diff --git a/launchable/commands/verify.py b/launchable/commands/verify.py
index 3af7e37f3..7fcc1e69c 100644
--- a/launchable/commands/verify.py
+++ b/launchable/commands/verify.py
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 import re
 import subprocess
 import sys
+from subprocess import CalledProcessError
 from typing import List
 
 import click
@@ -49,9 +50,16 @@ def compare_java_version(output: str) -> int:
 
 
 def check_java_version(javacmd: str) -> int:
-    """Check if the Java version meets what we need. returns >=0 if we meet the requirement"""
-    v = subprocess.run([javacmd, "-version"], check=True, stderr=subprocess.PIPE, universal_newlines=True)
-    return compare_java_version(v.stderr)
+    """
+    Check if the Java version meets what we need.
+    Returns >=0 if we meet the requirement
+    Returns -1 if 'java -version' command returns non-zero exit status
+    """
+    try:
+        v = subprocess.run([javacmd, "-version"], check=True, stderr=subprocess.PIPE, universal_newlines=True)
+        return compare_java_version(v.stderr)
+    except CalledProcessError:
+        return -1
 
 
 @click.command(name="verify")
diff --git a/tests/commands/test_verify.py b/tests/commands/test_verify.py
index 50ffa16db..879cee51c 100644
--- a/tests/commands/test_verify.py
+++ b/tests/commands/test_verify.py
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
+from subprocess import CalledProcessError
 from unittest import TestCase
+from unittest.mock import patch
 
-from launchable.commands.verify import compare_java_version, compare_version
+from launchable.commands.verify import check_java_version, compare_java_version, compare_version
 
 
 class VersionTest(TestCase):
@@ -37,3 +39,9 @@ def test_java_version(self):
     Java HotSpot(TM) 64-Bit Server VM (build 1.5.0_22-b03, mixed mode)
     """
         ) < 0)
+
+    @patch('launchable.commands.verify.subprocess.run')
+    def test_check_java_version(self, mock_run):
+        mock_run.side_effect = CalledProcessError(1, 'java -version')
+        result = check_java_version('java')
+        self.assertEqual(result, -1)