diff --git a/build.gradle b/build.gradle
index 4721a3520b8..44f94e4630a 100644
--- a/build.gradle
+++ b/build.gradle
@@ -206,7 +206,7 @@ subprojects {
     "org.elasticsearch:rest-api-spec:${version}": ':rest-api-spec',
     "org.elasticsearch:elasticsearch:${version}": ':server',
     "org.elasticsearch:elasticsearch-cli:${version}": ':libs:cli',
-    "org.elasticsearch:elasticsearch-core:${version}": ':libs:elasticsearch-core',
+    "org.elasticsearch:elasticsearch-core:${version}": ':libs:core',
     "org.elasticsearch:elasticsearch-nio:${version}": ':libs:elasticsearch-nio',
     "org.elasticsearch:elasticsearch-x-content:${version}": ':libs:x-content',
     "org.elasticsearch:elasticsearch-secure-sm:${version}": ':libs:secure-sm',
diff --git a/client/rest/build.gradle b/client/rest/build.gradle
index bcb928495c5..b1ed05a8342 100644
--- a/client/rest/build.gradle
+++ b/client/rest/build.gradle
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ forbiddenApisTest {
 }
 
 // JarHell is part of es server, which we don't want to pull in
-// TODO: Not anymore. Now in elasticsearch-core
+// TODO: Not anymore. Now in :libs:core
 jarHell.enabled=false
 
 namingConventions {
diff --git a/client/sniffer/build.gradle b/client/sniffer/build.gradle
index e226656dbd2..41146e0b7ec 100644
--- a/client/sniffer/build.gradle
+++ b/client/sniffer/build.gradle
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ dependencyLicenses {
 }
 
 // JarHell is part of es server, which we don't want to pull in
-// TODO: Not anymore. Now in elasticsearch-core
+// TODO: Not anymore. Now in :libs:core
 jarHell.enabled=false
 
 namingConventions {
diff --git a/client/test/build.gradle b/client/test/build.gradle
index fd5777cc8df..8842e8b15e4 100644
--- a/client/test/build.gradle
+++ b/client/test/build.gradle
@@ -49,7 +49,7 @@ forbiddenApisTest {
 }
 
 // JarHell is part of es server, which we don't want to pull in
-// TODO: Not anymore. Now in elasticsearch-core
+// TODO: Not anymore. Now in :libs:core
 jarHell.enabled=false
 
 // TODO: should we have licenses for our test deps?
diff --git a/libs/build.gradle b/libs/build.gradle
index 7f24f69eedc..b0924aa1f54 100644
--- a/libs/build.gradle
+++ b/libs/build.gradle
@@ -33,12 +33,12 @@ subprojects {
             dependencies.all { Dependency dep ->
                 Project depProject = dependencyToProject(dep)
                 if (depProject != null
-                        && false == depProject.path.equals(':libs:elasticsearch-core')
+                        && false == depProject.path.equals(':libs:core')
                         && false == isEclipse 
                         && depProject.path.startsWith(':libs')) {
                     throw new InvalidUserDataException("projects in :libs "
                             + "may not depend on other projects libs except "
-                            + ":libs:elasticsearch-core but "
+                            + ":libs:core but "
                             + "${project.path} depends on ${depProject.path}")
                 }
             }
diff --git a/libs/elasticsearch-core/build.gradle b/libs/core/build.gradle
similarity index 93%
rename from libs/elasticsearch-core/build.gradle
rename to libs/core/build.gradle
index d374e7a8486..2017c2a418a 100644
--- a/libs/elasticsearch-core/build.gradle
+++ b/libs/core/build.gradle
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ dependencies {
         java9Compile sourceSets.main.output
     }
 
