Quarkus @QuarkusTest fails when running isolated JAR outside project directory

[allanh1193cr]

I have a Quarkus 3.16.3 + Gradle project that runs Cucumber tests using @QuarkusTest. I've created an isolated test runner JAR to run tests independently, but it only works from within the original project directory.
What Works:
Running the JAR from the main project folder works perfectly:

java -jar build/libs/test-1.0.0-SNAPSHOT-test-runner.jar

This is the log output before to run the tests. Docker is starting, gradleAppModel is working and the tests run perfect.

Running Cucumber tests with HTTP server disabled...
Using profile: stg
Features location: classpath:features
💚 Thanks for using JUnit! Support its development at https://junit.org/sponsoring

Jun 27, 2025 7:28:50 PM io.quarkus.bootstrap.utils.BuildToolHelper enableGradleAppModel
INFO: Loading Quarkus Gradle application model for /MRepos/build-verification-test
2025-06-27 19:30:26 INFO  [or.te.DockerClientFactory] (build-84) Testcontainers version: 1.20.2
2025-06-27 19:30:27 INFO  [or.te.do.DockerClientProviderStrategy] (build-84) Loaded org.testcontainers.dockerclient.UnixSocketClientProviderStrategy from ~/.testcontainers.properties, will try it first
2025-06-27 19:30:28 INFO  [or.te.do.DockerClientProviderStrategy] (build-84) Found Docker environment with local Unix socket (unix:///var/run/docker.sock)
2025-06-27 19:30:28 INFO  [or.te.DockerClientFactory] (build-84) Docker host IP address is localhost
2025-06-27 19:30:28 INFO  [or.te.DockerClientFactory] (build-84) Connected to docker: 
  Server Version: 27.5.1
  API Version: 1.47
  Operating System: Docker Desktop
  Total Memory: 7836 MB
  Labels: 
2025-06-27 19:30:28 INFO  [or.te.im.PullPolicy] (build-84) Image pull policy will be performed by: DefaultPullPolicy()
2025-06-27 19:30:28 INFO  [or.te.ut.ImageNameSubstitutor] (build-84) Image name substitution will be performed by: DefaultImageNameSubstitutor (composite of 'ConfigurationFileImageNameSubstitutor' and 'PrefixingImageNameSubstitutor')
2025-06-27 19:30:29 INFO  [tc.lo.7.2] (build-84) LOCALSTACK_HOST environment variable set to localstack-d4udd (to match last network alias on container with non-default network)
2025-06-27 19:30:29 INFO  [tc.lo.7.2] (build-84) Creating container for image: localstack/localstack:3.7.2
2025-06-27 19:30:30 INFO  [or.te.ut.RegistryAuthLocator] (build-84) Credential helper/store (docker-credential-desktop) does not have credentials for https://index.docker.io/v1/
2025-06-27 19:30:30 INFO  [tc.te.9.0] (build-84) Creating container for image: testcontainers/ryuk:0.9.0
Jun 27, 2025 7:30:30 PM io.quarkus.deployment.steps.ClassTransformingBuildStep handleClassTransformation
WARN: Cannot transform java.lang.String as its containing application archive could not be found.
2025-06-27 19:30:34 INFO  [tc.te.9.0] (build-84) Container testcontainers/ryuk:0.9.0 is starting: 03aa4b2d2895d81d2966c00de87bbb2bd4cc2045dd2ee74bfb3753d142a7bd3c
2025-06-27 19:30:35 INFO  [tc.te.9.0] (build-84) Container testcontainers/ryuk:0.9.0 started in PT5.309733S
2025-06-27 19:30:36 INFO  [tc.lo.7.2] (build-84) Container localstack/localstack:3.7.2 is starting: 29eb386e7b7880028f3412e39c45ebb9388829d7242359248c2f89cba471236e
2025-06-27 19:30:40 INFO  [tc.lo.7.2] (build-84) Container localstack/localstack:3.7.2 started in PT11.100043S
Jun 27, 2025 7:30:40 PM io.quarkus.amazon.common.deployment.DevServicesLocalStackProcessor lambda$startLocalStack$28
INFO: Amazon Dev Services for localstack (dynamodb) started. Other Quarkus applications in dev mode will find the LocalStack automatically.
Jun 27, 2025 7:30:41 PM io.quarkus.runtime.configuration.ConfigDiagnostic unknown
INFO: Profile stg activated. 
Jun 27, 2025 7:30:42 PM io.quarkus.bootstrap.runner.Timing printStartupTime
INFO: Installed features: [amazon-dynamodb, amazon-dynamodb-enhanced, cdi, config-yaml, cucumber, rest, rest-client, rest-client-jackson, smallrye-context-propagation, vertx]

What Fails:
Running the same JAR from any other directory fails: For example if I go to the downloads folder or I move my terminal to another folder different than the main root of my project folder and I run exactly the same command I have an error. This is the log errors:

Running Cucumber tests with HTTP server disabled...
Using profile: stg
Features location: classpath:features
Jun 27, 2025 7:32:38 PM org.jboss.logmanager.JBossLoggerFinder getLogger
ERROR: The LogManager accessed before the "java.util.logging.manager" system property was set to "org.jboss.logmanager.LogManager". Results may be unexpected.

