diff --git a/distribution/archives/build.gradle b/distribution/archives/build.gradle
index 93960a3ac21..bb59bc84f53 100644
--- a/distribution/archives/build.gradle
+++ b/distribution/archives/build.gradle
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import org.apache.tools.ant.taskdefs.condition.Os
 import org.apache.tools.ant.filters.FixCrLfFilter
 import org.elasticsearch.gradle.BuildPlugin
 import org.elasticsearch.gradle.EmptyDirTask
+import org.elasticsearch.gradle.LoggedExec
 import org.elasticsearch.gradle.MavenFilteringHack
 import org.elasticsearch.gradle.plugin.PluginBuildPlugin
 
@@ -125,19 +126,39 @@ subprojects {
   artifacts {
     'default' buildDist
   }
+
+  // sanity checks if a archives can be extracted
+  File extractionDir = new File(buildDir, 'extracted')
+  task testExtraction(type: LoggedExec) {
+    dependsOn buildDist
+    doFirst {
+      project.delete(extractionDir)
+      extractionDir.mkdirs()
+    }
+  }
+  if (project.name.contains('zip')) {
+    testExtraction {
+      onlyIf { new File('/bin/unzip').exists() || new File('/usr/bin/unzip').exists() || new File('/usr/local/bin/unzip').exists() }
+      commandLine 'unzip', "${-> buildDist.outputs.files.singleFile}", '-d', extractionDir
+    }
+  } else { // tar
+    testExtraction {
+      onlyIf { new File('/bin/tar').exists() || new File('/usr/bin/tar').exists() || new File('/usr/local/bin/tar').exists() }
+      commandLine 'tar', '-xvzf', "${-> buildDist.outputs.files.singleFile}", '-C', extractionDir
+    }
+  }
+  check.dependsOn testExtraction
 }
 
 /*****************************************************************************
  *                            Rest test config                               *
  *****************************************************************************/
-subprojects {
+configure(subprojects.findAll { it.name == 'integ-test-zip' }) {
   apply plugin: 'elasticsearch.standalone-rest-test'
   apply plugin: 'elasticsearch.rest-test'
 
-  if (project.name == 'integ-test-zip') {
-    integTest {
-      includePackaged true
-    }
+  integTest {
+    includePackaged true
   }
 
   integTestCluster {
diff --git a/distribution/archives/tar/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/rest/TarClientYamlTestSuiteIT.java b/distribution/archives/tar/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/rest/TarClientYamlTestSuiteIT.java
deleted file mode 100644
index 391d6fe688f..00000000000
--- a/distribution/archives/tar/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/rest/TarClientYamlTestSuiteIT.java
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,37 +0,0 @@
-/*
- * Licensed to Elasticsearch under one or more contributor
- * license agreements. See the NOTICE file distributed with
- * this work for additional information regarding copyright
- * ownership. Elasticsearch licenses this file to you under
- * the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License"); you may
- * not use this file except in compliance with the License.
- * You may obtain a copy of the License at
- *
- *    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
- *
- * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing,
- * software distributed under the License is distributed on an
- * "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY
- * KIND, either express or implied.  See the License for the
- * specific language governing permissions and limitations
- * under the License.
- */
-
-package org.elasticsearch.test.rest;
-
-import com.carrotsearch.randomizedtesting.annotations.ParametersFactory;
-
-import org.elasticsearch.test.rest.yaml.ClientYamlTestCandidate;
-import org.elasticsearch.test.rest.yaml.ESClientYamlSuiteTestCase;
-
-/** Rest integration test. Runs against a cluster started by {@code gradle integTest} */
-public class TarClientYamlTestSuiteIT extends ESClientYamlSuiteTestCase {
-    public TarClientYamlTestSuiteIT(ClientYamlTestCandidate testCandidate) {
-        super(testCandidate);
-    }
-
-    @ParametersFactory
-    public static Iterable<Object[]> parameters() throws Exception {
-        return createParameters();
-    }
-}
diff --git a/distribution/archives/tar/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/test/smoke_test_plugins/10_modules.yml b/distribution/archives/tar/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/test/smoke_test_plugins/10_modules.yml
deleted file mode 100644
index da68232f8d8..00000000000
--- a/distribution/archives/tar/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/test/smoke_test_plugins/10_modules.yml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,13 +0,0 @@
-# Integration tests for distributions with modules
-#
-"Correct Modules Count":
-    - do:
-        cluster.state: {}
-
-    # Get master node id
-    - set: { master_node: master }
-
-    - do:
-        nodes.info: {}
-
-    - length:  { nodes.$master.modules: ${expected.modules.count}  }
diff --git a/distribution/archives/zip/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/rest/ZipClientYamlTestSuiteIT.java b/distribution/archives/zip/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/rest/ZipClientYamlTestSuiteIT.java
deleted file mode 100644
index dc08af2528b..00000000000
--- a/distribution/archives/zip/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/rest/ZipClientYamlTestSuiteIT.java
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,37 +0,0 @@
-/*
- * Licensed to Elasticsearch under one or more contributor
- * license agreements. See the NOTICE file distributed with
- * this work for additional information regarding copyright
- * ownership. Elasticsearch licenses this file to you under
- * the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License"); you may
- * not use this file except in compliance with the License.
- * You may obtain a copy of the License at
- *
- *    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
- *
- * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing,
- * software distributed under the License is distributed on an
- * "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY
- * KIND, either express or implied.  See the License for the
- * specific language governing permissions and limitations
- * under the License.
- */
-
-package org.elasticsearch.test.rest;
-
-import com.carrotsearch.randomizedtesting.annotations.ParametersFactory;
-
-import org.elasticsearch.test.rest.yaml.ClientYamlTestCandidate;
-import org.elasticsearch.test.rest.yaml.ESClientYamlSuiteTestCase;
-
-/** Rest integration test. Runs against a cluster started by {@code gradle integTest} */
-public class ZipClientYamlTestSuiteIT extends ESClientYamlSuiteTestCase {
-    public ZipClientYamlTestSuiteIT(ClientYamlTestCandidate testCandidate) {
-        super(testCandidate);
-    }
-
-    @ParametersFactory
-    public static Iterable<Object[]> parameters() throws Exception {
-        return createParameters();
-    }
-}
diff --git a/distribution/archives/zip/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/test/smoke_test_plugins/10_modules.yml b/distribution/archives/zip/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/test/smoke_test_plugins/10_modules.yml
deleted file mode 100644
index da68232f8d8..00000000000
--- a/distribution/archives/zip/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/test/smoke_test_plugins/10_modules.yml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,13 +0,0 @@
-# Integration tests for distributions with modules
-#
-"Correct Modules Count":
-    - do:
-        cluster.state: {}
-
-    # Get master node id
-    - set: { master_node: master }
-
-    - do:
-        nodes.info: {}
-
-    - length:  { nodes.$master.modules: ${expected.modules.count}  }