diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/ilm/build.gradle b/x-pack/plugin/ilm/build.gradle
index 5a41779c50f..71def893781 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/ilm/build.gradle
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/ilm/build.gradle
@@ -18,8 +18,14 @@ dependencies {
     testCompile project(path: xpackModule('core'), configuration: 'testArtifacts')
 }
 
-check.dependsOn 'qa:with-security:integTestRunner'
-check.dependsOn 'qa:multi-node:integTestRunner'
+// add all sub-projects of the qa sub-project
+gradle.projectsEvaluated {
+    project.subprojects
+            .find { it.path == project.path + ":qa" }
+            .subprojects
+            .findAll { it.path.startsWith(project.path + ":qa") }
+            .each { check.dependsOn it.check }
+}
 
 integTest.enabled = false
 
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/ilm/qa/build.gradle b/x-pack/plugin/ilm/qa/build.gradle
index de822a5e1b1..881d6c5420f 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/ilm/qa/build.gradle
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/ilm/qa/build.gradle
@@ -1,3 +1,21 @@
+import org.elasticsearch.gradle.test.RestIntegTestTask
+
+apply plugin: 'elasticsearch.build'
+test.enabled = false
+
+dependencies {
+    compile project(':test:framework')
+}
+
+subprojects {
+    project.tasks.withType(RestIntegTestTask) {
+        final File xPackResources = new File(xpackProject('plugin').projectDir, 'src/test/resources')
+        project.copyRestSpec.from(xPackResources) {
+            include 'rest-api-spec/api/**'
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 /* Remove assemble on all qa projects because we don't need to publish
  * artifacts for them. */
 gradle.projectsEvaluated {
@@ -9,3 +27,5 @@ gradle.projectsEvaluated {
     }
 }
 
+// the qa modules does not have any source files
+licenseHeaders.enabled = false
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/ilm/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/indexlifecycle/ChangePolicyforIndexIT.java b/x-pack/plugin/ilm/qa/multi-node/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/indexlifecycle/ChangePolicyforIndexIT.java
similarity index 100%
rename from x-pack/plugin/ilm/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/indexlifecycle/ChangePolicyforIndexIT.java
rename to x-pack/plugin/ilm/qa/multi-node/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/indexlifecycle/ChangePolicyforIndexIT.java
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/ilm/qa/rest/build.gradle b/x-pack/plugin/ilm/qa/rest/build.gradle
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..0f1e277e70d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/ilm/qa/rest/build.gradle
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+import org.elasticsearch.gradle.test.RestIntegTestTask
+
+apply plugin: 'elasticsearch.standalone-test'
+
+dependencies {
+    testCompile project(path: xpackModule('core'), configuration: 'testArtifacts')
+    testCompile project(path: xpackModule('ilm'), configuration: 'runtime')
+}
+
+task restTest(type: RestIntegTestTask) {
+    mustRunAfter(precommit)
+}
+
+def clusterCredentials = [username: System.getProperty('tests.rest.cluster.username', 'test_admin'),
+                          password: System.getProperty('tests.rest.cluster.password', 'x-pack-test-password')]
+
+
+restTestRunner {
+    systemProperty 'tests.rest.cluster.username', clusterCredentials.username
+    systemProperty 'tests.rest.cluster.password', clusterCredentials.password
+}
+
+restTestCluster {
+    distribution 'zip'
+    setting 'xpack.ilm.enabled', 'true'
+    setting 'xpack.ml.enabled', 'false'
+    setting 'xpack.monitoring.enabled', 'false'
+    setting 'xpack.security.enabled', 'true'
+    setting 'xpack.license.self_generated.type', 'trial'
+    setupCommand 'setup-admin-user',
+            'bin/elasticsearch-users', 'useradd', clusterCredentials.username, '-p', clusterCredentials.password, '-r', 'superuser'
+    waitCondition = { node, ant ->
+        File tmpFile = new File(node.cwd, 'wait.success')
+        ant.get(src: "http://${node.httpUri()}/_cluster/health?wait_for_nodes=>=${numNodes}&wait_for_status=yellow",
+                dest: tmpFile.toString(),
+                username: clusterCredentials.username,
+                password: clusterCredentials.password,
+                ignoreerrors: true,
+                retries: 10)
+        return tmpFile.exists()
+    }
+}
+
+check.dependsOn restTest
+test.enabled = false
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/ilm/qa/with-security/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/security/IndexLifecycleWithSecurityClientYamlTestSuiteIT.java b/x-pack/plugin/ilm/qa/rest/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/indexlifecycle/IndexLifecycleRestIT.java
similarity index 87%
rename from x-pack/plugin/ilm/qa/with-security/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/security/IndexLifecycleWithSecurityClientYamlTestSuiteIT.java
rename to x-pack/plugin/ilm/qa/rest/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/indexlifecycle/IndexLifecycleRestIT.java
index 7c7892ec992..f784e2b940b 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/ilm/qa/with-security/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/security/IndexLifecycleWithSecurityClientYamlTestSuiteIT.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/ilm/qa/rest/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/indexlifecycle/IndexLifecycleRestIT.java
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the Elastic License.
  */
 
