diff --git a/config.yml.default b/config.yml.default
index 879312913..51c87af19 100644
--- a/config.yml.default
+++ b/config.yml.default
@@ -4,11 +4,9 @@ url: "https://lichess.org/"        # Lichess base URL.
 engine:                            # Engine settings.
   dir: "./engines/"                # Directory containing the engine. This can be an absolute path or one relative to lichess-bot/.
   name: "engine_name"              # Binary name of the engine to use.
-  before_name_parameters:
-  #  - "java"
-  #  - "-jar"
-  after_name_parameters:
-  #  - "-threads=2"
+# interpreter: "java"
+  interpreter_options:
+  # - "-jar"
   working_dir: ""                  # Directory where the chess engine will read and write files. If blank or missing, the current directory is used.
                                    # NOTE: If working_dir is set, the engine will look for files and directories relative to this directory, not where lichess-bot was launched. Absolute paths are unaffected.
   protocol: "uci"                  # "uci", "xboard" or "homemade"
diff --git a/lib/config.py b/lib/config.py
index 730973ab3..2c3fcd020 100644
--- a/lib/config.py
+++ b/lib/config.py
@@ -148,10 +148,9 @@ def insert_default_values(CONFIG: CONFIG_DICT_TYPE) -> None:
     set_config_default(CONFIG, key="pgn_directory", default=None)
     set_config_default(CONFIG, key="pgn_file_grouping", default="game", force_empty_values=True)
     set_config_default(CONFIG, key="max_takebacks_accepted", default=0, force_empty_values=True)
-    set_config_default(CONFIG, "engine", key="before_name_parameters", default=[], force_empty_values=True)
-    change_value_to_list(CONFIG, "engine", key="before_name_parameters")
-    set_config_default(CONFIG, "engine", key="after_name_parameters", default=[], force_empty_values=True)
-    change_value_to_list(CONFIG, "engine", key="after_name_parameters")
+    set_config_default(CONFIG, "engine", key="interpreter", default=None)
+    set_config_default(CONFIG, "engine", key="interpreter_options", default=[], force_empty_values=True)
+    change_value_to_list(CONFIG, "engine", key="interpreter_options")
     set_config_default(CONFIG, "engine", key="working_dir", default=os.getcwd(), force_empty_values=True)
     set_config_default(CONFIG, "engine", key="silence_stderr", default=False)
     set_config_default(CONFIG, "engine", "draw_or_resign", key="offer_draw_enabled", default=False)
diff --git a/lib/engine_wrapper.py b/lib/engine_wrapper.py
index ab7f984de..450480dbd 100644
--- a/lib/engine_wrapper.py
+++ b/lib/engine_wrapper.py
@@ -44,7 +44,11 @@ def create_engine(engine_config: Configuration, game: Optional[model.Game] = Non
     cfg = engine_config.engine
     engine_path = os.path.abspath(os.path.join(cfg.dir, cfg.name))
     engine_type = cfg.protocol
-    commands = cfg.before_name_parameters + [engine_path] + cfg.after_name_parameters
+    commands = []
+    if cfg.interpreter:
+        commands.append(cfg.interpreter)
+        commands.extend(cfg.interpreter_options)
+    commands.append(engine_path)
     if cfg.engine_options:
         for k, v in cfg.engine_options.items():
             commands.append(f"--{k}={v}" if v is not None else f"--{k}")