diff --git a/elasticsearch/x-pack/bin/x-pack/extension b/elasticsearch/x-pack/bin/x-pack/extension
index e2c9305a60f..56405637625 100755
--- a/elasticsearch/x-pack/bin/x-pack/extension
+++ b/elasticsearch/x-pack/bin/x-pack/extension
@@ -62,12 +62,10 @@ fi
 # Try to read package config files
 if [ -f "/etc/sysconfig/elasticsearch" ]; then
     CONF_DIR=/etc/elasticsearch
-    CONF_FILE=$CONF_DIR/elasticsearch.yml
 
     . "/etc/sysconfig/elasticsearch"
 elif [ -f "/etc/default/elasticsearch" ]; then
     CONF_DIR=/etc/elasticsearch
-    CONF_FILE=$CONF_DIR/elasticsearch.yml
 
    . "/etc/default/elasticsearch"
 fi
@@ -109,6 +107,12 @@ export HOSTNAME=`hostname -s`
 # include x-pack jars in classpath
 ES_CLASSPATH="$ES_CLASSPATH:$ES_HOME/plugins/x-pack/*"
 
+# CONF_FILE setting was removed
+if [ ! -z "$CONF_FILE" ]; then
+    echo "CONF_FILE setting is no longer supported. elasticsearch.yml must be placed in the config directory and cannot be renamed."
+    exit 1
+fi
+
 cd "$ES_HOME" > /dev/null
 "$JAVA" $ES_JAVA_OPTS -cp "$ES_CLASSPATH" -Des.path.home="$ES_HOME" $properties org.elasticsearch.xpack.extensions.XPackExtensionCli "$@"
 status=$?
diff --git a/elasticsearch/x-pack/shield/bin/x-pack/syskeygen b/elasticsearch/x-pack/shield/bin/x-pack/syskeygen
index 1918c0d99ec..0d31e25136a 100755
--- a/elasticsearch/x-pack/shield/bin/x-pack/syskeygen
+++ b/elasticsearch/x-pack/shield/bin/x-pack/syskeygen
@@ -62,12 +62,10 @@ fi
 # Try to read package config files
 if [ -f "/etc/sysconfig/elasticsearch" ]; then
     CONF_DIR=/etc/elasticsearch
-    CONF_FILE=$CONF_DIR/elasticsearch.yml
 
     . "/etc/sysconfig/elasticsearch"
 elif [ -f "/etc/default/elasticsearch" ]; then
     CONF_DIR=/etc/elasticsearch
-    CONF_FILE=$CONF_DIR/elasticsearch.yml
 
    . "/etc/default/elasticsearch"
 fi
@@ -103,14 +101,6 @@ if [ -e "$CONF_DIR" ]; then
             ;;
         esac
 fi
-if [ -e "$CONF_FILE" ]; then
-    case "$properties" in
-    *-Des.default.config=*) ;;
-    *)
-        properties="$properties -Des.default.config=$CONF_FILE"
-        ;;
-    esac
-fi
 
 export HOSTNAME=`hostname -s`
 
@@ -125,6 +115,12 @@ if [ "x$JAVA_TOOL_OPTIONS" != "x" ]; then
     unset JAVA_TOOL_OPTIONS
 fi
 
+# CONF_FILE setting was removed
+if [ ! -z "$CONF_FILE" ]; then
+    echo "CONF_FILE setting is no longer supported. elasticsearch.yml must be placed in the config directory and cannot be renamed."
+    exit 1
+fi
+
 cd "$ES_HOME" > /dev/null
 "$JAVA" $ES_JAVA_OPTS -cp "$ES_CLASSPATH" -Des.path.home="$ES_HOME" $properties org.elasticsearch.shield.crypto.tool.SystemKeyTool "$@"
 status=$?
diff --git a/elasticsearch/x-pack/shield/bin/x-pack/users b/elasticsearch/x-pack/shield/bin/x-pack/users
index a2430820dc2..b8f3af686e4 100755
--- a/elasticsearch/x-pack/shield/bin/x-pack/users
+++ b/elasticsearch/x-pack/shield/bin/x-pack/users
@@ -62,12 +62,10 @@ fi
 # Try to read package config files
 if [ -f "/etc/sysconfig/elasticsearch" ]; then
     CONF_DIR=/etc/elasticsearch
-    CONF_FILE=$CONF_DIR/elasticsearch.yml
 
