diff --git a/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ml/job/logging/CppLogMessageHandler.java b/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ml/job/logging/CppLogMessageHandler.java
index d295a806cec..01678e7b03e 100644
--- a/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ml/job/logging/CppLogMessageHandler.java
+++ b/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ml/job/logging/CppLogMessageHandler.java
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ public class CppLogMessageHandler implements Closeable {
     private volatile boolean hasLogStreamEnded;
     private volatile boolean seenFatalError;
     private volatile long pid;
+    private volatile String cppCopyright;
 
     /**
      * @param jobId May be null or empty if the logs are from a process not associated with a job.
@@ -132,6 +133,10 @@ public class CppLogMessageHandler implements Closeable {
         return pid;
     }
 
+    public String getCppCopyright() {
+        return cppCopyright;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Expected to be called very infrequently.
      */
@@ -185,12 +190,15 @@ public class CppLogMessageHandler implements Closeable {
                 pid = latestPid;
                 pidLatch.countDown();
             }
+            String latestMessage = msg.getMessage();
+            if (cppCopyright == null && latestMessage.contains("Copyright")) {
+                cppCopyright = latestMessage;
+            }
             // TODO: Is there a way to preserve the original timestamp when re-logging?
             if (jobId != null) {
-                LOGGER.log(level, "[{}] {}/{} {}@{} {}", jobId, msg.getLogger(), latestPid, msg.getFile(), msg.getLine(),
-                        msg.getMessage());
+                LOGGER.log(level, "[{}] {}/{} {}@{} {}", jobId, msg.getLogger(), latestPid, msg.getFile(), msg.getLine(), latestMessage);
             } else {
-                LOGGER.log(level, "{}/{} {}@{} {}", msg.getLogger(), latestPid, msg.getFile(), msg.getLine(), msg.getMessage());
+                LOGGER.log(level, "{}/{} {}@{} {}", msg.getLogger(), latestPid, msg.getFile(), msg.getLine(), latestMessage);
             }
             // TODO: Could send the message for indexing instead of or as well as logging it
         } catch (IOException e) {
diff --git a/elasticsearch/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ml/job/logging/CppLogMessageHandlerTests.java b/elasticsearch/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ml/job/logging/CppLogMessageHandlerTests.java
index 1e0c0a633de..29ce19674f1 100644
--- a/elasticsearch/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ml/job/logging/CppLogMessageHandlerTests.java
+++ b/elasticsearch/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ml/job/logging/CppLogMessageHandlerTests.java
@@ -27,8 +27,8 @@ public class CppLogMessageHandlerTests extends ESTestCase {
                 + "/var/folders/k5/5sqcdlps5sg3cvlp783gcz740000h0/T/controller_log_784\",\"class\":\"ml\","
                 + "\"method\":\"core::CLogger::reconfigureLogToNamedPipe\",\"file\":\"CLogger.cc\",\"line\":333}\n"
                 + "{\"logger\":\"controller\",\"timestamp\":1478261151445,\"level\":\"INFO\",\"pid\":10211,\"thread\":\"0x7fff7d2a8000\","
-                + "\"message\":\"controller (64 bit): Version based on 6.5.0 (Build DEVELOPMENT BUILD by dave) "
-                + "Copyright (c) 2016 Elasticsearch BV\",\"method\":\"main\",\"file\":\"Main.cc\",\"line\":123}\n"
+                + "\"message\":\"controller (64 bit): Version based on 6.0.0-alpha1 (Build b0d6ef8819418c) "
+                + "Copyright (c) 2017 Elasticsearch BV\",\"method\":\"main\",\"file\":\"Main.cc\",\"line\":123}\n"
                 + "{\"logger\":\"controller\",\"timestamp\":1478261169065,\"level\":\"ERROR\",\"pid\":10211,\"thread\":\"0x7fff7d2a8000\","
                 + "\"message\":\"Did not understand verb 'a'\",\"class\":\"ml\","
                 + "\"method\":\"controller::CCommandProcessor::handleCommand\",\"file\":\"CCommandProcessor.cc\",\"line\":100}\n"
@@ -43,6 +43,8 @@ public class CppLogMessageHandlerTests extends ESTestCase {
 
                 assertTrue(handler.hasLogStreamEnded());
                 assertEquals(10211L, handler.getPid(Duration.ofMillis(1)));
+                assertEquals("controller (64 bit): Version based on 6.0.0-alpha1 (Build b0d6ef8819418c) "
+                        + "Copyright (c) 2017 Elasticsearch BV", handler.getCppCopyright());
                 assertEquals("Did not understand verb 'a'\n", handler.getErrors());
                 assertFalse(handler.seenFatalError());
             }