diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cli/EnvironmentAwareCommand.java b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cli/EnvironmentAwareCommand.java
index e06d227a24c..a1eacaafe15 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cli/EnvironmentAwareCommand.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cli/EnvironmentAwareCommand.java
@@ -33,18 +33,16 @@ import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.Locale;
 import java.util.Map;
+import java.util.Objects;
 
 /** A cli command which requires an {@link org.elasticsearch.env.Environment} to use current paths and settings. */
 public abstract class EnvironmentAwareCommand extends Command {
 
     private final OptionSpec<KeyValuePair> settingOption;
-    private final OptionSpec<String> pathConfOption;
 
     public EnvironmentAwareCommand(String description) {
         super(description);
         this.settingOption = parser.accepts("E", "Configure a setting").withRequiredArg().ofType(KeyValuePair.class);
-        this.pathConfOption =
-                parser.acceptsAll(Arrays.asList("c", "path.conf"), "Configure config path").withRequiredArg().ofType(String.class);
     }
 
     @Override
@@ -70,13 +68,17 @@ public abstract class EnvironmentAwareCommand extends Command {
         putSystemPropertyIfSettingIsMissing(settings, "path.home", "es.path.home");
         putSystemPropertyIfSettingIsMissing(settings, "path.logs", "es.path.logs");
 
-        final String pathConf = pathConfOption.value(options);
+        final String pathConf = System.getProperty("es.path.conf");
+        if (pathConf == null) {
+            throw new UserException(ExitCodes.CONFIG, "the system property es.path.conf must be set");
+        }
+
         execute(terminal, options, createEnv(terminal, settings, getConfigPath(pathConf)));
     }
 
     @SuppressForbidden(reason = "need path to construct environment")
     private static Path getConfigPath(final String pathConf) {
-        return pathConf == null ? null : Paths.get(pathConf);
+        return Paths.get(pathConf);
     }
 
     /** Create an {@link Environment} for the command to use. Overrideable for tests. */
diff --git a/distribution/src/main/resources/bin/elasticsearch b/distribution/src/main/resources/bin/elasticsearch
index 29b271f52fb..86d99f012f5 100755
--- a/distribution/src/main/resources/bin/elasticsearch
+++ b/distribution/src/main/resources/bin/elasticsearch
@@ -38,17 +38,27 @@ ES_JVM_OPTIONS="$CONF_DIR"/jvm.options
 
 ES_JAVA_OPTS="$(parse_jvm_options "$ES_JVM_OPTIONS") $ES_JAVA_OPTS"
 
-declare -a args=("$@")
-args=("${args[@]}" --path.conf "$CONF_DIR")
-
 # manual parsing to find out, if process should be detached
 daemonized=`echo $* | egrep -- '(^-d |-d$| -d |--daemonize$|--daemonize )'`
 if [ -z "$daemonized" ] ; then
-  exec "$JAVA" $ES_JAVA_OPTS -Des.path.home="$ES_HOME" -cp "$ES_CLASSPATH" \
-    org.elasticsearch.bootstrap.Elasticsearch "${args[@]}"
+  exec \
+    "$JAVA" \
+    $ES_JAVA_OPTS \
+    -Des.path.home="$ES_HOME" \
+    -Des.path.conf="$CONF_DIR" \
+    -cp "$ES_CLASSPATH" \
+    org.elasticsearch.bootstrap.Elasticsearch \
+    "$@"
 else
-  exec "$JAVA" $ES_JAVA_OPTS -Des.path.home="$ES_HOME" -cp "$ES_CLASSPATH" \
-    org.elasticsearch.bootstrap.Elasticsearch "${args[@]}" <&- &
+  exec \
+    "$JAVA" \
+    $ES_JAVA_OPTS \
+    -Des.path.home="$ES_HOME" \
+    -Des.path.conf="$CONF_DIR" \
+    -cp "$ES_CLASSPATH" \
+    org.elasticsearch.bootstrap.Elasticsearch \
+    "$@" \
+    <&- &
   retval=$?
   pid=$!
   [ $retval -eq 0 ] || exit $retval
diff --git a/distribution/src/main/resources/bin/elasticsearch-keystore b/distribution/src/main/resources/bin/elasticsearch-keystore
index 943a5db8be9..61d7bb8e5d4 100755
--- a/distribution/src/main/resources/bin/elasticsearch-keystore
+++ b/distribution/src/main/resources/bin/elasticsearch-keystore
@@ -2,7 +2,11 @@
 
 source "`dirname "$0"`"/elasticsearch-env
 
-declare -a args=("$@")
-args=("${args[@]}" --path.conf "$CONF_DIR")
-
-exec "$JAVA" $ES_JAVA_OPTS -Des.path.home="$ES_HOME" -cp "$ES_CLASSPATH" org.elasticsearch.common.settings.KeyStoreCli "${args[@]}"
+exec \
+  "$JAVA" \
+  $ES_JAVA_OPTS \
+  -Des.path.home="$ES_HOME" \
+  -Des.path.conf="$CONF_DIR" \
+  -cp "$ES_CLASSPATH" \
+  org.elasticsearch.common.settings.KeyStoreCli \
+  "$@"
diff --git a/distribution/src/main/resources/bin/elasticsearch-plugin b/distribution/src/main/resources/bin/elasticsearch-plugin
index 764349064d9..4b48964f97d 100755
--- a/distribution/src/main/resources/bin/elasticsearch-plugin
+++ b/distribution/src/main/resources/bin/elasticsearch-plugin
@@ -2,7 +2,11 @@
 
 source "`dirname "$0"`"/elasticsearch-env
 
-declare -a args=("$@")
-args=("${args[@]}" --path.conf "$CONF_DIR")
-
-exec "$JAVA" $ES_JAVA_OPTS -Des.path.home="$ES_HOME" -cp "$ES_CLASSPATH" org.elasticsearch.plugins.PluginCli "${args[@]}"
+exec \
+  "$JAVA" \
+  $ES_JAVA_OPTS \
+  -Des.path.home="$ES_HOME" \
+  -Des.path.conf="$CONF_DIR" \
+  -cp "$ES_CLASSPATH" \
+  org.elasticsearch.plugins.PluginCli \
+  "$@"
diff --git a/distribution/src/main/resources/bin/elasticsearch-translog b/distribution/src/main/resources/bin/elasticsearch-translog
index db8aad417b4..4326bab8683 100755
--- a/distribution/src/main/resources/bin/elasticsearch-translog
+++ b/distribution/src/main/resources/bin/elasticsearch-translog
@@ -2,7 +2,11 @@
 
 source "`dirname "$0"`"/elasticsearch-env
 
-declare -a args=("$@")
-args=("${args[@]}" --path.conf "$CONF_DIR")
-
-exec "$JAVA" $ES_JAVA_OPTS -Des.path.home="$ES_HOME" -cp "$ES_CLASSPATH" org.elasticsearch.index.translog.TranslogToolCli "${args[@]}"
+exec \
+  "$JAVA" \
+  $ES_JAVA_OPTS \
+  -Des.path.home="$ES_HOME" \
+  -Des.path.conf="$CONF_DIR" \
+  -cp "$ES_CLASSPATH" \
+  org.elasticsearch.index.translog.TranslogToolCli \
+  "$@"