-    if (isEclipse == false || project.path == ":libs:elasticsearch-core-tests") {
+    if (isEclipse == false || project.path == ":libs:core-tests") {
         testCompile("org.elasticsearch.test:framework:${version}") {
             exclude group: 'org.elasticsearch', module: 'elasticsearch-core'
         }
@@ -89,15 +89,15 @@ dependencies {
 }
 
 forbiddenApisMain {
-    // elasticsearch-core does not depend on server
-    // TODO: Need to decide how we want to handle for forbidden signatures with the changes to core
+    // :libs:core does not depend on server
+    // TODO: Need to decide how we want to handle for forbidden signatures with the changes to server
     signaturesURLs = [PrecommitTasks.getResource('/forbidden/jdk-signatures.txt')]
 }
 
 if (isEclipse) {
     // in eclipse the project is under a fake root, we need to change around the source sets
     sourceSets {
-        if (project.path == ":libs:elasticsearch-core") {
+        if (project.path == ":libs:core") {
             main.java.srcDirs = ['java']
             main.resources.srcDirs = ['resources']
         } else {
diff --git a/libs/elasticsearch-core/src/main/eclipse-build.gradle b/libs/core/src/main/eclipse-build.gradle
similarity index 68%
rename from libs/elasticsearch-core/src/main/eclipse-build.gradle
rename to libs/core/src/main/eclipse-build.gradle
index 9c84a4d6bd8..6bc7562f7fd 100644
--- a/libs/elasticsearch-core/src/main/eclipse-build.gradle
+++ b/libs/core/src/main/eclipse-build.gradle
@@ -1,2 +1,2 @@
-// this is just shell gradle file for eclipse to have separate projects for elasticsearch-core src and tests
+// this is just shell gradle file for eclipse to have separate projects for core src and tests
 apply from: '../../build.gradle'
diff --git a/libs/elasticsearch-core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/bootstrap/JarHell.java b/libs/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/bootstrap/JarHell.java
similarity index 100%
rename from libs/elasticsearch-core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/bootstrap/JarHell.java
rename to libs/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/bootstrap/JarHell.java
diff --git a/libs/elasticsearch-core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/bootstrap/JavaVersion.java b/libs/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/bootstrap/JavaVersion.java
similarity index 100%
rename from libs/elasticsearch-core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/bootstrap/JavaVersion.java
rename to libs/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/bootstrap/JavaVersion.java
diff --git a/libs/elasticsearch-core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/Booleans.java b/libs/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/Booleans.java
similarity index 100%
rename from libs/elasticsearch-core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/Booleans.java
rename to libs/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/Booleans.java
diff --git a/libs/elasticsearch-core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/CheckedFunction.java b/libs/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/CheckedFunction.java
similarity index 100%
rename from libs/elasticsearch-core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/CheckedFunction.java
rename to libs/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/CheckedFunction.java
diff --git a/libs/elasticsearch-core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/Glob.java b/libs/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/Glob.java
similarity index 100%
rename from libs/elasticsearch-core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/Glob.java
rename to libs/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/Glob.java
diff --git a/libs/elasticsearch-core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/Nullable.java b/libs/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/Nullable.java
similarity index 100%
rename from libs/elasticsearch-core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/Nullable.java
rename to libs/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/Nullable.java
diff --git a/libs/elasticsearch-core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/SuppressForbidden.java b/libs/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/SuppressForbidden.java
similarity index 100%
rename from libs/elasticsearch-core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/SuppressForbidden.java
rename to libs/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/SuppressForbidden.java
diff --git a/libs/elasticsearch-core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/collect/Tuple.java b/libs/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/collect/Tuple.java
similarity index 100%
rename from libs/elasticsearch-core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/collect/Tuple.java
rename to libs/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/collect/Tuple.java
diff --git a/libs/elasticsearch-core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/concurrent/CompletableContext.java b/libs/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/concurrent/CompletableContext.java
similarity index 100%
rename from libs/elasticsearch-core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/concurrent/CompletableContext.java
rename to libs/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/concurrent/CompletableContext.java
diff --git a/libs/elasticsearch-core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/io/PathUtils.java b/libs/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/io/PathUtils.java
similarity index 100%
rename from libs/elasticsearch-core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/io/PathUtils.java
rename to libs/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/io/PathUtils.java
diff --git a/libs/elasticsearch-core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/unit/TimeValue.java b/libs/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/unit/TimeValue.java
similarity index 100%
rename from libs/elasticsearch-core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/unit/TimeValue.java
rename to libs/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/unit/TimeValue.java
diff --git a/libs/elasticsearch-core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/core/internal/io/IOUtils.java b/libs/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/core/internal/io/IOUtils.java
similarity index 100%
rename from libs/elasticsearch-core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/core/internal/io/IOUtils.java
rename to libs/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/core/internal/io/IOUtils.java
diff --git a/libs/elasticsearch-core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/core/internal/io/Streams.java b/libs/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/core/internal/io/Streams.java
similarity index 100%
rename from libs/elasticsearch-core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/core/internal/io/Streams.java
rename to libs/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/core/internal/io/Streams.java
diff --git a/libs/elasticsearch-core/src/main/java9/org/elasticsearch/core/internal/io/Streams.java b/libs/core/src/main/java9/org/elasticsearch/core/internal/io/Streams.java
similarity index 100%
rename from libs/elasticsearch-core/src/main/java9/org/elasticsearch/core/internal/io/Streams.java
rename to libs/core/src/main/java9/org/elasticsearch/core/internal/io/Streams.java
diff --git a/libs/elasticsearch-core/src/test/eclipse-build.gradle b/libs/core/src/test/eclipse-build.gradle
similarity index 54%
rename from libs/elasticsearch-core/src/test/eclipse-build.gradle
rename to libs/core/src/test/eclipse-build.gradle
index f43f019941b..b5fe0417428 100644
--- a/libs/elasticsearch-core/src/test/eclipse-build.gradle
+++ b/libs/core/src/test/eclipse-build.gradle
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
-// this is just shell gradle file for eclipse to have separate projects for elasticsearch-core src and tests
+// this is just shell gradle file for eclipse to have separate projects for core src and tests
 apply from: '../../build.gradle'
 
