diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index bcb6ef96a120..e0b25223b5d7 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -1254,6 +1254,7 @@
               <JAVA_HOME>${test.java.home}</JAVA_HOME>
             </environmentVariables>
             <systemProperties>
+              <derby.system.durability>test</derby.system.durability>
               <java.awt.headless>true</java.awt.headless>
               <spark.test.home>${spark.test.home}</spark.test.home>
               <spark.testing>1</spark.testing>
@@ -1286,6 +1287,7 @@
               <JAVA_HOME>${test.java.home}</JAVA_HOME>
             </environmentVariables>
             <systemProperties>
+              <derby.system.durability>test</derby.system.durability>
               <java.awt.headless>true</java.awt.headless>
               <spark.test.home>${spark.test.home}</spark.test.home>
               <spark.testing>1</spark.testing>
diff --git a/project/SparkBuild.scala b/project/SparkBuild.scala
index f65031fe25ac..ef3a175bac20 100644
--- a/project/SparkBuild.scala
+++ b/project/SparkBuild.scala
@@ -504,6 +504,7 @@ object TestSettings {
     javaOptions in Test += "-Dspark.driver.allowMultipleContexts=true",
     javaOptions in Test += "-Dspark.unsafe.exceptionOnMemoryLeak=true",
     javaOptions in Test += "-Dsun.io.serialization.extendedDebugInfo=true",
+    javaOptions in Test += "-Dderby.system.durability=test",
     javaOptions in Test ++= System.getProperties.filter(_._1 startsWith "spark")
       .map { case (k,v) => s"-D$k=$v" }.toSeq,
     javaOptions in Test += "-ea",