diff --git a/buildenv/jenkins/common/build.groovy b/buildenv/jenkins/common/build.groovy
index ee1f7af8bf5..35893f9cb24 100644
--- a/buildenv/jenkins/common/build.groovy
+++ b/buildenv/jenkins/common/build.groovy
@@ -29,11 +29,15 @@ def get_source() {
         OPENJ9_REPO_OPTION = (OPENJ9_REPO != "") ? "-openj9-repo=${OPENJ9_REPO}" : ""
         OPENJ9_BRANCH_OPTION = (OPENJ9_BRANCH != "") ? "-openj9-branch=${OPENJ9_BRANCH}" : ""
         OPENJ9_SHA_OPTION = (OPENJ9_SHA != "") ? "-openj9-sha=${OPENJ9_SHA}" : ""
-        OPENJ9_REFERENCE = "-openj9-reference=${OPENJDK_REFERENCE_REPO}"
+
         OMR_REPO_OPTION = (OMR_REPO != "") ? "-omr-repo=${OMR_REPO}" : ""
         OMR_BRANCH_OPTION = (OMR_BRANCH != "")? "-omr-branch=${OMR_BRANCH}" : ""
         OMR_SHA_OPTION = (OMR_SHA != "") ? "-omr-sha=${OMR_SHA}" : ""
-        OMR_REFERENCE = "-omr-reference=${OPENJDK_REFERENCE_REPO}"
+
+        if (OPENJDK_REFERENCE_REPO) {
+            OPENJ9_REFERENCE = "-openj9-reference=${OPENJDK_REFERENCE_REPO}"
+            OMR_REFERENCE = "-omr-reference=${OPENJDK_REFERENCE_REPO}"
+        }
 
         // use sshagent with Jenkins credentials ID for all platforms except zOS
         // on zOS use the user's ssh key
@@ -56,7 +60,12 @@ def get_sources() {
     // See #3633 and JENKINS-54612
     if (NODE_LABELS.contains("windows") || NODE_LABELS.contains("zos")) {
         cleanWs()
-        CLONE_CMD = "git clone --reference ${OPENJDK_REFERENCE_REPO} -b ${OPENJDK_BRANCH} ${OPENJDK_REPO} ."
+
+        CLONE_CMD = "git clone -b ${OPENJDK_BRANCH} ${OPENJDK_REPO} ."
+        if (OPENJDK_REFERENCE_REPO) {
+            CLONE_CMD += " --reference ${OPENJDK_REFERENCE_REPO}"
+        }
+
         if (USER_CREDENTIALS_ID && NODE_LABELS.contains("windows")) {
             sshagent(credentials:["${USER_CREDENTIALS_ID}"]) {
                 sh "${CLONE_CMD}"
@@ -263,10 +272,11 @@ def build() {
         // 'all' target dependencies broken for zos, use 'images test-image-openj9'
         def make_target = SPEC.contains('zos') ? 'images test-image-openj9 debug-image' : 'all'
         OPENJDK_CLONE_DIR = "${env.WORKSPACE}/${OPENJDK_CLONE_DIR}"
+
         withEnv(BUILD_ENV_VARS_LIST) {
             dir(OPENJDK_CLONE_DIR) {
                 try {
-                    sh "${BUILD_ENV_CMD} bash configure --with-freemarker-jar='$FREEMARKER' --with-boot-jdk='$BOOT_JDK' $EXTRA_CONFIGURE_OPTIONS && make $EXTRA_MAKE_OPTIONS ${make_target}"
+                    sh "${BUILD_ENV_CMD} bash configure --with-freemarker-jar=${FREEMARKER} --with-boot-jdk=${BOOT_JDK} ${EXTRA_CONFIGURE_OPTIONS} && make ${EXTRA_MAKE_OPTIONS} ${make_target}"
                 } catch (e) {
                     archive_diagnostics()
                     throw e
@@ -567,6 +577,9 @@ def build_all() {
                         add_node_to_description()
                         // Setup Artifactory now that we are on a node. This determines which server(s) we push to.
                         variableFile.set_artifactory_config(BUILD_IDENTIFIER)
+                        // initialize BOOT_JDK, FREEMARKER, OPENJDK_REFERENCE_REPO here 
+                        // to correctly expand $HOME variable
+                        variableFile.set_build_variables_per_node()
                         get_source()
                         build()
                         archive_sdk()
diff --git a/buildenv/jenkins/common/variables-functions.groovy b/buildenv/jenkins/common/variables-functions.groovy
index 127f88f7734..d3b3a8e8212 100644
--- a/buildenv/jenkins/common/variables-functions.groovy
+++ b/buildenv/jenkins/common/variables-functions.groovy
@@ -573,9 +573,6 @@ def set_build_variables() {
     def buildspec = buildspec_manager.getSpec(SPEC)
 
     // fetch values per spec and Java version from the variables file
-    BOOT_JDK = buildspec.getScalarField("boot_jdk", SDK_VERSION)
-    FREEMARKER = buildspec.getScalarField("freemarker", SDK_VERSION)
-    OPENJDK_REFERENCE_REPO = buildspec.getScalarField("openjdk_reference_repo", SDK_VERSION)
     set_release()
     set_jdk_folder()
     set_build_extra_options()
@@ -1436,4 +1433,34 @@ def create_job(JOB_NAME, SDK_VERSION, SPEC, downstreamJobType, id) {
         3, 120)
 }
 
+def set_build_variables_per_node() {
+    BOOT_JDK = check_path(buildspec.getScalarField('boot_jdk', SDK_VERSION), true)
+    println("BOOT_JDK: ${BOOT_JDK}")
+    if (!BOOT_JDK) {
+        error("BOOT_JDK: ${BOOT_JDK} does not exist!")
+    }
+
+    def freemarkerPath = buildspec.getScalarField('freemarker', SDK_VERSION)
+    FREEMARKER = check_path(buildspec.getScalarField('freemarker', SDK_VERSION), false)
+    println("FREEMARKER: ${FREEMARKER}")
+    if (!FREEMARKER) {
+        error("FREEMARKER: ${FREEMARKER} does not exist!")
+    }
+
+    OPENJDK_REFERENCE_REPO = check_path(buildspec.getScalarField("openjdk_reference_repo", SDK_VERSION), true)
+    println("OPENJDK_REFERENCE_REPO: ${OPENJDK_REFERENCE_REPO}")
+    if (!OPENJDK_REFERENCE_REPO) {
+        println("The git cache OPENJDK_REFERENCE_REPO: ${buildspec.getScalarField('openjdk_reference_repo', SDK_VERSION)} does not exist on ${NODE_NAME}!")
+    }
+}
+
+def check_path(inPath, isDir) {
+    if (!inPath) {
+        return inPath
+    }
+
+    def testOption = (isDir) ? "-d" : "-e"
+    return sh (script: "test ${testOption} ${inPath} && echo ${inPath} || echo ''", returnStdout: true).trim()
+}
+
 return this