-package org.elasticsearch.xpack.security;
+package org.elasticsearch.xpack.indexlifecycle;
 
 import com.carrotsearch.randomizedtesting.annotations.Name;
 import com.carrotsearch.randomizedtesting.annotations.ParametersFactory;
@@ -21,12 +21,12 @@ import java.util.Objects;
 import static org.elasticsearch.xpack.core.security.authc.support.UsernamePasswordToken.basicAuthHeaderValue;
 
 @TimeoutSuite(millis = 30 * TimeUnits.MINUTE) // as default timeout seems not enough on the jenkins VMs
-public class IndexLifecycleWithSecurityClientYamlTestSuiteIT extends ESClientYamlSuiteTestCase {
+public class IndexLifecycleRestIT extends ESClientYamlSuiteTestCase {
 
     private static final String USER = Objects.requireNonNull(System.getProperty("tests.rest.cluster.username"));
     private static final String PASS = Objects.requireNonNull(System.getProperty("tests.rest.cluster.password"));
 
-    public IndexLifecycleWithSecurityClientYamlTestSuiteIT(@Name("yaml") ClientYamlTestCandidate testCandidate) {
+    public IndexLifecycleRestIT(@Name("yaml") ClientYamlTestCandidate testCandidate) {
         super(testCandidate);
     }
 
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/test/ilm/10_basic.yml b/x-pack/plugin/ilm/qa/rest/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/test/ilm/10_basic.yml
similarity index 100%
rename from x-pack/plugin/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/test/ilm/10_basic.yml
rename to x-pack/plugin/ilm/qa/rest/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/test/ilm/10_basic.yml
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/test/ilm/20_move_to_step.yml b/x-pack/plugin/ilm/qa/rest/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/test/ilm/20_move_to_step.yml
similarity index 100%
rename from x-pack/plugin/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/test/ilm/20_move_to_step.yml
rename to x-pack/plugin/ilm/qa/rest/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/test/ilm/20_move_to_step.yml
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/test/ilm/30_retry.yml b/x-pack/plugin/ilm/qa/rest/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/test/ilm/30_retry.yml
similarity index 100%
rename from x-pack/plugin/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/test/ilm/30_retry.yml
rename to x-pack/plugin/ilm/qa/rest/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/test/ilm/30_retry.yml
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/test/ilm/40_explain_lifecycle.yml b/x-pack/plugin/ilm/qa/rest/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/test/ilm/40_explain_lifecycle.yml
similarity index 100%
rename from x-pack/plugin/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/test/ilm/40_explain_lifecycle.yml
rename to x-pack/plugin/ilm/qa/rest/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/test/ilm/40_explain_lifecycle.yml
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/test/ilm/60_operation_mode.yml b/x-pack/plugin/ilm/qa/rest/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/test/ilm/60_operation_mode.yml
similarity index 100%
rename from x-pack/plugin/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/test/ilm/60_operation_mode.yml
rename to x-pack/plugin/ilm/qa/rest/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/test/ilm/60_operation_mode.yml
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/test/ilm/60_remove_policy_for_index.yml b/x-pack/plugin/ilm/qa/rest/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/test/ilm/60_remove_policy_for_index.yml
similarity index 100%
rename from x-pack/plugin/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/test/ilm/60_remove_policy_for_index.yml
rename to x-pack/plugin/ilm/qa/rest/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/test/ilm/60_remove_policy_for_index.yml
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/ilm/qa/with-security/build.gradle b/x-pack/plugin/ilm/qa/with-security/build.gradle
index 124db5135d8..f1b972012e7 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/ilm/qa/with-security/build.gradle
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/ilm/qa/with-security/build.gradle
@@ -5,14 +5,6 @@ dependencies {
   testCompile project(path: xpackProject('plugin').path, configuration: 'testArtifacts')
 }
 
-// bring in ILM rest test suite
-task copyILMRestTests(type: Copy) {
-  into project.sourceSets.test.output.resourcesDir
-  from xpackProject('plugin').sourceSets.test.resources.srcDirs
-  include 'rest-api-spec/api/ilm.*'
-  include 'rest-api-spec/test/ilm/**'
-}
-
 def clusterCredentials = [username: System.getProperty('tests.rest.cluster.username', 'test_admin'),
                           password: System.getProperty('tests.rest.cluster.password', 'x-pack-test-password')]
 
@@ -22,7 +14,6 @@ integTestRunner {
 }
 
 integTestCluster {
-  dependsOn copyILMRestTests
   setting 'xpack.ilm.enabled', 'true'
   setting 'xpack.security.enabled', 'true'
   setting 'xpack.watcher.enabled', 'false'