diff --git a/spring-cloud-launcher/spring-cloud-launcher-deployer/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/launcher/deployer/DeployerProperties.java b/spring-cloud-launcher/spring-cloud-launcher-deployer/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/launcher/deployer/DeployerProperties.java
index 3dfb4ca..8bf5fa2 100644
--- a/spring-cloud-launcher/spring-cloud-launcher-deployer/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/launcher/deployer/DeployerProperties.java
+++ b/spring-cloud-launcher/spring-cloud-launcher-deployer/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/launcher/deployer/DeployerProperties.java
@@ -138,8 +138,9 @@ public class DeployerProperties {
 		 */
 		private String message;
 		/**
-		 * A map of "negative" properties that apply to all apps when this one is disabled.
-		 * E.g. when eureka is disabled you might want "eureka.client.enabled=false".
+		 * A map of "negative" properties that apply to all apps when this one is
+		 * disabled. E.g. when eureka is disabled you might want
+		 * "eureka.client.enabled=false".
 		 */
 		private Map<String, String> disabled = new LinkedHashMap<>();
 		/**
@@ -148,10 +149,11 @@ public class DeployerProperties {
 		 */
 		private Map<String, String> enabled = new LinkedHashMap<>();
 		/**
-		 * A list of java options to pass to the jvm command (e.g. java).
-		 * E.g. -Dmy.prop=myval
+		 * A map of "deployment" properties passed to the deployer (not the app) when this
+		 * app is launched. You can use JAVA_OPTS here to pass JVM args to a local deployer.
 		 */
-		private List<String> javaOptions = new ArrayList<>();
+		// TODO: update javadocs when JAVA_OPTS are passed as javaOpts or whatever it is)
+		private Map<String, String> properties = new LinkedHashMap<>();
 
 		public String getCoordinates() {
 			return this.coordinates;
@@ -210,14 +212,6 @@ public class DeployerProperties {
 			return disabled;
 		}
 
-		public List<String> getJavaOptions() {
-			return javaOptions;
-		}
-
-		public void setJavaOptions(List<String> javaOptions) {
-			this.javaOptions = javaOptions;
-		}
-
 		public Map<String, String> getEnabled() {
 			return enabled;
 		}
@@ -226,6 +220,14 @@ public class DeployerProperties {
 			this.enabled = enabled;
 		}
 
+		public Map<String, String> getProperties() {
+			return properties;
+		}
+
+		public void setProperties(Map<String, String> properties) {
+			this.properties = properties;
+		}
+
 		@Override
 		public String toString() {
 			final StringBuffer sb = new StringBuffer("Deployable{");
@@ -236,7 +238,7 @@ public class DeployerProperties {
 			sb.append(", order=").append(this.order);
 			sb.append(", disabled=").append(this.disabled);
 			sb.append(", enabled=").append(this.disabled);
-			sb.append(", javaOptions=").append(this.javaOptions);
+			sb.append(", properties=").append(this.properties);
 			sb.append(", message=").append(this.message);
 			sb.append('}');
 			return sb.toString();
diff --git a/spring-cloud-launcher/spring-cloud-launcher-deployer/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/launcher/deployer/DeployerThread.java b/spring-cloud-launcher/spring-cloud-launcher-deployer/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/launcher/deployer/DeployerThread.java
index 323c8cc..e1f738a 100644
--- a/spring-cloud-launcher/spring-cloud-launcher-deployer/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/launcher/deployer/DeployerThread.java
+++ b/spring-cloud-launcher/spring-cloud-launcher-deployer/src/main/java/org/springframework/cloud/launcher/deployer/DeployerThread.java
@@ -16,17 +16,6 @@
 
 package org.springframework.cloud.launcher.deployer;
 
-import java.io.File;
-import java.io.IOException;
-import java.util.ArrayList;
-import java.util.Arrays;
-import java.util.Collection;
-import java.util.HashMap;
-import java.util.LinkedHashMap;
-import java.util.List;
-import java.util.Map;
-import java.util.concurrent.ConcurrentHashMap;
-
 import org.slf4j.Logger;
 import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
 import org.springframework.boot.Banner.Mode;
@@ -54,6 +43,17 @@ import org.springframework.core.io.ResourceLoader;
 import org.springframework.util.ClassUtils;
 import org.springframework.util.StringUtils;
 
+import java.io.File;
+import java.io.IOException;
+import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.Arrays;
+import java.util.Collection;
+import java.util.HashMap;
+import java.util.LinkedHashMap;
+import java.util.List;
+import java.util.Map;
+import java.util.concurrent.ConcurrentHashMap;
+
 import static org.springframework.util.StringUtils.collectionToCommaDelimitedString;
 
 /**
@@ -318,10 +318,7 @@ public class DeployerThread extends Thread {
 
 		Map<String, String> deploymentProperties = new LinkedHashMap<>();
 		deploymentProperties.put(AppDeployer.GROUP_PROPERTY_KEY, "launcher");
-
-		if (deployable.getJavaOptions() != null && !deployable.getJavaOptions().isEmpty()) {
-			deploymentProperties.put("JAVA_OPTS", collectionToCommaDelimitedString(deployable.getJavaOptions()));
-		}
+		deploymentProperties.putAll(deployable.getProperties());
 
 		AppDeploymentRequest request = new AppDeploymentRequest(definition, resource,
 				deploymentProperties);
diff --git a/spring-cloud-launcher/spring-cloud-launcher-deployer/src/test/resources/cloud-test.yml b/spring-cloud-launcher/spring-cloud-launcher-deployer/src/test/resources/cloud-test.yml
index 7c68477..b9e8946 100644
--- a/spring-cloud-launcher/spring-cloud-launcher-deployer/src/test/resources/cloud-test.yml
+++ b/spring-cloud-launcher/spring-cloud-launcher-deployer/src/test/resources/cloud-test.yml
@@ -7,3 +7,5 @@ spring:
           port: 8000
           waitUntilStarted: true
           order: -200
+          properties:
+            JAVA_OPTS: -Xmx64m