diff --git a/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-tools/spring-boot-loader/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/loader/PropertiesLauncher.java b/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-tools/spring-boot-loader/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/loader/PropertiesLauncher.java
index 200b418634..00f7a50a7c 100755
--- a/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-tools/spring-boot-loader/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/loader/PropertiesLauncher.java
+++ b/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-tools/spring-boot-loader/src/main/java/org/springframework/boot/loader/PropertiesLauncher.java
@@ -121,6 +121,8 @@ public class PropertiesLauncher extends Launcher {
 
 	private static final Pattern WORD_SEPARATOR = Pattern.compile("\\W+");
 
+	private static final String NESTED_ARCHIVE_SEPARATOR = "!" + File.separator;
+
 	private final File home;
 
 	private List<String> paths = new ArrayList<>();
@@ -452,6 +454,7 @@ public class PropertiesLauncher extends Launcher {
 
 	private List<Archive> getClassPathArchives(String path) throws Exception {
 		String root = cleanupPath(stripFileUrlPrefix(path));
+		System.out.println(root);
 		List<Archive> lib = new ArrayList<>();
 		File file = new File(root);
 		if (!"/".equals(root)) {
@@ -483,6 +486,9 @@ public class PropertiesLauncher extends Launcher {
 	}
 
 	private Archive getArchive(File file) throws IOException {
+		if (isNestedArchivePath(file)) {
+			return null;
+		}
 		String name = file.getName().toLowerCase();
 		if (name.endsWith(".jar") || name.endsWith(".zip")) {
 			return new JarFileArchive(file);
@@ -490,6 +496,10 @@ public class PropertiesLauncher extends Launcher {
 		return null;
 	}
 
+	private boolean isNestedArchivePath(File file) {
+		return file.getPath().contains(NESTED_ARCHIVE_SEPARATOR);
+	}
+
 	private List<Archive> getNestedArchives(String path) throws Exception {
 		Archive parent = this.parent;
 		String root = path;
diff --git a/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-tools/spring-boot-loader/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/loader/PropertiesLauncherTests.java b/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-tools/spring-boot-loader/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/loader/PropertiesLauncherTests.java
index ce816b9258..0cdfa14540 100644
--- a/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-tools/spring-boot-loader/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/loader/PropertiesLauncherTests.java
+++ b/spring-boot-project/spring-boot-tools/spring-boot-loader/src/test/java/org/springframework/boot/loader/PropertiesLauncherTests.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2012-2017 the original author or authors.
+ * Copyright 2012-2018 the original author or authors.
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -213,6 +213,15 @@ public class PropertiesLauncherTests {
 		assertThat(archives).areExactly(1, endingWith("app.jar!/"));
 	}
 
+	@Test
+	public void testUserSpecifiedNestedJarPath() throws Exception {
+		System.setProperty("loader.path", "nested-jars/app.jar!/foo.jar");
+		System.setProperty("loader.main", "demo.Application");
+		PropertiesLauncher launcher = new PropertiesLauncher();
+		List<Archive> archives = launcher.getClassPathArchives();
+		assertThat(archives).hasSize(1).areExactly(1, endingWith("foo.jar!/"));
+	}
+
 	@Test
 	public void testUserSpecifiedDirectoryContainingJarFileWithNestedArchives()
 			throws Exception {