diff --git a/bin/interpreter.sh b/bin/interpreter.sh
index 93ae1e5508..e27b64d2af 100755
--- a/bin/interpreter.sh
+++ b/bin/interpreter.sh
@@ -73,19 +73,23 @@ if [[ ! -d "${ZEPPELIN_LOG_DIR}" ]]; then
   $(mkdir -p "${ZEPPELIN_LOG_DIR}")
 fi
 
-if [[ ! -z "${SPARK_HOME}" ]]; then
-  PYSPARKPATH="${SPARK_HOME}/python:${SPARK_HOME}/python/lib/pyspark.zip:${SPARK_HOME}/python/lib/py4j-0.8.2.1-src.zip"
-else
-  PYSPARKPATH="${ZEPPELIN_HOME}/interpreter/spark/pyspark/pyspark.zip:${ZEPPELIN_HOME}/interpreter/spark/pyspark/py4j-0.8.2.1-src.zip"
-fi
+# set spark related env variables
+if [[ "${INTERPRETER_ID}" == "spark" ]]; then
+  if [[ -z "${SPARK_HOME}" ]]; then
+    PYSPARKPATH="${SPARK_HOME}/python:${SPARK_HOME}/python/lib/pyspark.zip:${SPARK_HOME}/python/lib/py4j-0.8.2.1-src.zip"      
+  else
+    addJarInDir "${INTERPRETER_DIR}/dep"
+    PYSPARKPATH="${ZEPPELIN_HOME}/interpreter/spark/pyspark/pyspark.zip:${ZEPPELIN_HOME}/interpreter/spark/pyspark/py4j-0.8.2.1-src.zip"
+  fi
 
-if [[ x"" == x"${PYTHONPATH}" ]]; then
-  export PYTHONPATH="${PYSPARKPATH}"
-else
-  export PYTHONPATH="${PYTHONPATH}:${PYSPARKPATH}"
-fi
+  if [[ x"" == x"${PYTHONPATH}" ]]; then
+    export PYTHONPATH="${PYSPARKPATH}"
+  else
+    export PYTHONPATH="${PYTHONPATH}:${PYSPARKPATH}"
+  fi
 
-unset PYSPARKPATH
+  unset PYSPARKPATH
+fi
 
 ${ZEPPELIN_RUNNER} ${JAVA_INTP_OPTS} -cp ${CLASSPATH} ${ZEPPELIN_SERVER} ${PORT} &
 pid=$!