diff --git a/tycho-apitools-plugin/pom.xml b/tycho-apitools-plugin/pom.xml
index 639ae06233..bc9f5196c8 100644
--- a/tycho-apitools-plugin/pom.xml
+++ b/tycho-apitools-plugin/pom.xml
@@ -69,6 +69,11 @@
 		    <artifactId>org.eclipse.jdt.core</artifactId>
 		    <version>3.35.0</version>
 		</dependency>
+		<dependency>
+		    <groupId>org.eclipse.jdt</groupId>
+		    <artifactId>org.eclipse.jdt.launching</artifactId>
+		    <version>3.20.100</version>
+		</dependency>
 		<!-- libs -->
 		<dependency>
 		  <groupId>org.ow2.asm</groupId>
diff --git a/tycho-apitools-plugin/src/main/java/org/eclipse/tycho/apitools/ApiAnalysis.java b/tycho-apitools-plugin/src/main/java/org/eclipse/tycho/apitools/ApiAnalysis.java
index d0c0ca3117..00786a281f 100644
--- a/tycho-apitools-plugin/src/main/java/org/eclipse/tycho/apitools/ApiAnalysis.java
+++ b/tycho-apitools-plugin/src/main/java/org/eclipse/tycho/apitools/ApiAnalysis.java
@@ -39,9 +39,12 @@
 import org.eclipse.core.runtime.NullProgressMonitor;
 import org.eclipse.core.runtime.Platform;
 import org.eclipse.core.runtime.jobs.Job;
+import org.eclipse.core.runtime.preferences.IEclipsePreferences;
+import org.eclipse.core.runtime.preferences.InstanceScope;
 import org.eclipse.jdt.core.IClasspathEntry;
 import org.eclipse.jdt.core.IJavaProject;
 import org.eclipse.jdt.core.JavaCore;
+import org.eclipse.jdt.internal.launching.LaunchingPlugin;
 import org.eclipse.osgi.service.resolver.ResolverError;
 import org.eclipse.pde.api.tools.internal.BundleListTargetLocation;
 import org.eclipse.pde.api.tools.internal.FilterStore;
@@ -96,6 +99,7 @@ public ApiAnalysisResult call() throws Exception {
 		Platform.addLogListener((status, plugin) -> debug(status.toString()));
 		printVersion();
 		disableAutoBuild();
+		disableJVMDiscovery();
 		setTargetPlatform();
 		deleteAllProjects();
 		BundleComponent projectComponent = importProject();
@@ -125,6 +129,12 @@ public ApiAnalysisResult call() throws Exception {
 		return result;
 	}
 
+	private void disableJVMDiscovery() {
+		IEclipsePreferences instanceNode = InstanceScope.INSTANCE
+				.getNode(LaunchingPlugin.getDefault().getBundle().getSymbolicName());
+		instanceNode.putBoolean(LaunchingPlugin.PREF_DETECT_VMS_AT_STARTUP, false);
+	}
+
 	private BundleComponent importProject() throws CoreException, IOException {
 		IPath projectPath = IPath.fromOSString(projectDir);
 		IPath projectDescriptionFile = projectPath.append(IProjectDescription.DESCRIPTION_FILE_NAME);