💚 Thanks for using JUnit! Support its development at https://junit.org/sponsoring

BasicLoggingEnabler failed to enable basic logging: java.lang.RuntimeException: java.lang.reflect.InvocationTargetException
Jun 27, 2025 7:32:39 PM io.quarkus.bootstrap.utils.BuildToolHelper findBuildTool
WARN: Unable to find a build tool in /Users/user/Downloads or in any parent.
Jun 27, 2025 7:32:39 PM io.quarkus.bootstrap.BootstrapAppModelFactory resolveAppModel
WARN: Unable to locate the maven project on the filesystem
╷
└─ JUnit Jupiter ✔
   └─ Test ✔
      └─ getTests() ✘ java.lang.RuntimeException: java.lang.reflect.InvocationTargetException

Failures (1):
  JUnit Jupiter:Test:getTests()
    MethodSource [className = 'com.Test', methodName = 'getTests', methodParameterTypes = '']
    => java.lang.RuntimeException: java.lang.RuntimeException: java.lang.reflect.InvocationTargetException
     Caused by: java.lang.RuntimeException: java.lang.reflect.InvocationTargetException
       io.quarkus.test.junit.IntegrationTestUtil.activateLogging(IntegrationTestUtil.java:347)
     Caused by: java.lang.reflect.InvocationTargetException
       java.base/jdk.internal.reflect.DirectMethodHandleAccessor.invoke(DirectMethodHandleAccessor.java:118)
     Caused by: java.lang.RuntimeException: java.lang.RuntimeException: java.lang.IllegalArgumentException: SRCFG00013: No Converter registered for class java.nio.charset.Charset
       io.quarkus.runtime.configuration.ConfigInstantiator.handleObject(ConfigInstantiator.java:57)
     Caused by: java.lang.RuntimeException: java.lang.IllegalArgumentException: SRCFG00013: No Converter registered for class java.nio.charset.Charset
       io.quarkus.runtime.configuration.ConfigInstantiator.handleObject(ConfigInstantiator.java:139)
     Caused by: java.lang.IllegalArgumentException: SRCFG00013: No Converter registered for class java.nio.charset.Charset
       io.smallrye.config.SmallRyeConfig.requireConverter(SmallRyeConfig.java:717)
       io.quarkus.runtime.configuration.ConfigInstantiator.getConverterFor(ConfigInstantiator.java:203)
       io.quarkus.runtime.configuration.ConfigInstantiator.handleObject(ConfigInstantiator.java:124)

This is how my classes looks:
class to create the isolated Jar and run my tests without start the quarkus server:

public class CucumberTestRunner {
    
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        // Set system properties to disable HTTP server
        System.setProperty("quarkus.http.port", "-1");
        System.setProperty("quarkus.http.ssl-port", "-1");
        System.setProperty("quarkus.http.test-port", "-1");
        System.setProperty("quarkus.http.host", "localhost");
        
        // Set the profile to staging
        System.setProperty("quarkus.profile", "stg");
        
        // Set the correct features location for JAR execution
        System.setProperty("cucumber.features", "classpath:features");
                
        // Run the existing Test main method which already has all the right setup
        Test.main(args);
    }
}

build.gradle file:

task testShadowJar(type: com.github.jengelman.gradle.plugins.shadow.tasks.ShadowJar) {
    duplicatesStrategy = DuplicatesStrategy.EXCLUDE
    archiveClassifier = 'test-runner'
    
    from sourceSets.main.output
    from sourceSets.main.resources
    
    // Include all runtime dependencies
    configurations = [project.configurations.runtimeClasspath]

    manifest {
        attributes 'Main-Class': 'com.CucumberTestRunner'
    }
}

Main class:

package com.test;

import com.profile.CustomTestProfile;
import io.quarkiverse.cucumber.CucumberQuarkusTest;
import io.quarkus.test.junit.QuarkusTest;
import io.quarkus.test.junit.TestProfile;

@QuarkusTest
@TestProfile(CustomTestProfile.class)
public class MainTest extends CucumberQuarkusTest {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        String featuresLocation = System.getProperty("cucumber.features", "features");
        System.setProperty("cucumber.features", featuresLocation);
        System.setProperty("cucumber.glue", "com.test");
        runMain(MainTest.class, args);
    }
}

What I've Tried:

• Various system properties to disable project discovery
• Creating minimal project structure in container
• Different Quarkus application modes (@QuarkusMain, production mode)
• Containerization with Docker (same issue persists)

How can I make a Quarkus test JAR with @QuarkusTest work independently of the original project directory? Is there a way to package all necessary project metadata into the JAR, or should I use a different approach for portable test execution?

[c-schmitz-tsystems]

We're currently searching (in vain) for a way to trigger Quarkus Cucumber tests in a deployed test microservice on our test cluster stages via a RestEndPoint. I consider this an absolutely necessary approach for automated cluster testing. Could the Quarkus (Cucumber) team provide a minimalist Git project as a working example?