diff --git a/flink-dist/src/main/flink-bin/bin/config.sh b/flink-dist/src/main/flink-bin/bin/config.sh
index e6c476c89f098..99c67d954c00b 100755
--- a/flink-dist/src/main/flink-bin/bin/config.sh
+++ b/flink-dist/src/main/flink-bin/bin/config.sh
@@ -276,15 +276,18 @@ fi
 
 if [ -z "${FLINK_ENV_JAVA_OPTS}" ]; then
     FLINK_ENV_JAVA_DEFAULT_OPTS=$(readFromConfig ${KEY_ENV_JAVA_DEFAULT_OPTS} "" "${YAML_CONF}")
+    # Remove leading and ending double quotes (if present) of value
+    FLINK_ENV_JAVA_DEFAULT_OPTS="$( echo "${FLINK_ENV_JAVA_DEFAULT_OPTS}" | sed -e 's/^"//'  -e 's/"$//' )"
+
     FLINK_ENV_JAVA_OPTS=$(readFromConfig ${KEY_ENV_JAVA_OPTS} "" "${YAML_CONF}")
     if [ -z "${FLINK_ENV_JAVA_OPTS}" ]; then
       # try deprecated key
       FLINK_ENV_JAVA_OPTS=$(readFromConfig "env.java.opts" "${DEFAULT_ENV_JAVA_OPTS}" "${YAML_CONF}")
     fi
-    FLINK_ENV_JAVA_OPTS="${FLINK_ENV_JAVA_DEFAULT_OPTS} ${FLINK_ENV_JAVA_OPTS}"
-
     # Remove leading and ending double quotes (if present) of value
-    FLINK_ENV_JAVA_OPTS="-XX:+IgnoreUnrecognizedVMOptions $( echo "${FLINK_ENV_JAVA_OPTS}" | sed -e 's/^"//'  -e 's/"$//' )"
+    FLINK_ENV_JAVA_OPTS="$( echo "${FLINK_ENV_JAVA_OPTS}" | sed -e 's/^"//'  -e 's/"$//' )"
+    FLINK_ENV_JAVA_OPTS="-XX:+IgnoreUnrecognizedVMOptions ${FLINK_ENV_JAVA_DEFAULT_OPTS} ${FLINK_ENV_JAVA_OPTS}"
+
 
     JAVA_SPEC_VERSION=`"${JAVA_RUN}" -XshowSettings:properties 2>&1 | grep "java.specification.version" | cut -d "=" -f 2 | tr -d '[:space:]' | rev | cut -d "." -f 1 | rev`
     if [[ $(( $JAVA_SPEC_VERSION > 17 )) == 1 ]]; then
@@ -295,18 +298,26 @@ fi
 
 if [ -z "${FLINK_ENV_JAVA_OPTS_JM}" ]; then
     FLINK_ENV_JAVA_DEFAULT_OPTS_JM=$(readFromConfig ${KEY_ENV_JAVA_DEFAULT_OPTS_JM} "" "${YAML_CONF}")
+    # Remove leading and ending double quotes (if present) of value
+    FLINK_ENV_JAVA_DEFAULT_OPTS_JM="$( echo "${FLINK_ENV_JAVA_DEFAULT_OPTS_JM}" | sed -e 's/^"//'  -e 's/"$//' )"
+
     FLINK_ENV_JAVA_OPTS_JM=$(readFromConfig ${KEY_ENV_JAVA_OPTS_JM} "${DEFAULT_ENV_JAVA_OPTS_JM}" "${YAML_CONF}")
-    FLINK_ENV_JAVA_OPTS_JM="${FLINK_ENV_JAVA_DEFAULT_OPTS_JM} ${FLINK_ENV_JAVA_OPTS_JM}"
     # Remove leading and ending double quotes (if present) of value
     FLINK_ENV_JAVA_OPTS_JM="$( echo "${FLINK_ENV_JAVA_OPTS_JM}" | sed -e 's/^"//'  -e 's/"$//' )"
+
+    FLINK_ENV_JAVA_OPTS_JM="${FLINK_ENV_JAVA_DEFAULT_OPTS_JM} ${FLINK_ENV_JAVA_OPTS_JM}"
 fi
 
 if [ -z "${FLINK_ENV_JAVA_OPTS_TM}" ]; then
     FLINK_ENV_JAVA_DEFAULT_OPTS_TM=$(readFromConfig ${KEY_ENV_JAVA_DEFAULT_OPTS_TM} "" "${YAML_CONF}")
+    # Remove leading and ending double quotes (if present) of value
+    FLINK_ENV_JAVA_DEFAULT_OPTS_TM="$( echo "${FLINK_ENV_JAVA_DEFAULT_OPTS_TM}" | sed -e 's/^"//'  -e 's/"$//' )"
+
     FLINK_ENV_JAVA_OPTS_TM=$(readFromConfig ${KEY_ENV_JAVA_OPTS_TM} "${DEFAULT_ENV_JAVA_OPTS_TM}" "${YAML_CONF}")
-    FLINK_ENV_JAVA_OPTS_TM="${FLINK_ENV_JAVA_DEFAULT_OPTS_TM} ${FLINK_ENV_JAVA_OPTS_TM}"
     # Remove leading and ending double quotes (if present) of value
     FLINK_ENV_JAVA_OPTS_TM="$( echo "${FLINK_ENV_JAVA_OPTS_TM}" | sed -e 's/^"//'  -e 's/"$//' )"
+
+    FLINK_ENV_JAVA_OPTS_TM="${FLINK_ENV_JAVA_DEFAULT_OPTS_TM} ${FLINK_ENV_JAVA_OPTS_TM}"
 fi
 
 if [ -z "${FLINK_ENV_JAVA_OPTS_HS}" ]; then