diff --git a/.github/workflows/populate-it-data.yml b/.github/workflows/populate-it-data.yml
index 0238c7c574..7d30c848e4 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/populate-it-data.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/populate-it-data.yml
@@ -37,10 +37,10 @@ jobs:
           CLOUDSQL_SQLSERVER_PASSWORD: ${{ secrets.CLOUDSQL_SQLSERVER_PASSWORD }}
 
       - name: Populate GCS test data
-        run: sbt integration/runMain com.spotify.scio.PopulateTestData
+        run: sbt "integration/runMain com.spotify.scio.PopulateTestData"
 
       - name: Populate BQ test data
-        run: sbt integration/runMain com.spotify.scio.bigquery.PopulateTestData
+        run: sbt "integration/runMain com.spotify.scio.bigquery.PopulateTestData"
 
       - name: Populate SQL test data
-        run: sbt integration/runMain com.spotify.scio.jdbc.PopulateTestData
+        run: sbt "integration/runMain com.spotify.scio.jdbc.PopulateTestData"
diff --git a/build.sbt b/build.sbt
index 1ec2ec6678..5740889266 100644
--- a/build.sbt
+++ b/build.sbt
@@ -435,6 +435,7 @@ val commonSettings = Def.settings(
   resolvers ++= Resolver.sonatypeOssRepos("public"),
   fork := true,
   run / outputStrategy := Some(OutputStrategy.StdoutOutput),
+  run / javaOptions ++= JavaOptions.runDefaults(javaMajorVersion),
   Test / classLoaderLayeringStrategy := ClassLoaderLayeringStrategy.Flat,
   Test / javaOptions ++= JavaOptions.testDefaults(javaMajorVersion),
   Test / testOptions += Tests.Argument("-oD"),
diff --git a/project/JavaOptions.scala b/project/JavaOptions.scala
index 7cbf465d2a..3a4798c086 100644
--- a/project/JavaOptions.scala
+++ b/project/JavaOptions.scala
@@ -86,4 +86,20 @@ object JavaOptions {
         "cloudsql.sqlserver.password"
       ).flatMap(prop => sys.props.get(prop).map(value => property(prop, value)))
     )
+
+  def runDefaults(javaVersion: Int): Seq[String] =
+    tokensForVersion(
+      javaVersion,
+      Set(
+        minHeapSize("512m"),
+        maxHeapSize("2G"),
+        advanced("+UseParallelGC"),
+        property("scio.ignoreVersionWarning", "true"),
+        property("org.slf4j.simpleLogger.defaultLogLevel", "info")
+      ) ++ Set(
+        "bigquery.project",
+        "bigquery.secret",
+        "cloudsql.sqlserver.password"
+      ).flatMap(prop => sys.props.get(prop).map(value => property(prop, value)))
+    )
 }