diff --git a/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/rules/java/JavaToolchainRule.java b/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/rules/java/JavaToolchainRule.java
index 06b1b9f218e328..6e0476343333ef 100644
--- a/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/rules/java/JavaToolchainRule.java
+++ b/src/main/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/rules/java/JavaToolchainRule.java
@@ -291,9 +291,7 @@ The Java target version (e.g., '6' or '7'). It specifies for which Java runtime
         .add(
             attr("java_runtime", LABEL)
                 .cfg(ExecutionTransitionFactory.create())
-                // TODO(b/171140578): remove default value and set to mandatory after it is set on
-                // all toolchains
-                .value(JavaSemantics.hostJdkAttribute(env))
+                .mandatory()
                 .mandatoryProviders(ToolchainInfo.PROVIDER.id())
                 .allowedFileTypes(FileTypeSet.ANY_FILE)
                 .useOutputLicenses())
diff --git a/src/test/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/analysis/mock/BazelAnalysisMock.java b/src/test/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/analysis/mock/BazelAnalysisMock.java
index 3bdbca27279c80..90cd8eba844b5c 100644
--- a/src/test/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/analysis/mock/BazelAnalysisMock.java
+++ b/src/test/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/analysis/mock/BazelAnalysisMock.java
@@ -130,6 +130,7 @@ public void setupMockClient(MockToolsConfig config, List<String> workspaceConten
         "  singlejar = ['SingleJar_deploy.jar'],",
         "  genclass = ['GenClass_deploy.jar'],",
         "  ijar = ['ijar'],",
+        "  java_runtime = 'host_jdk',",
         ")",
         "java_toolchain(",
         "  name = 'remote_toolchain',",
@@ -143,6 +144,7 @@ public void setupMockClient(MockToolsConfig config, List<String> workspaceConten
         "  singlejar = ['SingleJar_deploy.jar'],",
         "  genclass = ['GenClass_deploy.jar'],",
         "  ijar = ['ijar'],",
+        "  java_runtime = 'host_jdk',",
         ")",
         "java_import(",
         "  name = 'JacocoCoverageRunner',",
diff --git a/src/test/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/testutil/FoundationTestCase.java b/src/test/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/testutil/FoundationTestCase.java
index 6979d3c68bb441..a8d94f3c7b286c 100644
--- a/src/test/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/testutil/FoundationTestCase.java
+++ b/src/test/java/com/google/devtools/build/lib/testutil/FoundationTestCase.java
@@ -163,6 +163,15 @@ protected void writeBuildFileForJavaToolchain() throws Exception  {
         "    ijar = ['ijar'],",
         "    genclass = ['GenClass_deploy.jar'],",
         "    timezone_data = 'tzdata.jar',",
+        "    java_runtime = ':jvm-k8'",
+        ")",
+        "java_runtime(",
+        "    name = 'jvm-k8',",
+        "    srcs = [",
+        "        'k8/a', ",
+        "        'k8/b',",
+        "    ], ",
+        "    java_home = 'k8',",
         ")",
         "constraint_value(",
         "    name = 'constraint',",
diff --git a/src/test/shell/integration/bazel_java_test.sh b/src/test/shell/integration/bazel_java_test.sh
index 662a04a5efd7b9..6136cafb8afd43 100755
--- a/src/test/shell/integration/bazel_java_test.sh
+++ b/src/test/shell/integration/bazel_java_test.sh
@@ -181,6 +181,7 @@ default_java_toolchain(
     javabuilder = ["@bazel_tools//tools/jdk:vanillajavabuilder"],
     jvm_opts = [],
     visibility = ["//visibility:public"],
+    java_runtime = "@local_jdk//:jdk",
 )
 EOF