diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/network/NetworkUtils.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/network/NetworkUtils.java
index a1d60266733..67710f9da6b 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/network/NetworkUtils.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/network/NetworkUtils.java
@@ -58,8 +58,8 @@ public abstract class NetworkUtils {
         localAddress = localAddressX;
     }
 
-    public static Boolean defaultReuseAddress() {
-        return Constants.WINDOWS ? null : true;
+    public static boolean defaultReuseAddress() {
+        return Constants.WINDOWS ? false : true;
     }
 
     public static boolean isIPv4() {
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/http/netty/NettyHttpServerTransport.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/http/netty/NettyHttpServerTransport.java
index a727d3fed0f..68ff3f9bc3c 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/http/netty/NettyHttpServerTransport.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/http/netty/NettyHttpServerTransport.java
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ public class NettyHttpServerTransport extends AbstractLifecycleComponent<HttpSer
 
     protected final String tcpNoDelay;
     protected final String tcpKeepAlive;
-    protected final Boolean reuseAddress;
+    protected final boolean reuseAddress;
 
     protected final ByteSizeValue tcpSendBufferSize;
     protected final ByteSizeValue tcpReceiveBufferSize;
@@ -240,10 +240,8 @@ public class NettyHttpServerTransport extends AbstractLifecycleComponent<HttpSer
         }
         serverBootstrap.setOption("receiveBufferSizePredictorFactory", receiveBufferSizePredictorFactory);
         serverBootstrap.setOption("child.receiveBufferSizePredictorFactory", receiveBufferSizePredictorFactory);
-        if (reuseAddress != null) {
-            serverBootstrap.setOption("reuseAddress", reuseAddress);
-            serverBootstrap.setOption("child.reuseAddress", reuseAddress);
-        }
+        serverBootstrap.setOption("reuseAddress", reuseAddress);
+        serverBootstrap.setOption("child.reuseAddress", reuseAddress);
 
         // Bind and start to accept incoming connections.
         InetAddress hostAddressX;
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/transport/netty/NettyTransport.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/transport/netty/NettyTransport.java
index e2ad4efe3f5..dfd88095d92 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/transport/netty/NettyTransport.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/transport/netty/NettyTransport.java
@@ -345,10 +345,8 @@ public class NettyTransport extends AbstractLifecycleComponent<Transport> implem
 
         clientBootstrap.setOption("receiveBufferSizePredictorFactory", receiveBufferSizePredictorFactory);
 
-        Boolean reuseAddress = settings.getAsBoolean("transport.netty.reuse_address", settings.getAsBoolean(TCP_REUSE_ADDRESS, NetworkUtils.defaultReuseAddress()));
-        if (reuseAddress != null) {
-            clientBootstrap.setOption("reuseAddress", reuseAddress);
-        }
+        boolean reuseAddress = settings.getAsBoolean("transport.netty.reuse_address", settings.getAsBoolean(TCP_REUSE_ADDRESS, NetworkUtils.defaultReuseAddress()));
+        clientBootstrap.setOption("reuseAddress", reuseAddress);
 
         return clientBootstrap;
     }
@@ -376,10 +374,8 @@ public class NettyTransport extends AbstractLifecycleComponent<Transport> implem
             fallbackSettingsBuilder.put("tcp_keep_alive", fallbackTcpKeepAlive);
         }
 
-        Boolean fallbackReuseAddress = settings.getAsBoolean("transport.netty.reuse_address", settings.getAsBoolean(TCP_REUSE_ADDRESS, NetworkUtils.defaultReuseAddress()));
-        if (fallbackReuseAddress != null) {
-            fallbackSettingsBuilder.put("reuse_address", fallbackReuseAddress);
-        }
+        boolean fallbackReuseAddress = settings.getAsBoolean("transport.netty.reuse_address", settings.getAsBoolean(TCP_REUSE_ADDRESS, NetworkUtils.defaultReuseAddress()));
+        fallbackSettingsBuilder.put("reuse_address", fallbackReuseAddress);
 
         ByteSizeValue fallbackTcpSendBufferSize = settings.getAsBytesSize("transport.netty.tcp_send_buffer_size", settings.getAsBytesSize(TCP_SEND_BUFFER_SIZE, TCP_DEFAULT_SEND_BUFFER_SIZE));
         if (fallbackTcpSendBufferSize != null) {
@@ -442,7 +438,7 @@ public class NettyTransport extends AbstractLifecycleComponent<Transport> implem
         String publishHost = settings.get("publish_host");
         String tcpNoDelay = settings.get("tcp_no_delay");
         String tcpKeepAlive = settings.get("tcp_keep_alive");
-        Boolean reuseAddress = settings.getAsBoolean("reuse_address", NetworkUtils.defaultReuseAddress());
+        boolean reuseAddress = settings.getAsBoolean("reuse_address", NetworkUtils.defaultReuseAddress());
         ByteSizeValue tcpSendBufferSize = settings.getAsBytesSize("tcp_send_buffer_size", TCP_DEFAULT_SEND_BUFFER_SIZE);
         ByteSizeValue tcpReceiveBufferSize = settings.getAsBytesSize("tcp_receive_buffer_size", TCP_DEFAULT_RECEIVE_BUFFER_SIZE);
 
@@ -478,10 +474,8 @@ public class NettyTransport extends AbstractLifecycleComponent<Transport> implem
         }
         serverBootstrap.setOption("receiveBufferSizePredictorFactory", receiveBufferSizePredictorFactory);
         serverBootstrap.setOption("child.receiveBufferSizePredictorFactory", receiveBufferSizePredictorFactory);
-        if (reuseAddress != null) {
-            serverBootstrap.setOption("reuseAddress", reuseAddress);
-            serverBootstrap.setOption("child.reuseAddress", reuseAddress);
-        }
+        serverBootstrap.setOption("reuseAddress", reuseAddress);
+        serverBootstrap.setOption("child.reuseAddress", reuseAddress);
 
         serverBootstraps.put(name, serverBootstrap);
     }