diff --git a/src/sagemaker_inference/environment.py b/src/sagemaker_inference/environment.py
index 3415097..89c68e7 100644
--- a/src/sagemaker_inference/environment.py
+++ b/src/sagemaker_inference/environment.py
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 DEFAULT_MODEL_SERVER_TIMEOUT = "60"
 DEFAULT_STARTUP_TIMEOUT = "600"  # 10 minutes
 DEFAULT_HTTP_PORT = "8080"
+DEFAULT_VMARGS = "-XX:-UseContainerSupport"
 
 SAGEMAKER_BASE_PATH = os.path.join("/opt", "ml")  # type: str
 
@@ -79,6 +80,7 @@ def __init__(self):
         self._inference_http_port = os.environ.get(parameters.BIND_TO_PORT_ENV, DEFAULT_HTTP_PORT)
         self._management_http_port = os.environ.get(parameters.BIND_TO_PORT_ENV, DEFAULT_HTTP_PORT)
         self._safe_port_range = os.environ.get(parameters.SAFE_PORT_RANGE_ENV)
+        self._vmargs = os.environ.get(parameters.MODEL_SERVER_VMARGS, DEFAULT_VMARGS)
 
     @staticmethod
     def _parse_module_name(program_param):
@@ -140,3 +142,8 @@ def safe_port_range(self):  # type: () -> str
         specified by SageMaker for handling pings and invocations.
         """
         return self._safe_port_range
+
+    @property
+    def vmargs(self):  # type: () -> str
+        """str: vmargs can be provided for the JVM, to be overriden"""
+        return self._vmargs
diff --git a/src/sagemaker_inference/model_server.py b/src/sagemaker_inference/model_server.py
index 447b626..4d3be2e 100644
--- a/src/sagemaker_inference/model_server.py
+++ b/src/sagemaker_inference/model_server.py
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ def _generate_mms_config_properties(env, handler_service=None):
         "default_workers_per_model": env.model_server_workers,
         "inference_address": "http://0.0.0.0:{}".format(env.inference_http_port),
         "management_address": "http://0.0.0.0:{}".format(env.management_http_port),
-        "vmargs": "-XX:-UseContainerSupport",
+        "vmargs": env.vmargs,
     }
     # If provided, add handler service to user config
     if handler_service:
diff --git a/src/sagemaker_inference/parameters.py b/src/sagemaker_inference/parameters.py
index c6b7d2d..d1f438b 100644
--- a/src/sagemaker_inference/parameters.py
+++ b/src/sagemaker_inference/parameters.py
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 DEFAULT_INVOCATIONS_ACCEPT_ENV = "SAGEMAKER_DEFAULT_INVOCATIONS_ACCEPT"  # type: str
 MODEL_SERVER_WORKERS_ENV = "SAGEMAKER_MODEL_SERVER_WORKERS"  # type: str
 MODEL_SERVER_TIMEOUT_ENV = "SAGEMAKER_MODEL_SERVER_TIMEOUT"  # type: str
+MODEL_SERVER_VMARGS = "SAGEMAKER_MODEL_SERVER_VMARGS"  # type: str
 STARTUP_TIMEOUT_ENV = "SAGEMAKER_STARTUP_TIMEOUT"  # type: str
 BIND_TO_PORT_ENV = "SAGEMAKER_BIND_TO_PORT"  # type: str
 SAFE_PORT_RANGE_ENV = "SAGEMAKER_SAFE_PORT_RANGE"  # type: str
diff --git a/test/unit/test_default_handler_service.py b/test/unit/test_default_handler_service.py
index a6d2ba8..f353797 100644
--- a/test/unit/test_default_handler_service.py
+++ b/test/unit/test_default_handler_service.py
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ def test_handle():
     result = handler_service.handle(DATA, CONTEXT)
 
     assert result == TRANSFORMED_RESULT
-    assert transformer.transform.called_once_with(DATA, CONTEXT)
+    transformer.transform.assert_called_once_with(DATA, CONTEXT)
 
 
 def test_initialize():
@@ -57,4 +57,4 @@ def getitem(key):
     context.system_properties.__getitem__.side_effect = getitem
     DefaultHandlerService(transformer).initialize(context)
 
-    assert transformer.validate_and_initialize().called_once()
+    transformer.validate_and_initialize.assert_called_once()
diff --git a/test/unit/test_environment.py b/test/unit/test_environment.py
index f54c43e..afb90de 100644
--- a/test/unit/test_environment.py
+++ b/test/unit/test_environment.py
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
         parameters.DEFAULT_INVOCATIONS_ACCEPT_ENV: "text/html",
         parameters.BIND_TO_PORT_ENV: "1738",
         parameters.SAFE_PORT_RANGE_ENV: "1111-2222",
+        parameters.MODEL_SERVER_VMARGS: "-XX:-UseContainerSupport",
     },
     clear=True,
 )
@@ -45,6 +46,7 @@ def test_env():
     assert env.inference_http_port == "1738"
     assert env.management_http_port == "1738"
     assert env.safe_port_range == "1111-2222"
+    assert "-XX:-UseContainerSupport" in env.vmargs
 
 
 @pytest.mark.parametrize("sagemaker_program", ["program.py", "program"])
diff --git a/tox.ini b/tox.ini
index 9503285..0fc890f 100644
--- a/tox.ini
+++ b/tox.ini
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ passenv =
 # {posargs} can be passed in by additional arguments specified when invoking tox.
 # Can be used to specify which tests to run, e.g.: tox -- -s
 commands =
-    coverage run --rcfile .coveragerc_{envname} --source sagemaker_inference -m py.test {posargs}
+    coverage run --rcfile .coveragerc_{envname} --source sagemaker_inference -m pytest {posargs}
     {env:IGNORE_COVERAGE:} coverage report --rcfile .coveragerc_{envname}
     {env:IGNORE_COVERAGE:} coverage html --rcfile .coveragerc_{envname}