff --git a/org.eclipse.jdt.launching/launching/org/eclipse/jdt/internal/launching/DetectVMInstallationsJob.java b/org.eclipse.jdt.launching/launching/org/eclipse/jdt/internal/launching/DetectVMInstallationsJob.java
index ba3d8568fa..13f94e9a2d 100644
--- a/org.eclipse.jdt.launching/launching/org/eclipse/jdt/internal/launching/DetectVMInstallationsJob.java
+++ b/org.eclipse.jdt.launching/launching/org/eclipse/jdt/internal/launching/DetectVMInstallationsJob.java
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@
 import org.eclipse.core.runtime.preferences.DefaultScope;
 import org.eclipse.core.runtime.preferences.IEclipsePreferences;
 import org.eclipse.core.runtime.preferences.InstanceScope;
+import org.eclipse.jdt.internal.debug.core.JDIDebugPlugin;
 import org.eclipse.jdt.launching.IVMInstall;
 import org.eclipse.jdt.launching.IVMInstall2;
 import org.eclipse.jdt.launching.IVMInstallType;
@@ -320,9 +321,13 @@ public static void initialize() {
 			// early exit no need to read preferences or check env variable!
 			return;
 		}
-		if (System.getProperty(PROPERTY_DETECT_VM_INSTALLATIONS_JOB_DISABLED) == null && Boolean.parseBoolean(System.getenv(ENV_CI))) {
-			// exit because no explicit value for the property was given and we are running in a CI environment
-			return;
+		boolean ci = false;
+		if (System.getProperty(PROPERTY_DETECT_VM_INSTALLATIONS_JOB_DISABLED) == null) {
+			ci = Boolean.parseBoolean(System.getenv(ENV_CI));
+			if (ci) {
+				// exit because no explicit value for the property was given and we are running in a CI environment
+				return;
+			}
 		}
 		// finally look what is defined in the preferences
 		IEclipsePreferences instanceNode = InstanceScope.INSTANCE.getNode(LaunchingPlugin.getDefault().getBundle().getSymbolicName());
@@ -330,6 +335,10 @@ public static void initialize() {
 		boolean defaultValue = defaultNode.getBoolean(LaunchingPlugin.PREF_DETECT_VMS_AT_STARTUP, true);
 		if (instanceNode.getBoolean(LaunchingPlugin.PREF_DETECT_VMS_AT_STARTUP, defaultValue)) {
 			new DetectVMInstallationsJob().schedule();
+			if (ci) {
+				// log that this job will run in a CI environment
+				JDIDebugPlugin.log(Status.info("DetectVMInstallationsJob scheduled")); //$NON-NLS-1$
+			}
 		}
 	}