diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/node/internal/InternalSettingsPerparer.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/node/internal/InternalSettingsPerparer.java
index ce7605bb05a..ccaefcd2050 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/node/internal/InternalSettingsPerparer.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/node/internal/InternalSettingsPerparer.java
@@ -39,6 +39,8 @@ public class InternalSettingsPerparer {
         // just create enough settings to build the environment
         ImmutableSettings.Builder settingsBuilder = settingsBuilder()
                 .put(pSettings)
+                .putProperties("elasticsearch.default.", System.getProperties())
+                .putProperties("es.default.", System.getProperties())
                 .putProperties("elasticsearch.", System.getProperties())
                 .putProperties("es.", System.getProperties())
                 .replacePropertyPlaceholders();
@@ -46,16 +48,22 @@ public class InternalSettingsPerparer {
         Environment environment = new Environment(settingsBuilder.build());
 
         if (loadConfigSettings) {
-            boolean explicitSettingsProvided = false;
+            boolean loadFromEnv = true;
+            // if its default, then load it, but also load form env
+            if (System.getProperty("es.default.config") != null) {
+                loadFromEnv = true;
+                settingsBuilder.loadFromUrl(environment.resolveConfig(System.getProperty("es.config")));
+            }
+            // if explicit, just load it and don't load from env
             if (System.getProperty("es.config") != null) {
-                explicitSettingsProvided = true;
+                loadFromEnv = false;
                 settingsBuilder.loadFromUrl(environment.resolveConfig(System.getProperty("es.config")));
             }
             if (System.getProperty("elasticsearch.config") != null) {
-                explicitSettingsProvided = true;
+                loadFromEnv = false;
                 settingsBuilder.loadFromUrl(environment.resolveConfig(System.getProperty("elasticsearch.config")));
             }
-            if (!explicitSettingsProvided) {
+            if (loadFromEnv) {
                 try {
                     settingsBuilder.loadFromUrl(environment.resolveConfig("elasticsearch.yml"));
                 } catch (FailedToResolveConfigException e) {