diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/bootstrap/Bootstrap.java b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/bootstrap/Bootstrap.java
index 86e9c2f9114..e5397bbe7e1 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/bootstrap/Bootstrap.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/bootstrap/Bootstrap.java
@@ -217,7 +217,11 @@ final class Bootstrap {
      * This method is invoked by {@link Elasticsearch#main(String[])}
      * to startup elasticsearch.
      */
+    @SuppressForbidden(reason = "System#out")
     static void init(String[] args) throws Throwable {
+        // Set the system property before anything has a chance to trigger its use
+        System.setProperty("es.logger.prefix", "");
+
         BootstrapCLIParser bootstrapCLIParser = new BootstrapCLIParser();
         CliTool.ExitStatus status = bootstrapCLIParser.execute(args);
 
@@ -225,7 +229,6 @@ final class Bootstrap {
             System.exit(status.status());
         }
 
-        System.setProperty("es.logger.prefix", "");
         INSTANCE = new Bootstrap();
 
         boolean foreground = !"false".equals(System.getProperty("es.foreground", System.getProperty("es-foreground")));