diff --git a/src/Pure/Admin/other_isabelle.scala b/src/Pure/Admin/other_isabelle.scala
--- a/src/Pure/Admin/other_isabelle.scala
+++ b/src/Pure/Admin/other_isabelle.scala
@@ -1,118 +1,120 @@
 /*  Title:      Pure/Admin/other_isabelle.scala
     Author:     Makarius
 
 Manage other Isabelle distributions.
 */
 
 package isabelle
 
 
 object Other_Isabelle
 {
   def apply(isabelle_home: Path,
       isabelle_identifier: String = "",
       user_home: Path = Path.explode("$USER_HOME"),
       progress: Progress = new Progress): Other_Isabelle =
     new Other_Isabelle(isabelle_home.canonical, isabelle_identifier, user_home, progress)
 }
 
 class Other_Isabelle(
   val isabelle_home: Path,
   val isabelle_identifier: String,
   user_home: Path,
   progress: Progress)
 {
   other_isabelle =>
 
   override def toString: String = isabelle_home.toString
 
   if (proper_string(System.getenv("ISABELLE_SETTINGS_PRESENT")).isDefined)
     error("Cannot initialize with enclosing ISABELLE_SETTINGS_PRESENT")
 
 
   /* static system */
 
   def bash(
       script: String,
       redirect: Boolean = false,
       echo: Boolean = false,
       strict: Boolean = true): Process_Result =
     progress.bash(
       "export USER_HOME=" + File.bash_path(user_home) + "\n" +
       Isabelle_System.export_isabelle_identifier(isabelle_identifier) + script,
       env = null, cwd = isabelle_home.file, redirect = redirect, echo = echo, strict = strict)
 
   def apply(
       cmdline: String,
       redirect: Boolean = false,
       echo: Boolean = false,
       strict: Boolean = true): Process_Result =
     bash("bin/isabelle " + cmdline, redirect = redirect, echo = echo, strict = strict)
 
   def resolve_components(echo: Boolean): Unit =
-    other_isabelle("components -a", redirect = true, echo = echo).check
+    other_isabelle(
+      "env ISABELLE_TOOLS=" + Bash.string(Isabelle_System.getenv("ISABELLE_TOOLS")) +
+      " isabelle components -a", redirect = true, echo = echo).check
 
   def getenv(name: String): String =
     other_isabelle("getenv -b " + Bash.string(name)).check.out
 
   val isabelle_home_user: Path = Path.explode(getenv("ISABELLE_HOME_USER"))
 
   val etc: Path = isabelle_home_user + Path.explode("etc")
   val etc_settings: Path = etc + Path.explode("settings")
   val etc_preferences: Path = etc + Path.explode("preferences")
 
   def copy_fonts(target_dir: Path): Unit =
     Isabelle_Fonts.make_entries(getenv = getenv, hidden = true).
       foreach(entry => File.copy(entry.path, target_dir))
 
 
   /* components */
 
   def init_components(
     component_repository: String = Components.default_component_repository,
     components_base: Path = Components.default_components_base,
     catalogs: List[String] = Nil,
     components: List[String] = Nil): List[String] =
   {
     val dir = Components.admin(isabelle_home)
 
     ("ISABELLE_COMPONENT_REPOSITORY=" + Bash.string(component_repository)) ::
     catalogs.map(name =>
       "init_components " + File.bash_path(components_base) + " " +
         File.bash_path(dir + Path.basic(name))) :::
     components.map(name =>
       "init_component " + File.bash_path(components_base + Path.basic(name)))
   }
 
 
   /* settings */
 
   def clean_settings(): Boolean =
     if (!etc_settings.is_file) true
     else if (File.read(etc_settings).startsWith("# generated by Isabelle")) {
       etc_settings.file.delete; true
     }
     else false
 
   def init_settings(settings: List[String])
   {
     if (!clean_settings())
       error("Cannot proceed with existing user settings file: " + etc_settings)
 
     Isabelle_System.make_directory(etc_settings.dir)
     File.write(etc_settings,
       "# generated by Isabelle " + Date.now() + "\n" +
       "#-*- shell-script -*- :mode=shellscript:\n" +
       settings.mkString("\n", "\n", "\n"))
   }
 
 
   /* cleanup */
 
   def cleanup()
   {
     clean_settings()
     etc.file.delete
     isabelle_home_user.file.delete
   }
 }