diff --git a/core/src/main/resources/org/elasticsearch/bootstrap/security.policy b/core/src/main/resources/org/elasticsearch/bootstrap/security.policy
index 244d5be6511..8d9581409c0 100644
--- a/core/src/main/resources/org/elasticsearch/bootstrap/security.policy
+++ b/core/src/main/resources/org/elasticsearch/bootstrap/security.policy
@@ -73,10 +73,6 @@ grant {
   // otherwise can be provided only to test libraries
   permission java.lang.RuntimePermission "getStackTrace";
 
-  // needed by ESTestCase for leniency of thread exceptions (?!)
-  // otherwise can be provided only to test libraries
-  permission java.lang.RuntimePermission "setDefaultUncaughtExceptionHandler";
-
   // needed by JMX instead of getFileSystemAttributes, seems like a bug...
   permission java.lang.RuntimePermission "getFileStoreAttributes";
 
diff --git a/core/src/main/resources/org/elasticsearch/bootstrap/test-framework.policy b/core/src/main/resources/org/elasticsearch/bootstrap/test-framework.policy
index f038c51c596..d6de7cd88eb 100644
--- a/core/src/main/resources/org/elasticsearch/bootstrap/test-framework.policy
+++ b/core/src/main/resources/org/elasticsearch/bootstrap/test-framework.policy
@@ -38,7 +38,8 @@ grant codeBase "${codebase.lucene-test-framework-5.4.0-snapshot-1708254.jar}" {
 grant codeBase "${codebase.randomizedtesting-runner-2.1.17.jar}" {
   // optionally needed for access to private test methods (e.g. beforeClass)
   permission java.lang.reflect.ReflectPermission "suppressAccessChecks";
-
+  // needed to fail tests on uncaught exceptions from other threads
+  permission java.lang.RuntimePermission "setDefaultUncaughtExceptionHandler";
   // needed for top threads handling
   permission java.lang.RuntimePermission "modifyThreadGroup";
 };
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/index/analysis/PatternAnalyzerTests.java b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/index/analysis/PatternAnalyzerTests.java
index 9c578ef6385..6fa2e21fbd1 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/index/analysis/PatternAnalyzerTests.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/index/analysis/PatternAnalyzerTests.java
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ package org.elasticsearch.index.analysis;
  */
 
 import java.io.IOException;
-import java.lang.Thread.UncaughtExceptionHandler;
 import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.regex.Pattern;
 
@@ -110,45 +109,6 @@ public class PatternAnalyzerTests extends ESTokenStreamTestCase {
   /** blast some random strings through the analyzer */
   public void testRandomStrings() throws Exception {
     Analyzer a = new PatternAnalyzer(Pattern.compile(","), true, StopAnalyzer.ENGLISH_STOP_WORDS_SET);
-    
-    // dodge jre bug http://bugs.sun.com/bugdatabase/view_bug.do?bug_id=7104012
-    final UncaughtExceptionHandler savedHandler = Thread.getDefaultUncaughtExceptionHandler();
-    Thread.setDefaultUncaughtExceptionHandler(new Thread.UncaughtExceptionHandler() {
-      @Override
-      public void uncaughtException(Thread thread, Throwable throwable) {
-        assumeTrue("not failing due to jre bug ", !isJREBug7104012(throwable));
-        // otherwise its some other bug, pass to default handler
-        savedHandler.uncaughtException(thread, throwable);
-      }
-    });
-    
-    try {
-      Thread.getDefaultUncaughtExceptionHandler();
-      checkRandomData(random(), a, 10000*RANDOM_MULTIPLIER);
-    } catch (ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException ex) {
-      assumeTrue("not failing due to jre bug ", !isJREBug7104012(ex));
-      throw ex; // otherwise rethrow
-    } finally {
-      Thread.setDefaultUncaughtExceptionHandler(savedHandler);
-    }
-  }
-  
-  static boolean isJREBug7104012(Throwable t) {
-    if (!(t instanceof ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException)) {
-      // BaseTokenStreamTestCase now wraps exc in a new RuntimeException:
-      t = t.getCause();
-      if (!(t instanceof ArrayIndexOutOfBoundsException)) {
-        return false;
-      }
-    }
-    StackTraceElement trace[] = t.getStackTrace();
-    for (StackTraceElement st : trace) {
-      if ("java.text.RuleBasedBreakIterator".equals(st.getClassName()) || 
-          "sun.util.locale.provider.RuleBasedBreakIterator".equals(st.getClassName()) 
-          && "lookupBackwardState".equals(st.getMethodName())) {
-        return true;
-      }
-    }
-    return false;
+    checkRandomData(random(), a, 10000*RANDOM_MULTIPLIER);
   }
 }
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/ESIntegTestCase.java b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/ESIntegTestCase.java
index ae81c8d679c..b9d935c4628 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/ESIntegTestCase.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/ESIntegTestCase.java
@@ -325,7 +325,6 @@ public abstract class ESIntegTestCase extends ESTestCase {
     }
 
     protected final void beforeInternal() throws Exception {
-        assert Thread.getDefaultUncaughtExceptionHandler() instanceof ElasticsearchUncaughtExceptionHandler;
         final Scope currentClusterScope = getCurrentClusterScope();
         switch (currentClusterScope) {
             case SUITE:
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/ESTestCase.java b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/ESTestCase.java
index d77abdb3977..c5e87f4a689 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/ESTestCase.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/ESTestCase.java
@@ -145,20 +145,6 @@ public abstract class ESTestCase extends LuceneTestCase {
         PathUtilsForTesting.teardown();
     }
 
-    // setup a default exception handler which knows when and how to print a stacktrace
-    private static Thread.UncaughtExceptionHandler defaultHandler;
-
-    @BeforeClass
-    public static void setDefaultExceptionHandler() throws Exception {
-        defaultHandler = Thread.getDefaultUncaughtExceptionHandler();
-        Thread.setDefaultUncaughtExceptionHandler(new ElasticsearchUncaughtExceptionHandler(defaultHandler));
-    }
-
-    @AfterClass
-    public static void restoreDefaultExceptionHandler() throws Exception {
-        Thread.setDefaultUncaughtExceptionHandler(defaultHandler);
-    }
-
     // randomize content type for request builders
 
     @BeforeClass
@@ -551,30 +537,6 @@ public abstract class ESTestCase extends LuceneTestCase {
         return builder;
     }
 
-    // -----------------------------------------------------------------
-    // Failure utilities
-    // -----------------------------------------------------------------
-
-    static final class ElasticsearchUncaughtExceptionHandler implements Thread.UncaughtExceptionHandler {
-
-        private final Thread.UncaughtExceptionHandler parent;
-        private final ESLogger logger = Loggers.getLogger(getClass());
-
-        private ElasticsearchUncaughtExceptionHandler(Thread.UncaughtExceptionHandler parent) {
-            this.parent = parent;
-        }
-
-        @Override
-        public void uncaughtException(Thread t, Throwable e) {
-            if (e instanceof EsRejectedExecutionException) {
-                if (e.getMessage() != null && ((EsRejectedExecutionException) e).isExecutorShutdown()) {
-                    return; // ignore the EsRejectedExecutionException when a node shuts down
-                }
-            }
-            parent.uncaughtException(t, e);
-        }
-    }
-
     private static String threadName(Thread t) {
         return "Thread[" +
                 "id=" + t.getId() +