diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/env/Environment.java b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/env/Environment.java
index 00b1436f7c1..f431a7f646e 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/env/Environment.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/env/Environment.java
@@ -183,7 +183,9 @@ public class Environment {
 
         Settings.Builder finalSettings = Settings.builder().put(settings);
         finalSettings.put(PATH_HOME_SETTING.getKey(), homeFile);
-        finalSettings.putArray(PATH_DATA_SETTING.getKey(), dataPaths);
+        if (PATH_DATA_SETTING.exists(settings)) {
+            finalSettings.putArray(PATH_DATA_SETTING.getKey(), dataPaths);
+        }
         finalSettings.put(PATH_LOGS_SETTING.getKey(), logsFile);
         this.settings = finalSettings.build();
 
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/env/EnvironmentTests.java b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/env/EnvironmentTests.java
index 38c5133f91a..083e2ad5cc0 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/env/EnvironmentTests.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/env/EnvironmentTests.java
@@ -102,6 +102,19 @@ public class EnvironmentTests extends ESTestCase {
         assertThat(environment.dataFiles(), equalTo(new Path[]{pathHome.resolve("data")}));
     }
 
+    public void testPathDataNotSetInEnvironmentIfNotSet() {
+        final Path defaultPathData = createTempDir().toAbsolutePath();
+        final Settings settings = Settings.builder()
+                .put("path.home", createTempDir().toAbsolutePath())
+                .put("default.path.data", defaultPathData)
+                .build();
+        assertFalse(Environment.PATH_DATA_SETTING.exists(settings));
+        assertTrue(Environment.DEFAULT_PATH_DATA_SETTING.exists(settings));
+        final Environment environment = new Environment(settings);
+        assertFalse(Environment.PATH_DATA_SETTING.exists(environment.settings()));
+        assertTrue(Environment.DEFAULT_PATH_DATA_SETTING.exists(environment.settings()));
+    }
+
     public void testDefaultPathLogs() {
         final Path defaultPathLogs = createTempDir().toAbsolutePath();
         final Settings settings = Settings.builder()