diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index 9cd3b70a3..8a4e3eb72 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -2064,6 +2064,7 @@ ifeq ($(PLATFORM), OS_OPENBSD)
 	ROCKSDBJNILIB = librocksdbjni-openbsd$(ARCH).so
 	ROCKSDB_JAR = rocksdbjni-$(ROCKSDB_JAVA_VERSION)-openbsd$(ARCH).jar
 endif
+export SHA256_CMD
 
 zlib-$(ZLIB_VER).tar.gz:
 	curl --fail --output zlib-$(ZLIB_VER).tar.gz --location ${ZLIB_DOWNLOAD_BASE}/zlib-$(ZLIB_VER).tar.gz
@@ -2196,7 +2197,7 @@ JAR_CMD := jar
 endif
 endif
 rocksdbjavastatic_javalib:
-	cd java; SHA256_CMD='$(SHA256_CMD)' $(MAKE) javalib
+	cd java; $(MAKE) javalib
 	rm -f java/target/$(ROCKSDBJNILIB)
 	$(CXX) $(CXXFLAGS) -I./java/. $(JAVA_INCLUDE) -shared -fPIC \
 	  -o ./java/target/$(ROCKSDBJNILIB) $(ALL_JNI_NATIVE_SOURCES) \
@@ -2310,7 +2311,7 @@ rocksdbjava: $(LIB_OBJECTS)
 ifeq ($(JAVA_HOME),)
 	$(error JAVA_HOME is not set)
 endif
-	$(AM_V_GEN)cd java; SHA256_CMD='$(SHA256_CMD)' $(MAKE) javalib;
+	$(AM_V_GEN)cd java; $(MAKE) javalib;
 	$(AM_V_at)rm -f ./java/target/$(ROCKSDBJNILIB)
 	$(AM_V_at)$(CXX) $(CXXFLAGS) -I./java/. -I./java/rocksjni $(JAVA_INCLUDE) $(ROCKSDB_PLUGIN_JNI_CXX_INCLUDEFLAGS) -shared -fPIC -o ./java/target/$(ROCKSDBJNILIB) $(ALL_JNI_NATIVE_SOURCES) $(LIB_OBJECTS) $(JAVA_LDFLAGS) $(COVERAGEFLAGS)
 	$(AM_V_at)cd java; $(JAR_CMD) -cf target/$(ROCKSDB_JAR) HISTORY*.md
@@ -2322,14 +2323,13 @@ jclean:
 	cd java;$(MAKE) clean;
 
 jtest_compile: rocksdbjava
-	cd java; SHA256_CMD='$(SHA256_CMD)' $(MAKE) java_test
+	cd java;$(MAKE) java_test
 
 jtest_run:
 	cd java;$(MAKE) run_test
 
 jtest: rocksdbjava
-	cd java;$(MAKE) sample; SHA256_CMD='$(SHA256_CMD)' $(MAKE) test;
-	$(PYTHON) tools/check_all_python.py # TODO peterd: find a better place for this check in CI targets
+	cd java;$(MAKE) sample test
 
 jdb_bench:
 	cd java;$(MAKE) db_bench;
diff --git a/java/Makefile b/java/Makefile
index f580fda27..9a28abadf 100644
--- a/java/Makefile
+++ b/java/Makefile
@@ -437,7 +437,8 @@ java_test: java resolve_test_deps
 	$(AM_V_at) $(JAVAC_CMD) $(JAVAC_ARGS) -cp $(MAIN_CLASSES):$(JAVA_TESTCLASSPATH) -h $(NATIVE_INCLUDE) -d $(TEST_CLASSES)\
 		$(TEST_SOURCES)
 
-test: java java_test run_test
+test: java java_test
+	$(MAKE) run_test
 
 run_test:
 	$(JAVA_CMD) $(JAVA_ARGS) -Djava.library.path=target -cp "$(MAIN_CLASSES):$(TEST_CLASSES):$(JAVA_TESTCLASSPATH):target/*" org.rocksdb.test.RocksJunitRunner $(ALL_JAVA_TESTS)
diff --git a/java/samples/src/main/java/RocksDBSample.java b/java/samples/src/main/java/RocksDBSample.java
index 0637c1114..ea650b141 100644
--- a/java/samples/src/main/java/RocksDBSample.java
+++ b/java/samples/src/main/java/RocksDBSample.java
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ public class RocksDBSample {
             .setWriteBufferSize(8 * SizeUnit.KB)
             .setMaxWriteBufferNumber(3)
             .setMaxBackgroundJobs(10)
-            .setCompressionType(CompressionType.SNAPPY_COMPRESSION)
+            .setCompressionType(CompressionType.ZLIB_COMPRESSION)
             .setCompactionStyle(CompactionStyle.UNIVERSAL);
       } catch (final IllegalArgumentException e) {
         assert (false);
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ public class RocksDBSample {
       assert (options.writeBufferSize() == 8 * SizeUnit.KB);
       assert (options.maxWriteBufferNumber() == 3);
       assert (options.maxBackgroundJobs() == 10);
-      assert (options.compressionType() == CompressionType.SNAPPY_COMPRESSION);
+      assert (options.compressionType() == CompressionType.ZLIB_COMPRESSION);
       assert (options.compactionStyle() == CompactionStyle.UNIVERSAL);
 
       assert (options.memTableFactoryName().equals("SkipListFactory"));