diff --git a/bin/elasticsearch b/bin/elasticsearch
index 7f765a8b8bf..5c0d042df7b 100755
--- a/bin/elasticsearch
+++ b/bin/elasticsearch
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ launch_service()
     pidpath=$1
     foreground=$2
     props=$3
-    es_parms="-Delasticsearch -Des.path.home=$ES_HOME"
+    es_parms="-Delasticsearch"
 
     if [ "x$pidpath" != "x" ]; then
         es_parms="$es_parms -Des-pidfile=$pidpath"
@@ -121,11 +121,11 @@ launch_service()
     # but it's up to us not to background.
     if [ "x$foreground" != "x" ]; then
         es_parms="$es_parms -Des-foreground=yes"
-        exec "$JAVA" $JAVA_OPTS $ES_JAVA_OPTS "$es_parms" -cp "$ES_CLASSPATH" $props \
+        exec "$JAVA" $JAVA_OPTS $ES_JAVA_OPTS $es_parms -Des.path.home="$ES_HOME" -cp "$ES_CLASSPATH" $props \
                 org.elasticsearch.bootstrap.ElasticSearch
     else
         # Startup ElasticSearch, background it, and write the pid.
-        exec "$JAVA" $JAVA_OPTS $ES_JAVA_OPTS "$es_parms" -cp "$ES_CLASSPATH" $props \
+        exec "$JAVA" $JAVA_OPTS $ES_JAVA_OPTS $es_parms -Des.path.home="$ES_HOME" -cp "$ES_CLASSPATH" $props \
                     org.elasticsearch.bootstrap.ElasticSearch <&- &
         [ ! -z "$pidpath" ] && printf '%d' $! > "$pidpath"
     fi
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ eval set -- "$args"
 while true; do
     case $1 in
         -v)
-            "$JAVA" $JAVA_OPTS $ES_JAVA_OPTS "$es_parms" -cp "$ES_CLASSPATH" $props \
+            "$JAVA" $JAVA_OPTS $ES_JAVA_OPTS $es_parms -Des.path.home="$ES_HOME" -cp "$ES_CLASSPATH" $props \
                     org.elasticsearch.Version
             exit 0
         ;;