diff --git a/.ci/os.sh b/.ci/os.sh
index 82490e09b42..59e8de36af1 100755
--- a/.ci/os.sh
+++ b/.ci/os.sh
@@ -31,12 +31,6 @@ cp -v .ci/init.gradle $HOME/.gradle/init.d
 
 unset JAVA_HOME
 
-if ! [ -e "/usr/bin/bats" ] ; then
-  git clone https://github.com/sstephenson/bats /tmp/bats
-  sudo /tmp/bats/install.sh /usr
-fi
-
-
 if [ -f "/etc/os-release" ] ; then
     cat /etc/os-release
     . /etc/os-release
@@ -54,16 +48,8 @@ else
 fi
 
 sudo bash -c 'cat > /etc/sudoers.d/elasticsearch_vars'  << SUDOERS_VARS
-    Defaults   env_keep += "ZIP"
-    Defaults   env_keep += "TAR"
-    Defaults   env_keep += "RPM"
-    Defaults   env_keep += "DEB"
-    Defaults   env_keep += "PACKAGING_ARCHIVES"
-    Defaults   env_keep += "PACKAGING_TESTS"
-    Defaults   env_keep += "BATS_UTILS"
-    Defaults   env_keep += "BATS_TESTS"
-    Defaults   env_keep += "SYSTEM_JAVA_HOME"
     Defaults   env_keep += "JAVA_HOME"
+    Defaults   env_keep += "SYSTEM_JAVA_HOME"
 SUDOERS_VARS
 sudo chmod 0440 /etc/sudoers.d/elasticsearch_vars
 
diff --git a/Vagrantfile b/Vagrantfile
index d7ff25a6a74..19effced2d7 100644
--- a/Vagrantfile
+++ b/Vagrantfile
@@ -336,7 +336,7 @@ def sles_common(config, name)
     zypper ar http://download.opensuse.org/distribution/12.3/repo/oss/ oss
     zypper --non-interactive  --gpg-auto-import-keys refresh
     zypper --non-interactive install git-core
-    # choose to "ignore some dependencies" of expect, which has a problem with tcl... 
+    # choose to "ignore some dependencies" of expect, which has a problem with tcl...
     zypper --non-interactive install --force-resolution expect
   SHELL
   suse_common config, name, extra: extra
@@ -468,39 +468,13 @@ def sh_install_deps(config,
 
     #{extra}
 
-    installed java || {
-      echo "==> Java is not installed"
-      return 1
-    }
-    cat \<\<JAVA > /etc/profile.d/java_home.sh
-if [ -z "\\\$JAVA_HOME" ]; then
-  export JAVA_HOME=$(dirname $(dirname $(readlink -f $(which java))))
-fi
-export SYSTEM_JAVA_HOME=\\\$JAVA_HOME
-unset JAVA_HOME
-JAVA
     ensure tar
     ensure curl
     ensure unzip
     ensure rsync
     ensure expect
 
-    installed bats || {
-      # Bats lives in a git repository....
-      ensure git
-      echo "==> Installing bats"
-      git clone https://github.com/sstephenson/bats /tmp/bats
-      # Centos doesn't add /usr/local/bin to the path....
-      /tmp/bats/install.sh /usr
-      rm -rf /tmp/bats
-    }
-
     cat \<\<SUDOERS_VARS > /etc/sudoers.d/elasticsearch_vars
-Defaults   env_keep += "BATS_UTILS"
-Defaults   env_keep += "BATS_TESTS"
-Defaults   env_keep += "BATS_PLUGINS"
-Defaults   env_keep += "BATS_UPGRADE"
-Defaults   env_keep += "PACKAGE_NAME"
 Defaults   env_keep += "JAVA_HOME"
 Defaults   env_keep += "SYSTEM_JAVA_HOME"
 SUDOERS_VARS
@@ -509,23 +483,9 @@ SUDOERS_VARS
 end
 
 def windows_common(config, name)
-  config.vm.provision 'markerfile', type: 'shell', inline: <<-SHELL
-    $ErrorActionPreference = "Stop"
-    New-Item C:/is_vagrant_vm -ItemType file -Force | Out-Null
-  SHELL
-
   config.vm.provision 'set prompt', type: 'shell', inline: <<-SHELL
     $ErrorActionPreference = "Stop"
     $ps_prompt = 'function Prompt { "#{name}:$($ExecutionContext.SessionState.Path.CurrentLocation)>" }'
     $ps_prompt | Out-File $PsHome/Microsoft.PowerShell_profile.ps1
   SHELL
-
-  config.vm.provision 'set env variables', type: 'shell', inline: <<-SHELL
-    $ErrorActionPreference = "Stop"
-    [Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable("PACKAGING_ARCHIVES", "C:/project/build/packaging/archives", "Machine")
-    $javaHome = [Environment]::GetEnvironmentVariable("JAVA_HOME", "Machine")
-    [Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable("SYSTEM_JAVA_HOME", $javaHome, "Machine")
-    [Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable("PACKAGING_TESTS", "C:/project/build/packaging/tests", "Machine")
-    [Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable("JAVA_HOME", $null, "Machine")
-  SHELL
 end
diff --git a/buildSrc/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/gradle/test/DistroTestPlugin.java b/buildSrc/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/gradle/test/DistroTestPlugin.java
index 8f19ede0534..235030754b6 100644
--- a/buildSrc/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/gradle/test/DistroTestPlugin.java
+++ b/buildSrc/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/gradle/test/DistroTestPlugin.java
@@ -265,6 +265,7 @@ public class DistroTestPlugin implements Plugin<Project> {
         VagrantExtension vagrant = project.getExtensions().getByType(VagrantExtension.class);
         vagrant.setBox(box);
         vagrant.vmEnv("SYSTEM_JAVA_HOME", convertPath(project, vagrant, systemJdk, "", ""));
+        vagrant.vmEnv("JAVA_HOME", ""); // make sure any default java on the system is ignored
         vagrant.vmEnv("PATH", convertPath(project, vagrant, gradleJdk, "/bin:$PATH", "\\bin;$Env:PATH"));
         // pass these along to get correct build scans
         if (System.getenv("JENKINS_URL") != null) {