diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/shield/authc/ldap/LdapUserSearchSessionFactory.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/shield/authc/ldap/LdapUserSearchSessionFactory.java
index 5dd62db77a5..d48892dc03a 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/shield/authc/ldap/LdapUserSearchSessionFactory.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/shield/authc/ldap/LdapUserSearchSessionFactory.java
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ public class LdapUserSearchSessionFactory extends SessionFactory {
                 String entryDn = settings.get("user_search.pool.health_check.dn", (bindRequest == null) ? null : bindRequest.getBindDN());
                 if (entryDn == null) {
                     pool.close();
-                    throw new ShieldSettingsException("[user_search.bind_dn] has not been specified so a value must be specified for [user_search.pool.health_check.dn] or [user_search.pool.health_check.enabled] must be set to false");
+                    throw new ShieldSettingsException("[bind_dn] has not been specified so a value must be specified for [user_search.pool.health_check.dn] or [user_search.pool.health_check.enabled] must be set to false");
                 }
                 long healthCheckInterval = settings.getAsTime("user_search.pool.health_check.interval", DEFAULT_HEALTH_CHECK_INTERVAL).millis();
                 // Checks the status of the LDAP connection at a specified interval in the background. We do not check on
@@ -85,9 +85,9 @@ public class LdapUserSearchSessionFactory extends SessionFactory {
 
     static SimpleBindRequest bindRequest(Settings settings) {
         SimpleBindRequest request = null;
-        String bindDn = settings.get("user_search.bind_dn");
+        String bindDn = settings.get("bind_dn");
         if (bindDn != null) {
-            request = new SimpleBindRequest(bindDn, settings.get("user_search.bind_password"));
+            request = new SimpleBindRequest(bindDn, settings.get("bind_password"));
         }
         return request;
     }
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/shield/authc/ldap/LdapRealmTest.java b/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/shield/authc/ldap/LdapRealmTest.java
index 0b1290f8c73..6f11ccec966 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/shield/authc/ldap/LdapRealmTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/shield/authc/ldap/LdapRealmTest.java
@@ -180,8 +180,8 @@ public class LdapRealmTest extends LdapTest {
         Settings settings = ImmutableSettings.builder()
                 .putArray(URLS_SETTING, ldapUrl())
                 .put("user_search.base_dn", "")
-                .put("user_search.bind_dn", "cn=Thomas Masterman Hardy,ou=people,o=sevenSeas")
-                .put("user_search.bind_password", PASSWORD)
+                .put("bind_dn", "cn=Thomas Masterman Hardy,ou=people,o=sevenSeas")
+                .put("bind_password", PASSWORD)
                 .put("group_search.base_dn", groupSearchBase)
                 .put("group_search.scope", LdapSearchScope.SUB_TREE)
                 .put(HOSTNAME_VERIFICATION_SETTING, false)
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/shield/authc/ldap/LdapUserSearchSessionFactoryTests.java b/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/shield/authc/ldap/LdapUserSearchSessionFactoryTests.java
index d2b113b58ec..7dfcf0cb43c 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/shield/authc/ldap/LdapUserSearchSessionFactoryTests.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/shield/authc/ldap/LdapUserSearchSessionFactoryTests.java
@@ -57,8 +57,8 @@ public class LdapUserSearchSessionFactoryTests extends LdapTest {
         RealmConfig config = new RealmConfig("ldap_realm", settingsBuilder()
                 .put(buildLdapSettings(ldapUrl(), Strings.EMPTY_ARRAY, groupSearchBase, LdapSearchScope.SUB_TREE))
                 .put("user_search.base_dn", userSearchBase)
-                .put("user_search.bind_dn", "cn=Horatio Hornblower,ou=people,o=sevenSeas")
-                .put("user_search.bind_password", "pass")
+                .put("bind_dn", "cn=Horatio Hornblower,ou=people,o=sevenSeas")
+                .put("bind_password", "pass")
                 .put("user_search.attribute", "cn")
                 .build());
 
