diff --git a/atomos.runtime/src/main/java/org/apache/felix/atomos/impl/runtime/base/AtomosRuntimeBase.java b/atomos.runtime/src/main/java/org/apache/felix/atomos/impl/runtime/base/AtomosRuntimeBase.java
index f21e784..df79a5e 100644
--- a/atomos.runtime/src/main/java/org/apache/felix/atomos/impl/runtime/base/AtomosRuntimeBase.java
+++ b/atomos.runtime/src/main/java/org/apache/felix/atomos/impl/runtime/base/AtomosRuntimeBase.java
@@ -1696,4 +1696,9 @@
     {
         throw (E) e;
     }
+
+    public void populateConfig(Map<String, String> frameworkConfig)
+    {
+        // do nothing by default
+    }
 }
diff --git a/atomos.runtime/src/main/java/org/apache/felix/atomos/impl/runtime/modules/AtomosRuntimeModules.java b/atomos.runtime/src/main/java/org/apache/felix/atomos/impl/runtime/modules/AtomosRuntimeModules.java
index 080c197..55eb229 100644
--- a/atomos.runtime/src/main/java/org/apache/felix/atomos/impl/runtime/modules/AtomosRuntimeModules.java
+++ b/atomos.runtime/src/main/java/org/apache/felix/atomos/impl/runtime/modules/AtomosRuntimeModules.java
@@ -599,4 +599,16 @@
         }
         return bc.getBundle(location);
     }
+
+    @Override
+    public void populateConfig(Map<String, String> config)
+    {
+        super.populateConfig(config);
+        if (config.get(Constants.FRAMEWORK_SYSTEMPACKAGES) == null)
+        {
+            // this is to prevent the framework from exporting all the packages provided
+            // by the module path.
+            config.put(Constants.FRAMEWORK_SYSTEMPACKAGES, "");
+        }
+    }
 }
diff --git a/atomos.runtime/src/main/java/org/apache/felix/atomos/launch/AtomosLauncher.java b/atomos.runtime/src/main/java/org/apache/felix/atomos/launch/AtomosLauncher.java
index e3f3204..2fa5b1d 100644
--- a/atomos.runtime/src/main/java/org/apache/felix/atomos/launch/AtomosLauncher.java
+++ b/atomos.runtime/src/main/java/org/apache/felix/atomos/launch/AtomosLauncher.java
@@ -23,7 +23,6 @@
 import org.apache.felix.atomos.runtime.AtomosLayer;
 import org.apache.felix.atomos.runtime.AtomosRuntime;
 import org.osgi.framework.BundleException;
-import org.osgi.framework.Constants;
 import org.osgi.framework.connect.ConnectFrameworkFactory;
 import org.osgi.framework.launch.Framework;
 
@@ -144,13 +143,7 @@
         frameworkConfig = frameworkConfig == null ? new HashMap<>()
             : new HashMap<>(frameworkConfig);
 
-        if (atomosRuntime.getBootLayer().isAddLayerSupported()
-            && frameworkConfig.get(Constants.FRAMEWORK_SYSTEMPACKAGES) == null)
-        {
-            // this is to prevent the framework from exporting all the packages provided
-            // by the module path.
-            frameworkConfig.put(Constants.FRAMEWORK_SYSTEMPACKAGES, "");
-        }
+        ((AtomosRuntimeBase) atomosRuntime).populateConfig(frameworkConfig);
 
         // Always allow the console to work
         frameworkConfig.putIfAbsent("osgi.console", "");
diff --git a/atomos.tests/atomos.tests.classpath.service/src/test/java/org/apache/felix/atomos/tests/classpath/service/test/ClasspathLaunchTest.java b/atomos.tests/atomos.tests.classpath.service/src/test/java/org/apache/felix/atomos/tests/classpath/service/test/ClasspathLaunchTest.java
index eed1558..998e48d 100644
--- a/atomos.tests/atomos.tests.classpath.service/src/test/java/org/apache/felix/atomos/tests/classpath/service/test/ClasspathLaunchTest.java
+++ b/atomos.tests/atomos.tests.classpath.service/src/test/java/org/apache/felix/atomos/tests/classpath/service/test/ClasspathLaunchTest.java
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.Collection;
 import java.util.Collections;
+import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Optional;
 
 import org.apache.felix.atomos.impl.runtime.base.AtomosCommands;
@@ -46,6 +47,12 @@
 import org.osgi.framework.InvalidSyntaxException;
 import org.osgi.framework.ServiceReference;
 import org.osgi.framework.launch.Framework;
+import org.osgi.framework.namespace.PackageNamespace;
+import org.osgi.framework.wiring.BundleCapability;
+import org.osgi.framework.wiring.FrameworkWiring;
+import org.osgi.resource.Namespace;
+import org.osgi.resource.Requirement;
+import org.osgi.resource.Resource;
 
 public class ClasspathLaunchTest
 {
@@ -257,4 +264,45 @@
             assertEquals(expected, b.getState(), "Wrong bundle state for bundle: " + msg);
         }
     }
+
+    @Test
+    void testSystemPackages(@TempDir Path storage) throws BundleException
+    {
+        testFramework = AtomosLauncher.launch(Collections.singletonMap(
+            Constants.FRAMEWORK_STORAGE, storage.toFile().getAbsolutePath()));
+        // this test assumes it is running on Java 11+
+        Collection<BundleCapability> javaLangPackages = testFramework.adapt(
+            FrameworkWiring.class).findProviders(new Requirement()
+            {
+
+                @Override
+                public Resource getResource()
+                {
+                    return null;
+                }
+
+                @Override
+                public String getNamespace()
+                {
+                    return PackageNamespace.PACKAGE_NAMESPACE;
+                }
+
+                @Override
+                public Map<String, String> getDirectives()
+                {
+                    return Map.of(Namespace.REQUIREMENT_FILTER_DIRECTIVE,
+                        "(" + PackageNamespace.PACKAGE_NAMESPACE + "=java.lang)");
+                }
+
+                @Override
+                public Map<String, Object> getAttributes()
+                {
+                    return Collections.emptyMap();
+                }
+            });
+        assertEquals(1, javaLangPackages.size(), "Wrong number of java.lang packages.");
+        assertEquals(Object.class.getModule().getName(),
+            javaLangPackages.iterator().next().getRevision().getSymbolicName(),
+            "Wrong provider of java.lang package.");
+    }
 }