 dependencies {
-  testCompile project(':libs:elasticsearch-core')
+  testCompile project(':libs:core')
 }
diff --git a/libs/elasticsearch-core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/bootstrap/JarHellTests.java b/libs/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/bootstrap/JarHellTests.java
similarity index 100%
rename from libs/elasticsearch-core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/bootstrap/JarHellTests.java
rename to libs/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/bootstrap/JarHellTests.java
diff --git a/libs/elasticsearch-core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/common/collect/TupleTests.java b/libs/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/common/collect/TupleTests.java
similarity index 100%
rename from libs/elasticsearch-core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/common/collect/TupleTests.java
rename to libs/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/common/collect/TupleTests.java
diff --git a/libs/elasticsearch-core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/common/unit/TimeValueTests.java b/libs/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/common/unit/TimeValueTests.java
similarity index 100%
rename from libs/elasticsearch-core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/common/unit/TimeValueTests.java
rename to libs/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/common/unit/TimeValueTests.java
diff --git a/libs/elasticsearch-core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/core/internal/io/IOUtilsTests.java b/libs/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/core/internal/io/IOUtilsTests.java
similarity index 100%
rename from libs/elasticsearch-core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/core/internal/io/IOUtilsTests.java
rename to libs/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/core/internal/io/IOUtilsTests.java
diff --git a/libs/elasticsearch-core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/core/internal/io/StreamsTests.java b/libs/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/core/internal/io/StreamsTests.java
similarity index 100%
rename from libs/elasticsearch-core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/core/internal/io/StreamsTests.java
rename to libs/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/core/internal/io/StreamsTests.java
diff --git a/libs/elasticsearch-core/src/test/resources/org/elasticsearch/bootstrap/duplicate-classes.jar b/libs/core/src/test/resources/org/elasticsearch/bootstrap/duplicate-classes.jar
similarity index 100%
rename from libs/elasticsearch-core/src/test/resources/org/elasticsearch/bootstrap/duplicate-classes.jar
rename to libs/core/src/test/resources/org/elasticsearch/bootstrap/duplicate-classes.jar
diff --git a/libs/elasticsearch-core/src/test/resources/org/elasticsearch/bootstrap/duplicate-xmlbeans-classes.jar b/libs/core/src/test/resources/org/elasticsearch/bootstrap/duplicate-xmlbeans-classes.jar
similarity index 100%
rename from libs/elasticsearch-core/src/test/resources/org/elasticsearch/bootstrap/duplicate-xmlbeans-classes.jar
rename to libs/core/src/test/resources/org/elasticsearch/bootstrap/duplicate-xmlbeans-classes.jar
diff --git a/qa/vagrant/build.gradle b/qa/vagrant/build.gradle
index a8dfe89b678..23d171f3125 100644
--- a/qa/vagrant/build.gradle
+++ b/qa/vagrant/build.gradle
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ dependencies {
   compile "org.hamcrest:hamcrest-core:${versions.hamcrest}"
   compile "org.hamcrest:hamcrest-library:${versions.hamcrest}"
 
