diff --git a/src/java_tools/buildjar/java/com/google/devtools/build/buildjar/BUILD b/src/java_tools/buildjar/java/com/google/devtools/build/buildjar/BUILD
index ed8faa5a35d229..b043d515e85d5e 100644
--- a/src/java_tools/buildjar/java/com/google/devtools/build/buildjar/BUILD
+++ b/src/java_tools/buildjar/java/com/google/devtools/build/buildjar/BUILD
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
-load("@rules_java//java:defs.bzl", "java_binary", "java_library")
 load("//tools/build_rules:java_rules_skylark.bzl", "bootstrap_java_binary", "bootstrap_java_library")
+load("@rules_java//java:defs.bzl", "java_binary", "java_library")
 
 # Description:
 #   The Java library builders, which are used by Bazel to compile Java
@@ -174,7 +174,6 @@ bootstrap_java_library(
     name = "starlark-deps",
     srcs = ["//:bootstrap-derived-java-srcs"],
     jars = [
-        "//third_party:auto_value-jars",
         "//:bootstrap-derived-java-jars",
         "//third_party:bootstrap_guava_and_error_prone-jars",
         "//third_party:jsr305-jars",
@@ -182,6 +181,7 @@ bootstrap_java_library(
         "//third_party/grpc-java:bootstrap-grpc-jars",
         "//third_party:tomcat_annotations_api-jars",
     ],
+    neverlink_jars = ["//third_party:auto_value-jars"],
     tags = ["manual"],
 )
 
@@ -213,6 +213,7 @@ bootstrap_java_binary(
         "javac/WerrorCustomOption.java",
     ],
     main_class = "com.google.devtools.build.buildjar.VanillaJavaBuilder",
+    neverlink_jars = ["//third_party:auto_value-jars"],
     tags = ["manual"],
     deps = [
         ":starlark-deps",
diff --git a/src/test/shell/bazel/bazel_bootstrap_distfile_test.sh b/src/test/shell/bazel/bazel_bootstrap_distfile_test.sh
index a77b57d19ff182..da32c19db16186 100755
--- a/src/test/shell/bazel/bazel_bootstrap_distfile_test.sh
+++ b/src/test/shell/bazel/bazel_bootstrap_distfile_test.sh
@@ -104,11 +104,22 @@ function test_bootstrap() {
 
     env EXTRA_BAZEL_ARGS="--tool_java_runtime_version=local_jdk" ./compile.sh \
         || fail "Expected to be able to bootstrap bazel. If you updated MODULE.bazel, see the NOTE in that file."
+
     ./output/bazel \
       --server_javabase=$JAVABASE --host_jvm_args=--add-opens=java.base/java.nio=ALL-UNNAMED \
       version --nognu_format &> "${TEST_log}" \
       || fail "Generated bazel not working"
     expect_log "${SOURCE_DATE_EPOCH}"
+
+    # TODO: make the build work without network and check for success
+    # the repo cache is currently missing:
+    # 1) canonical IDs
+    # 2) remote jdks & java_tools (if not using a custom java_toolchain)
+    ./output/bazel \
+      --server_javabase=$JAVABASE --host_jvm_args=--add-opens=java.base/java.nio=ALL-UNNAMED \
+      build --nobuild --repository_cache=derived/repository_cache \
+      //src:bazel_nojdk &> "${TEST_log}" || true
+    expect_not_log "FATAL: bazel crashed due to an internal error"
 }
 
 run_suite "bootstrap test"