diff --git a/extensions/vertx/runtime/src/main/java/io/quarkus/vertx/core/runtime/VertxCoreRecorder.java b/extensions/vertx/runtime/src/main/java/io/quarkus/vertx/core/runtime/VertxCoreRecorder.java
index d7e20c81b4a95..978c5887321f3 100644
--- a/extensions/vertx/runtime/src/main/java/io/quarkus/vertx/core/runtime/VertxCoreRecorder.java
+++ b/extensions/vertx/runtime/src/main/java/io/quarkus/vertx/core/runtime/VertxCoreRecorder.java
@@ -334,7 +334,7 @@ private static VertxOptions convertToVertxOptions(VertxConfiguration conf, Vertx
                 .setClassPathResolvingEnabled(conf.classpathResolving());
 
         String fileCacheDir = System.getProperty(CACHE_DIR_BASE_PROP_NAME);
-        if (fileCacheDir != null) {
+        if (fileCacheDir == null) {
             fileCacheDir = conf.cacheDirectory().orElse(null);
         }
 
diff --git a/extensions/vertx/runtime/src/test/java/io/quarkus/vertx/core/runtime/VertxCoreProducerTest.java b/extensions/vertx/runtime/src/test/java/io/quarkus/vertx/core/runtime/VertxCoreProducerTest.java
index 0341a22de21c5..b5a6868b2b41f 100644
--- a/extensions/vertx/runtime/src/test/java/io/quarkus/vertx/core/runtime/VertxCoreProducerTest.java
+++ b/extensions/vertx/runtime/src/test/java/io/quarkus/vertx/core/runtime/VertxCoreProducerTest.java
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 package io.quarkus.vertx.core.runtime;
 
+import static io.vertx.core.file.impl.FileResolverImpl.CACHE_DIR_BASE_PROP_NAME;
+
 import java.time.Duration;
 import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.List;
@@ -221,6 +223,24 @@ public void accept(VertxOptions vertxOptions) {
         Assertions.assertTrue(called.get(), "Customizer should get called during initialization");
     }
 
+    @Test
+    public void vertxCacheDirectoryBySystemProperty() {
+        final String cacheDir = System.getProperty("user.dir");
+        try {
+            System.setProperty(CACHE_DIR_BASE_PROP_NAME, cacheDir);
+            VertxOptionsCustomizer customizers = new VertxOptionsCustomizer(List.of(
+                    vertxOptions -> {
+                        Assertions.assertNotNull(vertxOptions.getFileSystemOptions());
+                        Assertions.assertEquals(cacheDir, vertxOptions.getFileSystemOptions().getFileCacheDir());
+                    }));
+            VertxCoreRecorder.initialize(new DefaultVertxConfiguration(), customizers, ThreadPoolConfig.empty(),
+                    null,
+                    LaunchMode.TEST);
+        } finally {
+            System.clearProperty(CACHE_DIR_BASE_PROP_NAME);
+        }
+    }
+
     private static class DefaultVertxConfiguration implements VertxConfiguration {
         @Override
         public boolean caching() {