-  compile project(':libs:elasticsearch-core')
+  compile project(':libs:core')
 
   // pulls in the jar built by this project and its dependencies
   packagingTest project(path: project.path, configuration: 'runtime')
diff --git a/settings.gradle b/settings.gradle
index ee88f9bd0ed..3dba0d4ae00 100644
--- a/settings.gradle
+++ b/settings.gradle
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ if (isEclipse) {
   // eclipse cannot handle an intermediate dependency between main and test, so we must create separate projects
   // for server-src and server-tests
   projects << 'server-tests'
-  projects << 'libs:elasticsearch-core-tests'
+  projects << 'libs:core-tests'
   projects << 'libs:elasticsearch-nio-tests'
   projects << 'libs:x-content-tests'
   projects << 'libs:secure-sm-tests'
@@ -99,10 +99,10 @@ if (isEclipse) {
   project(":server").buildFileName = 'eclipse-build.gradle'
   project(":server-tests").projectDir = new File(rootProject.projectDir, 'server/src/test')
   project(":server-tests").buildFileName = 'eclipse-build.gradle'
-  project(":libs:elasticsearch-core").projectDir = new File(rootProject.projectDir, 'libs/elasticsearch-core/src/main')
-  project(":libs:elasticsearch-core").buildFileName = 'eclipse-build.gradle'
-  project(":libs:elasticsearch-core-tests").projectDir = new File(rootProject.projectDir, 'libs/elasticsearch-core/src/test')
-  project(":libs:elasticsearch-core-tests").buildFileName = 'eclipse-build.gradle'
+  project(":libs:core").projectDir = new File(rootProject.projectDir, 'libs/core/src/main')
+  project(":libs:core").buildFileName = 'eclipse-build.gradle'
+  project(":libs:core-tests").projectDir = new File(rootProject.projectDir, 'libs/core/src/test')
+  project(":libs:core-tests").buildFileName = 'eclipse-build.gradle'
   project(":libs:elasticsearch-nio").projectDir = new File(rootProject.projectDir, 'libs/elasticsearch-nio/src/main')
   project(":libs:elasticsearch-nio").buildFileName = 'eclipse-build.gradle'
   project(":libs:elasticsearch-nio-tests").projectDir = new File(rootProject.projectDir, 'libs/elasticsearch-nio/src/test')
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/sql/jdbc/build.gradle b/x-pack/plugin/sql/jdbc/build.gradle
index 18755523ac8..26cf913aa27 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/sql/jdbc/build.gradle
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/sql/jdbc/build.gradle
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ dependencies {
     compile (project(':libs:x-content')) {
         transitive = false
     }
-    compile project(':libs:elasticsearch-core')
+    compile project(':libs:core')
     runtime "com.fasterxml.jackson.core:jackson-core:${versions.jackson}"
 
     testCompile "org.elasticsearch.test:framework:${version}"
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/sql/sql-proto/build.gradle b/x-pack/plugin/sql/sql-proto/build.gradle
index e5ac7904432..b1d8497f9b8 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/sql/sql-proto/build.gradle
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/sql/sql-proto/build.gradle
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ dependencies {
     compile (project(':server')) {
         transitive = false
     }
-    compile (project(':libs:elasticsearch-core')) {
+    compile (project(':libs:core')) {
         transitive = false
     }
     compile (project(':libs:x-content')) {
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/sql/sql-shared-proto/build.gradle b/x-pack/plugin/sql/sql-shared-proto/build.gradle
index b6580fbcb01..5a1439f4360 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/sql/sql-shared-proto/build.gradle
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/sql/sql-shared-proto/build.gradle
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ description = 'Request and response objects shared by the cli, jdbc ' +
         'and the Elasticsearch plugin'
 
 dependencies {
-    compile (project(':libs:elasticsearch-core')) {
+    compile (project(':libs:core')) {
         transitive = false
     }
     compile (project(':libs:x-content')) {