diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/bootstrap/Elasticsearch.java b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/bootstrap/Elasticsearch.java
index 62b01f3fe85..643ad812972 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/bootstrap/Elasticsearch.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/bootstrap/Elasticsearch.java
@@ -92,6 +92,15 @@ class Elasticsearch extends EnvironmentAwareCommand {
         return elasticsearch.main(args, terminal);
     }
 
+    @Override
+    protected boolean shouldConfigureLoggingWithoutConfig() {
+        /*
+         * If we allow logging to be configured without a config before we ready to read the log4j2.properties file, then we will fail to
+         * detect uses of logging before it is properly configured.
+         */
+        return false;
+    }
+
     @Override
     protected void execute(Terminal terminal, OptionSet options, Environment env) throws UserException {
         if (options.nonOptionArguments().isEmpty() == false) {
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cli/Command.java b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cli/Command.java
index 99a9a7e43d9..a60dece2611 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cli/Command.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cli/Command.java
@@ -79,10 +79,12 @@ public abstract class Command implements Closeable {
             Runtime.getRuntime().addShutdownHook(shutdownHookThread.get());
         }
 
-        // initialize default for es.logger.level because we will not read the log4j2.properties
-        final String loggerLevel = System.getProperty("es.logger.level", Level.INFO.name());
-        final Settings settings = Settings.builder().put("logger.level", loggerLevel).build();
-        LogConfigurator.configureWithoutConfig(settings);
+        if (shouldConfigureLoggingWithoutConfig()) {
+            // initialize default for es.logger.level because we will not read the log4j2.properties
+            final String loggerLevel = System.getProperty("es.logger.level", Level.INFO.name());
+            final Settings settings = Settings.builder().put("logger.level", loggerLevel).build();
+            LogConfigurator.configureWithoutConfig(settings);
+        }
 
         try {
             mainWithoutErrorHandling(args, terminal);
@@ -100,6 +102,16 @@ public abstract class Command implements Closeable {
         return ExitCodes.OK;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Indicate whether or not logging should be configured without reading a log4j2.properties. Most commands should do this because we do
+     * not configure logging for CLI tools. Only commands that configure logging on their own should not do this.
+     *
+     * @return true if logging should be configured without reading a log4j2.properties file
+     */
+    protected boolean shouldConfigureLoggingWithoutConfig() {
+        return true;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Executes the command, but all errors are thrown.
      */