diff --git a/buildSrc/src/main/groovy/org/elasticsearch/gradle/BuildPlugin.groovy b/buildSrc/src/main/groovy/org/elasticsearch/gradle/BuildPlugin.groovy
index add518822e0..c1669c0a72a 100644
--- a/buildSrc/src/main/groovy/org/elasticsearch/gradle/BuildPlugin.groovy
+++ b/buildSrc/src/main/groovy/org/elasticsearch/gradle/BuildPlugin.groovy
@@ -131,12 +131,6 @@ class BuildPlugin implements Plugin<Project> {
                 throw new GradleException("${minGradle} or above is required to build elasticsearch")
             }
 
-            final GradleVersion gradle42 = GradleVersion.version('4.2')
-            final GradleVersion gradle43 = GradleVersion.version('4.3')
-            if (currentGradleVersion >= gradle42 && currentGradleVersion < gradle43) {
-                throw new GradleException("${currentGradleVersion} is not compatible with the elasticsearch build")
-            }
-
             // enforce Java version
             if (javaVersionEnum < minimumJava) {
                 throw new GradleException("Java ${minimumJava} or above is required to build Elasticsearch")
diff --git a/buildSrc/src/main/groovy/org/elasticsearch/gradle/test/AntFixture.groovy b/buildSrc/src/main/groovy/org/elasticsearch/gradle/test/AntFixture.groovy
index 34c3046aa2b..039bce05226 100644
--- a/buildSrc/src/main/groovy/org/elasticsearch/gradle/test/AntFixture.groovy
+++ b/buildSrc/src/main/groovy/org/elasticsearch/gradle/test/AntFixture.groovy
@@ -69,7 +69,6 @@ public class AntFixture extends AntTask implements Fixture {
      * as well as a groovy AntBuilder, to enable running ant condition checks. The default wait
      * condition is for http on the http port.
      */
-    @Input
     Closure waitCondition = { AntFixture fixture, AntBuilder ant ->
         File tmpFile = new File(fixture.cwd, 'wait.success')
         ant.get(src: "http://${fixture.addressAndPort}",
diff --git a/buildSrc/src/main/groovy/org/elasticsearch/gradle/test/ClusterFormationTasks.groovy b/buildSrc/src/main/groovy/org/elasticsearch/gradle/test/ClusterFormationTasks.groovy
index 72c6eef6685..f7637d23366 100644
--- a/buildSrc/src/main/groovy/org/elasticsearch/gradle/test/ClusterFormationTasks.groovy
+++ b/buildSrc/src/main/groovy/org/elasticsearch/gradle/test/ClusterFormationTasks.groovy
@@ -166,11 +166,13 @@ class ClusterFormationTasks {
         Task setup = project.tasks.create(name: taskName(prefix, node, 'clean'), type: Delete, dependsOn: dependsOn) {
             delete node.homeDir
             delete node.cwd
+        }
+        setup = project.tasks.create(name: taskName(prefix, node, 'createCwd'), type: DefaultTask, dependsOn: setup) {
             doLast {
                 node.cwd.mkdirs()
             }
+            outputs.dir node.cwd
         }
-
         setup = configureCheckPreviousTask(taskName(prefix, node, 'checkPrevious'), project, setup, node)
         setup = configureStopTask(taskName(prefix, node, 'stopPrevious'), project, setup, node)
         setup = configureExtractTask(taskName(prefix, node, 'extract'), project, setup, node, distribution)
@@ -281,6 +283,7 @@ class ClusterFormationTasks {
                         rpmDatabase.deleteDir()
                         rpmExtracted.deleteDir()
                     }
+                    outputs.dir rpmExtracted
                 }
                 break;
             case 'deb':
@@ -292,6 +295,7 @@ class ClusterFormationTasks {
                     doFirst {
                         debExtracted.deleteDir()
                     }
+                    outputs.dir debExtracted
                 }
                 break;
             default: