diff --git a/.settings/org.eclipse.jdt.core.prefs b/.settings/org.eclipse.jdt.core.prefs
deleted file mode 100644
index f1163fdd583..00000000000
--- a/.settings/org.eclipse.jdt.core.prefs
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,18 +0,0 @@
-eclipse.preferences.version=1
-org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.annotation.inheritNullAnnotations=enabled
-org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.annotation.missingNonNullByDefaultAnnotation=ignore
-org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.annotation.nullable=org.elasticsearch.common.Nullable
-org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.annotation.nullanalysis=enabled
-org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.codegen.targetPlatform=1.7
-org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.compliance=1.7
-org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.problem.forbiddenReference=warning
-org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.problem.nonnullParameterAnnotationDropped=warning
-org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.problem.nullAnnotationInferenceConflict=warning
-org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.problem.nullReference=warning
-org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.problem.nullSpecViolation=warning
-org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.problem.nullUncheckedConversion=warning
-org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.problem.potentialNullReference=warning
-org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.source=1.7
-org.eclipse.jdt.core.formatter.lineSplit=140
-org.eclipse.jdt.core.formatter.tabulation.char=space
-org.eclipse.jdt.core.formatter.tabulation.size=4
diff --git a/build.gradle b/build.gradle
index 621f137eb94..9adb3aeb0eb 100644
--- a/build.gradle
+++ b/build.gradle
@@ -178,8 +178,19 @@ allprojects {
       }
     }
   }
+  task cleanEclipseSettings(type: Delete) {
+    delete '.settings'
+  }
+  task copyEclipseSettings(type: Copy) {
+    // TODO: "package this up" for external builds
+    from new File(project.rootDir, 'buildSrc/src/main/resources/eclipse.settings')
+    into '.settings'
+  }
+  // otherwise .settings is not nuked entirely
+  tasks.cleanEclipse.dependsOn(cleanEclipseSettings)
   // otherwise the eclipse merging is *super confusing*
   tasks.eclipse.dependsOn(cleanEclipse)
+  tasks.eclipse.dependsOn(copyEclipseSettings)
 }
 
 
diff --git a/.settings/org.eclipse.core.resources.prefs b/buildSrc/src/main/resources/eclipse.settings/org.eclipse.core.resources.prefs
similarity index 70%
rename from .settings/org.eclipse.core.resources.prefs
rename to buildSrc/src/main/resources/eclipse.settings/org.eclipse.core.resources.prefs
index 5731b2f8244..6fd0a9aab13 100644
--- a/.settings/org.eclipse.core.resources.prefs
+++ b/buildSrc/src/main/resources/eclipse.settings/org.eclipse.core.resources.prefs
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 eclipse.preferences.version=1
 encoding//src/main/java=UTF-8
 encoding//src/main/resources=UTF-8
+encoding//src/test/java=UTF-8
 encoding//src/test/resources=UTF-8
-encoding/<project>=UTF-8
-encoding/rest-api-spec=UTF-8
+encoding/<project>=UTF-8
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/buildSrc/src/main/resources/eclipse.settings/org.eclipse.jdt.core.prefs b/buildSrc/src/main/resources/eclipse.settings/org.eclipse.jdt.core.prefs
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..9bee5e587b0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/buildSrc/src/main/resources/eclipse.settings/org.eclipse.jdt.core.prefs
@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+eclipse.preferences.version=1
+
+# previous configuration from maven build
+# this is merged with gradle's generated properties during 'gradle eclipse'
+
+# NOTE: null pointer analysis etc is not enabled currently, it seems very unstable
+# (e.g. crashing eclipse etc)
+# org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.annotation.inheritNullAnnotations=enabled
+# org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.annotation.missingNonNullByDefaultAnnotation=ignore
+# org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.annotation.nullable=org.elasticsearch.common.Nullable
+# org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.annotation.nullanalysis=enabled
+# org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.problem.nonnullParameterAnnotationDropped=warning
+# org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.problem.nullAnnotationInferenceConflict=warning
+# org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.problem.nullReference=warning
+# org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.problem.nullSpecViolation=warning
+# org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.problem.nullUncheckedConversion=warning
+# org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.problem.potentialNullReference=warning
+
+org.eclipse.jdt.core.compiler.problem.forbiddenReference=warning
+org.eclipse.jdt.core.formatter.lineSplit=140
+org.eclipse.jdt.core.formatter.tabulation.char=space
+org.eclipse.jdt.core.formatter.tabulation.size=4
diff --git a/.settings/org.eclipse.jdt.ui.prefs b/buildSrc/src/main/resources/eclipse.settings/org.eclipse.jdt.ui.prefs
similarity index 99%
rename from .settings/org.eclipse.jdt.ui.prefs
rename to buildSrc/src/main/resources/eclipse.settings/org.eclipse.jdt.ui.prefs
index 4a9959fc9fc..a42667f8698 100644
--- a/.settings/org.eclipse.jdt.ui.prefs
+++ b/buildSrc/src/main/resources/eclipse.settings/org.eclipse.jdt.ui.prefs
@@ -3,4 +3,4 @@ formatter_settings_version=12
 # Intellij IDEA import order
 org.eclipse.jdt.ui.importorder=;com;org;java;javax;\#;
 # License header
-org.eclipse.jdt.ui.text.custom_code_templates=<?xml version\="1.0" encoding\="UTF-8" standalone\="no"?><templates><template autoinsert\="false" context\="gettercomment_context" deleted\="false" description\="Comment for getter method" enabled\="true" id\="org.eclipse.jdt.ui.text.codetemplates.gettercomment" name\="gettercomment">/**\n *\n */</template><template autoinsert\="false" context\="settercomment_context" deleted\="false" description\="Comment for setter method" enabled\="true" id\="org.eclipse.jdt.ui.text.codetemplates.settercomment" name\="settercomment">/**\n *\n */</template><template autoinsert\="true" context\="constructorcomment_context" deleted\="false" description\="Comment for created constructors" enabled\="true" id\="org.eclipse.jdt.ui.text.codetemplates.constructorcomment" name\="constructorcomment">/**\n * ${tags}\n */</template><template autoinsert\="true" context\="filecomment_context" deleted\="false" description\="Comment for created Java files" enabled\="true" id\="org.eclipse.jdt.ui.text.codetemplates.filecomment" name\="filecomment">/**\n *\n */</template><template autoinsert\="false" context\="typecomment_context" deleted\="false" description\="Comment for created types" enabled\="true" id\="org.eclipse.jdt.ui.text.codetemplates.typecomment" name\="typecomment">/**\n *\n */</template><template autoinsert\="true" context\="fieldcomment_context" deleted\="false" description\="Comment for fields" enabled\="true" id\="org.eclipse.jdt.ui.text.codetemplates.fieldcomment" name\="fieldcomment">/**\n *\n */</template><template autoinsert\="true" context\="methodcomment_context" deleted\="false" description\="Comment for non-overriding methods" enabled\="true" id\="org.eclipse.jdt.ui.text.codetemplates.methodcomment" name\="methodcomment">/**\n * ${tags}\n */</template><template autoinsert\="false" context\="overridecomment_context" deleted\="false" description\="Comment for overriding methods" enabled\="true" id\="org.eclipse.jdt.ui.text.codetemplates.overridecomment" name\="overridecomment">/*\n *\n */</template><template autoinsert\="true" context\="delegatecomment_context" deleted\="false" description\="Comment for delegate methods" enabled\="true" id\="org.eclipse.jdt.ui.text.codetemplates.delegatecomment" name\="delegatecomment">/**\n * ${tags}\n * ${see_to_target}\n */</template><template autoinsert\="false" context\="newtype_context" deleted\="false" description\="Newly created files" enabled\="true" id\="org.eclipse.jdt.ui.text.codetemplates.newtype" name\="newtype">${filecomment}\n/*\n * Licensed to Elasticsearch under one or more contributor\n * license agreements. See the NOTICE file distributed with\n * this work for additional information regarding copyright\n * ownership. Elasticsearch licenses this file to you under\n * the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License"); you may\n * not use this file except in compliance with the License.\n * You may obtain a copy of the License at\n *\n *    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0\n *\n * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing,\n * software distributed under the License is distributed on an\n * "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY\n * KIND, either express or implied.  See the License for the\n * specific language governing permissions and limitations\n * under the License.\n */\n\n${package_declaration}\n\n${typecomment}\n${type_declaration}</template><template autoinsert\="true" context\="classbody_context" deleted\="false" description\="Code in new class type bodies" enabled\="true" id\="org.eclipse.jdt.ui.text.codetemplates.classbody" name\="classbody">\n</template><template autoinsert\="true" context\="interfacebody_context" deleted\="false" description\="Code in new interface type bodies" enabled\="true" id\="org.eclipse.jdt.ui.text.codetemplates.interfacebody" name\="interfacebody">\n</template><template autoinsert\="true" context\="enumbody_context" deleted\="false" description\="Code in new enum type bodies" enabled\="true" id\="org.eclipse.jdt.ui.text.codetemplates.enumbody" name\="enumbody">\n</template><template autoinsert\="true" context\="annotationbody_context" deleted\="false" description\="Code in new annotation type bodies" enabled\="true" id\="org.eclipse.jdt.ui.text.codetemplates.annotationbody" name\="annotationbody">\n</template><template autoinsert\="false" context\="catchblock_context" deleted\="false" description\="Code in new catch blocks" enabled\="true" id\="org.eclipse.jdt.ui.text.codetemplates.catchblock" name\="catchblock">throw new RuntimeException();</template><template autoinsert\="false" context\="methodbody_context" deleted\="false" description\="Code in created method stubs" enabled\="true" id\="org.eclipse.jdt.ui.text.codetemplates.methodbody" name\="methodbody">${body_statement}</template><template autoinsert\="false" context\="constructorbody_context" deleted\="false" description\="Code in created constructor stubs" enabled\="true" id\="org.eclipse.jdt.ui.text.codetemplates.constructorbody" name\="constructorbody">${body_statement}</template><template autoinsert\="true" context\="getterbody_context" deleted\="false" description\="Code in created getters" enabled\="true" id\="org.eclipse.jdt.ui.text.codetemplates.getterbody" name\="getterbody">return ${field};</template><template autoinsert\="true" context\="setterbody_context" deleted\="false" description\="Code in created setters" enabled\="true" id\="org.eclipse.jdt.ui.text.codetemplates.setterbody" name\="setterbody">${field} \= ${param};</template></templates>
+org.eclipse.jdt.ui.text.custom_code_templates=<?xml version\="1.0" encoding\="UTF-8" standalone\="no"?><templates><template autoinsert\="false" context\="gettercomment_context" deleted\="false" description\="Comment for getter method" enabled\="true" id\="org.eclipse.jdt.ui.text.codetemplates.gettercomment" name\="gettercomment">/**\n *\n */</template><template autoinsert\="false" context\="settercomment_context" deleted\="false" description\="Comment for setter method" enabled\="true" id\="org.eclipse.jdt.ui.text.codetemplates.settercomment" name\="settercomment">/**\n *\n */</template><template autoinsert\="true" context\="constructorcomment_context" deleted\="false" description\="Comment for created constructors" enabled\="true" id\="org.eclipse.jdt.ui.text.codetemplates.constructorcomment" name\="constructorcomment">/**\n * ${tags}\n */</template><template autoinsert\="true" context\="filecomment_context" deleted\="false" description\="Comment for created Java files" enabled\="true" id\="org.eclipse.jdt.ui.text.codetemplates.filecomment" name\="filecomment">/**\n *\n */</template><template autoinsert\="false" context\="typecomment_context" deleted\="false" description\="Comment for created types" enabled\="true" id\="org.eclipse.jdt.ui.text.codetemplates.typecomment" name\="typecomment">/**\n *\n */</template><template autoinsert\="true" context\="fieldcomment_context" deleted\="false" description\="Comment for fields" enabled\="true" id\="org.eclipse.jdt.ui.text.codetemplates.fieldcomment" name\="fieldcomment">/**\n *\n */</template><template autoinsert\="true" context\="methodcomment_context" deleted\="false" description\="Comment for non-overriding methods" enabled\="true" id\="org.eclipse.jdt.ui.text.codetemplates.methodcomment" name\="methodcomment">/**\n * ${tags}\n */</template><template autoinsert\="false" context\="overridecomment_context" deleted\="false" description\="Comment for overriding methods" enabled\="true" id\="org.eclipse.jdt.ui.text.codetemplates.overridecomment" name\="overridecomment">/*\n *\n */</template><template autoinsert\="true" context\="delegatecomment_context" deleted\="false" description\="Comment for delegate methods" enabled\="true" id\="org.eclipse.jdt.ui.text.codetemplates.delegatecomment" name\="delegatecomment">/**\n * ${tags}\n * ${see_to_target}\n */</template><template autoinsert\="false" context\="newtype_context" deleted\="false" description\="Newly created files" enabled\="true" id\="org.eclipse.jdt.ui.text.codetemplates.newtype" name\="newtype">${filecomment}\n/*\n * Licensed to Elasticsearch under one or more contributor\n * license agreements. See the NOTICE file distributed with\n * this work for additional information regarding copyright\n * ownership. Elasticsearch licenses this file to you under\n * the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License"); you may\n * not use this file except in compliance with the License.\n * You may obtain a copy of the License at\n *\n *    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0\n *\n * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing,\n * software distributed under the License is distributed on an\n * "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY\n * KIND, either express or implied.  See the License for the\n * specific language governing permissions and limitations\n * under the License.\n */\n\n${package_declaration}\n\n${typecomment}\n${type_declaration}</template><template autoinsert\="true" context\="classbody_context" deleted\="false" description\="Code in new class type bodies" enabled\="true" id\="org.eclipse.jdt.ui.text.codetemplates.classbody" name\="classbody">\n</template><template autoinsert\="true" context\="interfacebody_context" deleted\="false" description\="Code in new interface type bodies" enabled\="true" id\="org.eclipse.jdt.ui.text.codetemplates.interfacebody" name\="interfacebody">\n</template><template autoinsert\="true" context\="enumbody_context" deleted\="false" description\="Code in new enum type bodies" enabled\="true" id\="org.eclipse.jdt.ui.text.codetemplates.enumbody" name\="enumbody">\n</template><template autoinsert\="true" context\="annotationbody_context" deleted\="false" description\="Code in new annotation type bodies" enabled\="true" id\="org.eclipse.jdt.ui.text.codetemplates.annotationbody" name\="annotationbody">\n</template><template autoinsert\="false" context\="catchblock_context" deleted\="false" description\="Code in new catch blocks" enabled\="true" id\="org.eclipse.jdt.ui.text.codetemplates.catchblock" name\="catchblock">throw new RuntimeException();</template><template autoinsert\="false" context\="methodbody_context" deleted\="false" description\="Code in created method stubs" enabled\="true" id\="org.eclipse.jdt.ui.text.codetemplates.methodbody" name\="methodbody">${body_statement}</template><template autoinsert\="false" context\="constructorbody_context" deleted\="false" description\="Code in created constructor stubs" enabled\="true" id\="org.eclipse.jdt.ui.text.codetemplates.constructorbody" name\="constructorbody">${body_statement}</template><template autoinsert\="true" context\="getterbody_context" deleted\="false" description\="Code in created getters" enabled\="true" id\="org.eclipse.jdt.ui.text.codetemplates.getterbody" name\="getterbody">return ${field};</template><template autoinsert\="true" context\="setterbody_context" deleted\="false" description\="Code in created setters" enabled\="true" id\="org.eclipse.jdt.ui.text.codetemplates.setterbody" name\="setterbody">${field} \= ${param};</template></templates>
\ No newline at end of file