diff --git a/installers/linux/al2/spec/build.gradle b/installers/linux/al2/spec/build.gradle
index 82d5d0df79..774310e9dd 100644
--- a/installers/linux/al2/spec/build.gradle
+++ b/installers/linux/al2/spec/build.gradle
@@ -45,6 +45,8 @@ task inflateRpmSpec(type: Copy) {
         filter(org.apache.tools.ant.filters.ReplaceTokens, tokens: [ debug_level: correttoDebugLevel])
         filter(org.apache.tools.ant.filters.ReplaceTokens, tokens: [ experimental_feature: project.findProperty("corretto.experimental_feature") ?: "%{nil}" ])
         filter(org.apache.tools.ant.filters.ReplaceTokens, tokens: [ additional_configure_options: project.findProperty("corretto.additional_configure_options") ?: "%{nil}"])
+        filter(org.apache.tools.ant.filters.ReplaceTokens, tokens: [ zlib_option: project.findProperty("corretto.zlib_option") ?: "system"])
+        filter(org.apache.tools.ant.filters.ReplaceTokens, tokens: [ use_gcc_ver: project.findProperty("corretto.use_gcc_ver") ?: ""])
     }
     into buildRoot
 }
diff --git a/installers/linux/al2/spec/java-1.8.0-amazon-corretto.spec.template b/installers/linux/al2/spec/java-1.8.0-amazon-corretto.spec.template
index 648401edf4..97c50c52c1 100644
--- a/installers/linux/al2/spec/java-1.8.0-amazon-corretto.spec.template
+++ b/installers/linux/al2/spec/java-1.8.0-amazon-corretto.spec.template
@@ -25,6 +25,8 @@
 %global java_home %{_jvmdir}/%{name}.%{_arch}
 %global experimental_feature     @experimental_feature@
 %global additional_configure_options     @additional_configure_options@
+%global zlib_option @zlib_option@
+%global use_gcc_ver @use_gcc_ver@
 
 # The experimental_feature macro gets set to %nil by the template, but that is still defined and
 # the spec doesn't have a quick is not nil check, just define/not defined, this makes it easier to
@@ -114,7 +116,7 @@ BuildRequires: cups-devel
 BuildRequires: fontconfig-devel
 BuildRequires: freetype-devel
 BuildRequires: giflib-devel
-BuildRequires: gcc-c++
+BuildRequires: gcc%{?use_gcc_ver}-c++
 BuildRequires: libjpeg-devel
 BuildRequires: libpng-devel
 BuildRequires: libxslt
@@ -186,7 +188,7 @@ bash ./configure \
 %if 0%{?additional_configure_options:1}
     %{additional_configure_options} \
 %endif
-  --with-zlib=system \
+  --with-zlib="%{zlib_option}" \
   --with-giflib=system \
   --with-update-version="%{java_update}" \
   --with-build-number="%{buildver}" \