diff --git a/elasticsearch/x-dev-tools/create_bwc_indexes.py b/dev-tools/create_bwc_indexes.py
similarity index 99%
rename from elasticsearch/x-dev-tools/create_bwc_indexes.py
rename to dev-tools/create_bwc_indexes.py
index 667eff2991b..9103a7336d4 100644
--- a/elasticsearch/x-dev-tools/create_bwc_indexes.py
+++ b/dev-tools/create_bwc_indexes.py
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
 # Currently this script can only deal with versions >=2.0.0 and < 5.0. Needs more work for versions before or after.
 #
 # Run from x-plugins root directory like so:
-# python3 ./elasticsearch/x-dev-tools/create_bwc_indexes.py 2.3.4
+# python3 ./dev-tools/create_bwc_indexes.py 2.3.4
 # You can get any particular version of elasticsearch with:
 # python3 ../elasticsearch/dev-tools/get-bwc-version.py 2.3.4
 #
diff --git a/elasticsearch/x-dev-tools/smoke_test_xpack_rc.py b/dev-tools/smoke_test_xpack_rc.py
similarity index 100%
rename from elasticsearch/x-dev-tools/smoke_test_xpack_rc.py
rename to dev-tools/smoke_test_xpack_rc.py
diff --git a/elasticsearch/x-dev-tools/RELEASE.md b/elasticsearch/x-dev-tools/RELEASE.md
deleted file mode 100644
index 8e2dcbf69d9..00000000000
--- a/elasticsearch/x-dev-tools/RELEASE.md
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,51 +0,0 @@
-# Releasing x-plugins
-
-Releasing is split into two steps now. First, elasticsearch core gets a testing release.
-This release is not published on the maven sonatype repo, but is left as a staging repository.
-At the same time, the created artifacts are uploaded to the download.elastic.co S3 bucket into
-a private URL, that is comprised of the version and the commit hash.
-
-As soon as the core is uploaded there, we can use this repository to build x-plugins against it.
-
-## Release x-plugins for a release candidate
-
-In order to upload x-plugins to the elasticsearch core release candidate, you need to execute the
-`release_beta_to_s3` shell script. There are two parameters, first the version to be released and
-second the commit hash, which is part of the URL to download this beta release.
-
-```
-sh x-dev-tools/release_beta_to_s3.sh 2.0.0-beta1 468cb61
-```
-
-So, what is this script doing
-
-* Adds the S3 bucket as repository
-* Updates the versions in the pom.xml to reflect the non-snapshot version
-* runs `mvn install` into a local repository, then removes sources and emits the s3cmd command to sync with the core repo
-
-As soon as the Elasticsearch is released, this S3 bucket is just renamed. This
-means, that at this moment, the x-plugins will work for the plugin manager, 
-without you having to do anthing!
-
-However, one last step remains...
-
-## Deploying x-plugins into maven repositories
-
-For those, who want to use the jar files as part of their java projects, we have
-to update our own artifactory after the release has been done.
-
-In addition to those steps like updating documentation we have to run deploy
-to this repo. What is required for this, is the version of the release and
-the commit hash of the commit in the `x-plugins` repo. 
-
-**NOTE: This is not the same commit hash as above** in the release candidate
-process. Luckily the script should fail, when git does not find the commit!
-
-```
-sh release_to_repositories.sh 2.0.0-beta1 75964ad
-```
-
-This script checks out the specified commit hash, removes all the
-`-SNAPSHOT` suffixes and runs `mvn deploy -Pdeploy-public`. The script
-will also wait for you pressing enter before proceeding!
-
diff --git a/elasticsearch/x-dev-tools/license.json b/elasticsearch/x-dev-tools/license.json
deleted file mode 100644
index 49dc0c61876..00000000000
--- a/elasticsearch/x-dev-tools/license.json
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1 +0,0 @@
-{"license":{"uid":"f2b32c63-3656-4883-a936-08574a62e9c2","type":"basic","issue_date_in_millis":1461628800000,"expiry_date_in_millis":1547164799999,"max_nodes":100,"issued_to":"Elastic - INTERNAL","issuer":"Steve Kearns","signature":"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"}}
\ No newline at end of file