@@ -83,8 +83,8 @@ public class LdapUserSearchSessionFactoryTests extends LdapTest {
         RealmConfig config = new RealmConfig("ldap_realm", settingsBuilder()
                 .put(buildLdapSettings(ldapUrl(), Strings.EMPTY_ARRAY, groupSearchBase, LdapSearchScope.SUB_TREE))
                 .put("user_search.base_dn", userSearchBase)
-                .put("user_search.bind_dn", "cn=Horatio Hornblower,ou=people,o=sevenSeas")
-                .put("user_search.bind_password", "pass")
+                .put("bind_dn", "cn=Horatio Hornblower,ou=people,o=sevenSeas")
+                .put("bind_password", "pass")
                 .put("user_search.scope", LdapSearchScope.BASE)
                 .put("user_search.attribute", "cn")
                 .build());
@@ -111,8 +111,8 @@ public class LdapUserSearchSessionFactoryTests extends LdapTest {
         RealmConfig config = new RealmConfig("ldap_realm", settingsBuilder()
                 .put(buildLdapSettings(ldapUrl(), Strings.EMPTY_ARRAY, groupSearchBase, LdapSearchScope.SUB_TREE))
                 .put("user_search.base_dn", userSearchBase)
-                .put("user_search.bind_dn", "cn=Horatio Hornblower,ou=people,o=sevenSeas")
-                .put("user_search.bind_password", "pass")
+                .put("bind_dn", "cn=Horatio Hornblower,ou=people,o=sevenSeas")
+                .put("bind_password", "pass")
                 .put("user_search.scope", LdapSearchScope.BASE)
                 .put("user_search.attribute", "cn")
                 .build());
@@ -138,8 +138,8 @@ public class LdapUserSearchSessionFactoryTests extends LdapTest {
         RealmConfig config = new RealmConfig("ldap_realm", settingsBuilder()
                 .put(buildLdapSettings(ldapUrl(), Strings.EMPTY_ARRAY, groupSearchBase, LdapSearchScope.SUB_TREE))
                 .put("user_search.base_dn", userSearchBase)
-                .put("user_search.bind_dn", "cn=Horatio Hornblower,ou=people,o=sevenSeas")
-                .put("user_search.bind_password", "pass")
+                .put("bind_dn", "cn=Horatio Hornblower,ou=people,o=sevenSeas")
+                .put("bind_password", "pass")
                 .put("user_search.scope", LdapSearchScope.ONE_LEVEL)
                 .put("user_search.attribute", "cn")
                 .build());
@@ -166,8 +166,8 @@ public class LdapUserSearchSessionFactoryTests extends LdapTest {
         RealmConfig config = new RealmConfig("ldap_realm", settingsBuilder()
                 .put(buildLdapSettings(ldapUrl(), Strings.EMPTY_ARRAY, groupSearchBase, LdapSearchScope.SUB_TREE))
                 .put("user_search.base_dn", userSearchBase)
-                .put("user_search.bind_dn", "cn=Horatio Hornblower,ou=people,o=sevenSeas")
-                .put("user_search.bind_password", "pass")
+                .put("bind_dn", "cn=Horatio Hornblower,ou=people,o=sevenSeas")
+                .put("bind_password", "pass")
                 .put("user_search.scope", LdapSearchScope.ONE_LEVEL)
                 .put("user_search.attribute", "cn")
                 .build());
@@ -193,8 +193,8 @@ public class LdapUserSearchSessionFactoryTests extends LdapTest {
         RealmConfig config = new RealmConfig("ldap_realm", settingsBuilder()
                 .put(buildLdapSettings(ldapUrl(), Strings.EMPTY_ARRAY, groupSearchBase, LdapSearchScope.SUB_TREE))
                 .put("user_search.base_dn", userSearchBase)
-                .put("user_search.bind_dn", "cn=Horatio Hornblower,ou=people,o=sevenSeas")
-                .put("user_search.bind_password", "pass")
+                .put("bind_dn", "cn=Horatio Hornblower,ou=people,o=sevenSeas")
+                .put("bind_password", "pass")
                 .put("user_search.attribute", "uid1")
                 .build());
 
@@ -220,8 +220,8 @@ public class LdapUserSearchSessionFactoryTests extends LdapTest {
         RealmConfig config = new RealmConfig("ldap_realm", settingsBuilder()
                 .put(buildLdapSettings(ldapUrl(), Strings.EMPTY_ARRAY, groupSearchBase, LdapSearchScope.SUB_TREE))
                 .put("user_search.base_dn", userSearchBase)
-                .put("user_search.bind_dn", "cn=Horatio Hornblower,ou=people,o=sevenSeas")
-                .put("user_search.bind_password", "pass")
+                .put("bind_dn", "cn=Horatio Hornblower,ou=people,o=sevenSeas")
+                .put("bind_password", "pass")
                 .build());
 
