diff --git a/client/driver/executor/executor.go b/client/driver/executor/executor.go
index 8644b5aa049..1bb028213f3 100644
--- a/client/driver/executor/executor.go
+++ b/client/driver/executor/executor.go
@@ -176,11 +176,12 @@ type UniversalExecutor struct {
 	ctx     *ExecutorContext
 	command *ExecCommand
 
-	pids          map[int]*nomadPid
-	pidLock       sync.RWMutex
-	taskDir       string
-	exitState     *ProcessState
-	processExited chan interface{}
+	pids                map[int]*nomadPid
+	pidLock             sync.RWMutex
+	taskDir             string
+	exitState           *ProcessState
+	processExited       chan interface{}
+	fsIsolationEnforced bool
 
 	lre         *logging.FileRotator
 	lro         *logging.FileRotator
@@ -230,23 +231,30 @@ func (e *UniversalExecutor) LaunchCmd(command *ExecCommand, ctx *ExecutorContext
 	e.ctx = ctx
 	e.command = command
 
+	// setting the user of the process
+	if command.User != "" {
+		e.logger.Printf("[DEBUG] executor: running command as %s", command.User)
+		if err := e.runAs(command.User); err != nil {
+			return nil, err
+		}
+	}
+
 	// configuring the task dir
 	if err := e.configureTaskDir(); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
+	e.ctx.TaskEnv.Build()
 	// configuring the chroot, cgroup and enters the plugin process in the
 	// chroot
 	if err := e.configureIsolation(); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-
-	// setting the user of the process
-	if command.User != "" {
-		e.logger.Printf("[DEBUG] executor: running command as %s", command.User)
-		if err := e.runAs(command.User); err != nil {
-			return nil, err
-		}
+	// Apply ourselves into the cgroup. The executor MUST be in the cgroup
+	// before the user task is started, otherwise we are subject to a fork
+	// attack in which a process escapes isolation by immediately forking.
+	if err := e.applyLimits(os.Getpid()); err != nil {
+		return nil, err
 	}
 
 	// Setup the loggers
@@ -256,8 +264,6 @@ func (e *UniversalExecutor) LaunchCmd(command *ExecCommand, ctx *ExecutorContext
 	e.cmd.Stdout = e.lro
 	e.cmd.Stderr = e.lre
 
-	e.ctx.TaskEnv.Build()
-
 	// Look up the binary path and make it executable
 	absPath, err := e.lookupBin(ctx.TaskEnv.ReplaceEnv(command.Cmd))
 	if err != nil {
@@ -268,10 +274,11 @@ func (e *UniversalExecutor) LaunchCmd(command *ExecCommand, ctx *ExecutorContext
 		return nil, err
 	}
 
-	// Determine the path to run as it may have to be relative to the chroot.
 	path := absPath
-	if e.command.FSIsolation {
-		rel, err := filepath.Rel(e.taskDir, absPath)
+
+	// Determine the path to run as it may have to be relative to the chroot.
+	if e.fsIsolationEnforced {
+		rel, err := filepath.Rel(e.taskDir, path)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
@@ -280,16 +287,9 @@ func (e *UniversalExecutor) LaunchCmd(command *ExecCommand, ctx *ExecutorContext
 
 	// Set the commands arguments
 	e.cmd.Path = path
-	e.cmd.Args = append([]string{path}, ctx.TaskEnv.ParseAndReplace(command.Args)...)
+	e.cmd.Args = append([]string{e.cmd.Path}, ctx.TaskEnv.ParseAndReplace(command.Args)...)
 	e.cmd.Env = ctx.TaskEnv.EnvList()
 
-	// Apply ourselves into the cgroup. The executor MUST be in the cgroup
-	// before the user task is started, otherwise we are subject to a fork
-	// attack in which a process escapes isolation by immediately forking.
-	if err := e.applyLimits(os.Getpid()); err != nil {
-		return nil, err
-	}
-
 	// Start the process
 	if err := e.cmd.Start(); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
diff --git a/client/driver/executor/executor_linux.go b/client/driver/executor/executor_linux.go
index 812d1a0017e..1140e3005c7 100644
--- a/client/driver/executor/executor_linux.go
+++ b/client/driver/executor/executor_linux.go
@@ -247,6 +247,7 @@ func (e *UniversalExecutor) configureChroot() error {
 		return err
 	}
 
+	e.fsIsolationEnforced = true
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/nomad/structs/structs.go b/nomad/structs/structs.go
index ba476fe9775..1f71ad0fc24 100644
--- a/nomad/structs/structs.go
+++ b/nomad/structs/structs.go
@@ -1849,13 +1849,6 @@ func (t *Task) Validate() error {
 		}
 	}
 
-	// If the driver is java or qemu ensure that they have specified an
-	// artifact.
-	if (t.Driver == "qemu" || t.Driver == "java") && len(t.Artifacts) == 0 {
-		err := fmt.Errorf("must specify at least one artifact when using %q driver", t.Driver)
-		mErr.Errors = append(mErr.Errors, err)
-	}
-
 	return mErr.ErrorOrNil()
 }