diff --git a/watcher/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/watcher/support/WatcherIndexTemplateRegistry.java b/watcher/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/watcher/support/WatcherIndexTemplateRegistry.java
index 0afc63f2cbe..fc4612b352a 100644
--- a/watcher/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/watcher/support/WatcherIndexTemplateRegistry.java
+++ b/watcher/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/watcher/support/WatcherIndexTemplateRegistry.java
@@ -152,7 +152,7 @@ public class WatcherIndexTemplateRegistry extends AbstractComponent implements C
     private void putTemplate(final TemplateConfig config, boolean wait) {
         final Executor executor;
         if (wait) {
-            executor = MoreExecutors.directExecutor();
+            executor = Runnable::run;
         } else {
             executor = threadPool.generic();
         }
diff --git a/watcher/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/watcher/WatcherLifeCycleServiceTests.java b/watcher/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/watcher/WatcherLifeCycleServiceTests.java
index ed66e2a49ed..ec44247fb26 100644
--- a/watcher/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/watcher/WatcherLifeCycleServiceTests.java
+++ b/watcher/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/watcher/WatcherLifeCycleServiceTests.java
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@ import org.junit.Test;
 import org.mockito.invocation.InvocationOnMock;
 import org.mockito.stubbing.Answer;
 
+import java.util.concurrent.Executor;
+
 import static org.mockito.Matchers.anyString;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.*;
 
@@ -32,7 +34,7 @@ public class WatcherLifeCycleServiceTests extends ESTestCase {
     @Before
     public void prepareServices() {
         ThreadPool threadPool = mock(ThreadPool.class);
-        when(threadPool.executor(anyString())).thenReturn(MoreExecutors.newDirectExecutorService());
+        when(threadPool.executor(anyString())).thenReturn(Runnable::run);
         clusterService = mock(ClusterService.class);
         Answer<Object> answer = new Answer<Object>() {
             @Override