diff --git a/benchmarks/build.gradle b/benchmarks/build.gradle
index 45e20392b8a..44687f154ff 100644
--- a/benchmarks/build.gradle
+++ b/benchmarks/build.gradle
@@ -34,7 +34,9 @@ apply plugin: 'com.github.johnrengelman.shadow'
 // have the shadow plugin provide the runShadow task
 apply plugin: 'application'
 
-tasks.remove(assemble) // Not published so no need to assemble
+// Not published so no need to assemble
+tasks.remove(assemble)
+build.dependsOn.remove('assemble')
 
 archivesBaseName = 'elasticsearch-benchmarks'
 mainClassName = 'org.openjdk.jmh.Main'
diff --git a/build.gradle b/build.gradle
index 4806f7303f5..05baaebb276 100644
--- a/build.gradle
+++ b/build.gradle
@@ -429,6 +429,7 @@ gradle.projectsEvaluated {
       Task assemble = project.tasks.findByName('assemble')
       if (assemble) {
         project.tasks.remove(assemble)
+        project.build.dependsOn.remove('assemble')
       }
     }
   }
diff --git a/buildSrc/src/main/groovy/org/elasticsearch/gradle/doc/DocsTestPlugin.groovy b/buildSrc/src/main/groovy/org/elasticsearch/gradle/doc/DocsTestPlugin.groovy
index 44670e20744..d2802638ce5 100644
--- a/buildSrc/src/main/groovy/org/elasticsearch/gradle/doc/DocsTestPlugin.groovy
+++ b/buildSrc/src/main/groovy/org/elasticsearch/gradle/doc/DocsTestPlugin.groovy
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ public class DocsTestPlugin extends RestTestPlugin {
         super.apply(project)
         // Docs are published separately so no need to assemble
         project.tasks.remove(project.assemble)
+        project.build.dependsOn.remove('assemble')
         Map<String, String> defaultSubstitutions = [
             /* These match up with the asciidoc syntax for substitutions but
              * the values may differ. In particular {version} needs to resolve
diff --git a/client/benchmark/build.gradle b/client/benchmark/build.gradle
index 0ba9bd71c25..07186c80270 100644
--- a/client/benchmark/build.gradle
+++ b/client/benchmark/build.gradle
@@ -37,7 +37,9 @@ apply plugin: 'application'
 
 group = 'org.elasticsearch.client'
 
-tasks.remove(assemble) // Not published so no need to assemble
+// Not published so no need to assemble
+tasks.remove(assemble)
+build.dependsOn.remove('assemble')
 
 archivesBaseName = 'client-benchmarks'
 mainClassName = 'org.elasticsearch.client.benchmark.BenchmarkMain'
diff --git a/client/client-benchmark-noop-api-plugin/build.gradle b/client/client-benchmark-noop-api-plugin/build.gradle
index 17fe10fc8f7..bee41034c3c 100644
--- a/client/client-benchmark-noop-api-plugin/build.gradle
+++ b/client/client-benchmark-noop-api-plugin/build.gradle
@@ -27,7 +27,9 @@ esplugin {
   classname 'org.elasticsearch.plugin.noop.NoopPlugin'
 }
 
-tasks.remove(assemble) // Not published so no need to assemble
+// Not published so no need to assemble
+tasks.remove(assemble)
+build.dependsOn.remove('assemble')
 
 compileJava.options.compilerArgs << "-Xlint:-cast,-deprecation,-rawtypes,-try,-unchecked"
 
diff --git a/distribution/bwc/build.gradle b/distribution/bwc/build.gradle
index f1bb123411c..521f4636f24 100644
--- a/distribution/bwc/build.gradle
+++ b/distribution/bwc/build.gradle
@@ -49,7 +49,9 @@ if (project.name == 'bwc-stable-snapshot') {
 
 if (enabled) {
   apply plugin: 'distribution'
-  tasks.remove(assemble) // Not published so no need to assemble
+  // Not published so no need to assemble
+  tasks.remove(assemble)
+  build.dependsOn.remove('assemble')
 
   def (String major, String minor, String bugfix) = bwcVersion.split('\\.')
   def (String currentMajor, String currentMinor, String currentBugfix) = version.split('\\.')
diff --git a/plugins/examples/build.gradle b/plugins/examples/build.gradle
index 150e2826f39..47db55b3b33 100644
--- a/plugins/examples/build.gradle
+++ b/plugins/examples/build.gradle
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ gradle.projectsEvaluated {
     Task assemble = project.tasks.findByName('assemble')
     if (assemble) {
       project.tasks.remove(assemble)
+      project.build.dependsOn.remove('assemble')
     }
   }
 }
diff --git a/plugins/jvm-example/build.gradle b/plugins/jvm-example/build.gradle
index 5e4523adc0f..78e54d8bc81 100644
--- a/plugins/jvm-example/build.gradle
+++ b/plugins/jvm-example/build.gradle
@@ -21,7 +21,9 @@ esplugin {
   description 'Demonstrates all the pluggable Java entry points in Elasticsearch'
   classname 'org.elasticsearch.plugin.example.JvmExamplePlugin'
 }
-tasks.remove(assemble) // Not published so no need to assemble
+// Not published so no need to assemble
+tasks.remove(assemble)
+build.dependsOn.remove('assemble')
 
 // no unit tests
 test.enabled = false
diff --git a/test/fixtures/example-fixture/build.gradle b/test/fixtures/example-fixture/build.gradle
index 7eb6afd50e4..225a2cf9deb 100644
--- a/test/fixtures/example-fixture/build.gradle
+++ b/test/fixtures/example-fixture/build.gradle
@@ -19,4 +19,6 @@
 
 apply plugin: 'elasticsearch.build'
 test.enabled = false
-tasks.remove(assemble) // Not published so no need to assemble
+// Not published so no need to assemble
+tasks.remove(assemble)
+build.dependsOn.remove('assemble')