         LdapUserSearchSessionFactory sessionFactory = new LdapUserSearchSessionFactory(config, null);
@@ -244,8 +244,8 @@ public class LdapUserSearchSessionFactoryTests extends LdapTest {
         Settings settings = settingsBuilder()
                 .put(LdapTest.buildLdapSettings(ActiveDirectorySessionFactoryTests.AD_LDAP_URL, Strings.EMPTY_ARRAY, groupSearchBase, LdapSearchScope.SUB_TREE))
                 .put("user_search.base_dn", userSearchBase)
-                .put("user_search.bind_dn", "ironman@ad.test.elasticsearch.com")
-                .put("user_search.bind_password", ActiveDirectorySessionFactoryTests.PASSWORD)
+                .put("bind_dn", "ironman@ad.test.elasticsearch.com")
+                .put("bind_password", ActiveDirectorySessionFactoryTests.PASSWORD)
                 .put("user_search.attribute", "cn")
                 .build();
         RealmConfig config = new RealmConfig("ad-as-ldap-test", settings);
@@ -272,8 +272,8 @@ public class LdapUserSearchSessionFactoryTests extends LdapTest {
         RealmConfig config = new RealmConfig("oldap-test", settingsBuilder()
                 .put(LdapTest.buildLdapSettings(OpenLdapTests.OPEN_LDAP_URL, Strings.EMPTY_ARRAY, groupSearchBase, LdapSearchScope.ONE_LEVEL))
                 .put("user_search.base_dn", userSearchBase)
-                .put("user_search.bind_dn", "uid=blackwidow,ou=people,dc=oldap,dc=test,dc=elasticsearch,dc=com")
-                .put("user_search.bind_password", OpenLdapTests.PASSWORD)
+                .put("bind_dn", "uid=blackwidow,ou=people,dc=oldap,dc=test,dc=elasticsearch,dc=com")
+                .put("bind_password", OpenLdapTests.PASSWORD)
                 .build());
         LdapUserSearchSessionFactory sessionFactory = new LdapUserSearchSessionFactory(config, clientSSLService);
 
@@ -297,8 +297,8 @@ public class LdapUserSearchSessionFactoryTests extends LdapTest {
         RealmConfig config = new RealmConfig("ldap_realm", settingsBuilder()
                 .put(buildLdapSettings(ldapUrl(), Strings.EMPTY_ARRAY, groupSearchBase, LdapSearchScope.SUB_TREE))
                 .put("user_search.base_dn", userSearchBase)
-                .put("user_search.bind_dn", "cn=Horatio Hornblower,ou=people,o=sevenSeas")
-                .put("user_search.bind_password", "pass")
+                .put("bind_dn", "cn=Horatio Hornblower,ou=people,o=sevenSeas")
+                .put("bind_password", "pass")
                 .build());
 
         LDAPConnectionPool connectionPool = LdapUserSearchSessionFactory.connectionPool(config.settings(), new SingleServerSet("localhost", ldapServer.getListenPort()), TimeValue.timeValueSeconds(5));
@@ -321,8 +321,8 @@ public class LdapUserSearchSessionFactoryTests extends LdapTest {
         RealmConfig config = new RealmConfig("ldap_realm", settingsBuilder()
                 .put(buildLdapSettings(ldapUrl(), Strings.EMPTY_ARRAY, groupSearchBase, LdapSearchScope.SUB_TREE))
                 .put("user_search.base_dn", userSearchBase)
-                .put("user_search.bind_dn", "cn=Horatio Hornblower,ou=people,o=sevenSeas")
-                .put("user_search.bind_password", "pass")
+                .put("bind_dn", "cn=Horatio Hornblower,ou=people,o=sevenSeas")
+                .put("bind_password", "pass")
                 .put("user_search.pool.initial_size", 10)
                 .put("user_search.pool.size", 12)
                 .put("user_search.pool.health_check.enabled", false)
@@ -346,27 +346,27 @@ public class LdapUserSearchSessionFactoryTests extends LdapTest {
         RealmConfig config = new RealmConfig("ldap_realm", settingsBuilder()
                 .put(buildLdapSettings(ldapUrl(), Strings.EMPTY_ARRAY, groupSearchBase, LdapSearchScope.SUB_TREE))
                 .put("user_search.base_dn", userSearchBase)
-                .put("user_search.bind_password", "pass")
+                .put("bind_password", "pass")
                 .build());
 
         try {
             new LdapUserSearchSessionFactory(config, null);
         } catch (ShieldSettingsException e) {
-            assertThat(e.getMessage(), containsString("[user_search.bind_dn] has not been specified so a value must be specified for [user_search.pool.health_check.dn] or [user_search.pool.health_check.enabled] must be set to false"));
+            assertThat(e.getMessage(), containsString("[bind_dn] has not been specified so a value must be specified for [user_search.pool.health_check.dn] or [user_search.pool.health_check.enabled] must be set to false"));
         }
     }
 
     @Test
     public void testEmptyBindDNReturnsNullBindRequest() {
-        BindRequest request = LdapUserSearchSessionFactory.bindRequest(settingsBuilder().put("user_search.bind_password", "password").build());
+        BindRequest request = LdapUserSearchSessionFactory.bindRequest(settingsBuilder().put("bind_password", "password").build());
         assertThat(request, is(nullValue()));
     }
 
     @Test
     public void testThatBindRequestReturnsSimpleBindRequest() {
         BindRequest request = LdapUserSearchSessionFactory.bindRequest(settingsBuilder()
-                .put("user_search.bind_password", "password")
-                .put("user_search.bind_dn", "cn=ironman")
+                .put("bind_password", "password")
+                .put("bind_dn", "cn=ironman")
                 .build());
         assertEquals(request.getClass(), SimpleBindRequest.class);
         SimpleBindRequest simpleBindRequest = (SimpleBindRequest) request;