diff --git a/server/basedir-includes/engine.vmoptions b/server/basedir-includes/engine.vmoptions
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..b2e974b3e1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/basedir-includes/engine.vmoptions
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+# Lines begining with a # are ignored as comments.
+# Do not add customizations to this file.
+
+-include-options conf/base_includes.vmoptions
+
+# Comment out the following line if you are running on Java 8
+-include-options conf/default_modules.vmoptions
+
+# Put any custom options in the following file
+-include-options conf/custom.vmoptions
diff --git a/server/build.properties b/server/build.properties
index 6485da39ee..00c2e82760 100644
--- a/server/build.properties
+++ b/server/build.properties
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ docs.javadocs=${docs}/javadocs
 docs.javadocs.userapi=${docs.javadocs}/user-api
 installer=${basedir}/installer
 installer.lib=${installer}/lib
+basedir_includes=${basedir}/basedir-includes
 
 # jars
 client-core.jar=mirth-client-core.jar
@@ -47,4 +48,4 @@ setup.docs=${setup}/docs
 # dist directory
 dist=${basedir}/dist
 dist.extensions=${dist}/extensions
-test.dist=${basedir}/testdist
\ No newline at end of file
+test.dist=${basedir}/testdist
diff --git a/server/build.xml b/server/build.xml
index 839952a185..96830a4ece 100644
--- a/server/build.xml
+++ b/server/build.xml
@@ -1002,6 +1002,11 @@
 			<fileset dir="${docs}" />
 		</copy>
 
+		<!-- copy basedir files -->
+		<copy todir="${setup}">
+			<fileset dir="${basedir_includes}" />
+		</copy>
+
 		<!-- create the server jar -->
 		<jar destfile="${setup.server.lib}/${server.jar}" basedir="${classes}">
 			<include name="com/mirth/connect/server/**" />
diff --git a/server/conf/base_includes.vmoptions b/server/conf/base_includes.vmoptions
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..ecfd6d87fa
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/conf/base_includes.vmoptions
@@ -0,0 +1,8 @@
+#
+# Do not modify this file! It may get overwritten in an update. Please put all custom
+# options in custom.vmoptions
+#
+-server
+-Xmx256m
+-Djava.awt.headless=true
+-Dapple.awt.UIElement=true
diff --git a/server/conf/custom.vmoptions b/server/conf/custom.vmoptions
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1acaf2e42e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/conf/custom.vmoptions
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+# Add any custom vmoptions to this file. Special directives are:
+#
+# -include-options <path to file>
+#     : include options from another .vmoptions file. Applied recursively.
+#
+# -classpath <path>
+#     : replace the classpath built so far with <path>
+#
+# -classpath/p <path>
+#     : prepend <path> to classpath.
+#
+# -classpath/a <path>
+#     : append <path> to classpath.
+#
+# -java-cmd <path to java command>
+#     : use the java binary specified to launch the engine.
+#
+# Additionally, the form ${ENV_VAR} can be used anywhere in the file to substitute the value
+# from an environment variable.
+#
+# Any lines which do not match the special directives above will be passed through directly as
+# arguments to the java binary.
diff --git a/server/docs/mcservice-java9+.vmoptions b/server/conf/default_modules.vmoptions
similarity index 86%
rename from server/docs/mcservice-java9+.vmoptions
rename to server/conf/default_modules.vmoptions
index 811391868d..3b7f32e2dc 100644
--- a/server/docs/mcservice-java9+.vmoptions
+++ b/server/conf/default_modules.vmoptions
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+#
+# Do not modify this file! It may get overwritten in an update. Please put all custom
+# options in custom.vmoptions
+#
 --add-modules=java.sql.rowset
 --add-exports=java.base/com.sun.crypto.provider=ALL-UNNAMED
 --add-exports=java.base/sun.security.provider=ALL-UNNAMED
@@ -15,4 +19,4 @@
 --add-opens=java.desktop/java.awt=ALL-UNNAMED
 --add-opens=java.desktop/java.awt.color=ALL-UNNAMED
 --add-opens=java.desktop/java.awt.font=ALL-UNNAMED
---add-opens=java.xml/com.sun.org.apache.xalan.internal.xsltc.trax=ALL-UNNAMED
\ No newline at end of file
+--add-opens=java.xml/com.sun.org.apache.xalan.internal.xsltc.trax=ALL-UNNAMED