     . "/etc/sysconfig/elasticsearch"
 elif [ -f "/etc/default/elasticsearch" ]; then
     CONF_DIR=/etc/elasticsearch
-    CONF_FILE=$CONF_DIR/elasticsearch.yml
 
    . "/etc/default/elasticsearch"
 fi
@@ -103,14 +101,6 @@ if [ -e "$CONF_DIR" ]; then
             ;;
         esac
 fi
-if [ -e "$CONF_FILE" ]; then
-    case "$properties" in
-    *-Des.default.config=*) ;;
-    *)
-        properties="$properties -Des.default.config=$CONF_FILE"
-        ;;
-    esac
-fi
 
 export HOSTNAME=`hostname -s`
 
@@ -125,6 +115,12 @@ if [ "x$JAVA_TOOL_OPTIONS" != "x" ]; then
     unset JAVA_TOOL_OPTIONS
 fi
 
+# CONF_FILE setting was removed
+if [ ! -z "$CONF_FILE" ]; then
+    echo "CONF_FILE setting is no longer supported. elasticsearch.yml must be placed in the config directory and cannot be renamed."
+    exit 1
+fi
+
 cd "$ES_HOME" > /dev/null
 "$JAVA" $ES_JAVA_OPTS -cp "$ES_CLASSPATH" -Des.path.home="$ES_HOME" $properties org.elasticsearch.shield.authc.file.tool.UsersTool "$@"
 status=$?
diff --git a/elasticsearch/x-pack/watcher/bin/x-pack/croneval b/elasticsearch/x-pack/watcher/bin/x-pack/croneval
index 7fb4f6a6328..1a13b517e5e 100755
--- a/elasticsearch/x-pack/watcher/bin/x-pack/croneval
+++ b/elasticsearch/x-pack/watcher/bin/x-pack/croneval
@@ -62,12 +62,10 @@ fi
 # Try to read package config files
 if [ -f "/etc/sysconfig/elasticsearch" ]; then
     CONF_DIR=/etc/elasticsearch
-    CONF_FILE=$CONF_DIR/elasticsearch.yml
 
     . "/etc/sysconfig/elasticsearch"
 elif [ -f "/etc/default/elasticsearch" ]; then
     CONF_DIR=/etc/elasticsearch
-    CONF_FILE=$CONF_DIR/elasticsearch.yml
 
    . "/etc/default/elasticsearch"
 fi
@@ -94,14 +92,6 @@ if [ -e "$CONF_DIR" ]; then
             ;;
     esac
 fi
-if [ -e "$CONF_FILE" ]; then
-    case "$properties" in
-    *-Des.default.config=*) ;;
-    *)
-        properties="$properties -Des.default.config=$CONF_FILE"
-        ;;
-    esac
-fi
 
 export HOSTNAME=`hostname -s`
 
@@ -116,6 +106,12 @@ if [ "x$JAVA_TOOL_OPTIONS" != "x" ]; then
     unset JAVA_TOOL_OPTIONS
 fi
 
+# CONF_FILE setting was removed
+if [ ! -z "$CONF_FILE" ]; then
+    echo "CONF_FILE setting is no longer supported. elasticsearch.yml must be placed in the config directory and cannot be renamed."
+    exit 1
+fi
+
 cd "$ES_HOME" > /dev/null
 "$JAVA" $ES_JAVA_OPTS -cp "$ES_CLASSPATH" -Des.path.home="$ES_HOME" org.elasticsearch.watcher.trigger.schedule.tool.CronEvalTool "$@" $properties
 status=$?