diff --git a/elasticsearch/x-pack/security/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/security/SecurityLifecycleService.java b/elasticsearch/x-pack/security/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/security/SecurityLifecycleService.java
index 4fa161df6c7..41ca0a6d118 100644
--- a/elasticsearch/x-pack/security/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/security/SecurityLifecycleService.java
+++ b/elasticsearch/x-pack/security/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/security/SecurityLifecycleService.java
@@ -59,11 +59,6 @@ public class SecurityLifecycleService extends AbstractComponent implements Clust
             public void beforeStop() {
                 stop();
             }
-
-            @Override
-            public void beforeClose() {
-                close();
-            }
         });
     }
 
@@ -152,15 +147,4 @@ public class SecurityLifecycleService extends AbstractComponent implements Clust
             }
         }
     }
-
-    public void close() {
-        // There is no .close() method for the roles module
-        if (indexAuditTrail != null) {
-            try {
-                indexAuditTrail.close();
-            } catch (Exception e) {
-                logger.error("failed to close audit trail module", e);
-            }
-        }
-    }
 }
diff --git a/elasticsearch/x-pack/security/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/security/audit/index/IndexAuditTrail.java b/elasticsearch/x-pack/security/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/security/audit/index/IndexAuditTrail.java
index 9ab4e9fac4b..aacfc8c1ee7 100644
--- a/elasticsearch/x-pack/security/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/security/audit/index/IndexAuditTrail.java
+++ b/elasticsearch/x-pack/security/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/security/audit/index/IndexAuditTrail.java
@@ -80,6 +80,7 @@ import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Set;
 import java.util.concurrent.BlockingQueue;
 import java.util.concurrent.LinkedBlockingQueue;
+import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
 import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicReference;
 import java.util.concurrent.locks.Lock;
 import java.util.concurrent.locks.ReentrantLock;
@@ -282,33 +283,25 @@ public class IndexAuditTrail extends AbstractComponent implements AuditTrail, Cl
         }
     }
 
-    public void stop() {
+    public synchronized void stop() {
         if (state.compareAndSet(State.STARTED, State.STOPPING)) {
+            queueConsumer.interrupt();
+        }
+
+        if (state() != State.STOPPED) {
             try {
-                queueConsumer.interrupt();
                 if (bulkProcessor != null) {
-                    bulkProcessor.flush();
+                    if (bulkProcessor.awaitClose(10, TimeUnit.SECONDS) == false) {
+                        logger.warn("index audit trail failed to store all pending events after waiting for 10s");
+                    }
                 }
+            } catch (InterruptedException exc) {
+                Thread.currentThread().interrupt();
             } finally {
-                state.set(State.STOPPED);
-            }
-        }
-    }
-
-    public void close() {
-        if (state.get() != State.STOPPED) {
-            stop();
-        }
-
-        try {
-            if (bulkProcessor != null) {
-                bulkProcessor.close();
-            }
-        } finally {
-            if (indexToRemoteCluster) {
-                if (client != null) {
+                if (indexToRemoteCluster) {
                     client.close();
                 }
+                state.set(State.STOPPED);
             }
         }
     }
diff --git a/elasticsearch/x-pack/security/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/security/audit/index/IndexAuditTrailMutedTests.java b/elasticsearch/x-pack/security/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/security/audit/index/IndexAuditTrailMutedTests.java
index 208ca1ad498..a53185305ab 100644
--- a/elasticsearch/x-pack/security/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/security/audit/index/IndexAuditTrailMutedTests.java
+++ b/elasticsearch/x-pack/security/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/security/audit/index/IndexAuditTrailMutedTests.java
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ public class IndexAuditTrailMutedTests extends ESTestCase {
     @After
     public void stop() {
         if (auditTrail != null) {
-            auditTrail.close();
+            auditTrail.stop();
         }
         if (transportClient != null) {
             transportClient.close();
diff --git a/elasticsearch/x-pack/security/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/security/audit/index/IndexAuditTrailTests.java b/elasticsearch/x-pack/security/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/security/audit/index/IndexAuditTrailTests.java
index 346245c4562..16da2780268 100644
--- a/elasticsearch/x-pack/security/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/security/audit/index/IndexAuditTrailTests.java
+++ b/elasticsearch/x-pack/security/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/security/audit/index/IndexAuditTrailTests.java
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ public class IndexAuditTrailTests extends SecurityIntegTestCase {
             threadPool.shutdown();
         }
         if (auditor != null) {
-            auditor.close();
+            auditor.stop();
         }
 
         if (remoteCluster != null) {
diff --git a/elasticsearch/x-pack/security/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/security/audit/index/IndexAuditTrailUpdateMappingTests.java b/elasticsearch/x-pack/security/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/security/audit/index/IndexAuditTrailUpdateMappingTests.java
index 77d62a66e28..04f8c07db39 100644
--- a/elasticsearch/x-pack/security/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/security/audit/index/IndexAuditTrailUpdateMappingTests.java
+++ b/elasticsearch/x-pack/security/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/security/audit/index/IndexAuditTrailUpdateMappingTests.java
@@ -16,8 +16,6 @@ import org.elasticsearch.test.SecurityIntegTestCase;
 import org.elasticsearch.test.rest.FakeRestRequest;
 import org.elasticsearch.threadpool.TestThreadPool;
 import org.elasticsearch.threadpool.ThreadPool;
-import org.junit.After;
-import org.junit.Before;
 
 import static org.elasticsearch.xpack.security.audit.index.IndexNameResolver.Rollover.DAILY;
 import static org.elasticsearch.xpack.security.audit.index.IndexNameResolver.Rollover.HOURLY;
@@ -35,8 +33,9 @@ public class IndexAuditTrailUpdateMappingTests extends SecurityIntegTestCase {
     private ThreadPool threadPool;
     private IndexAuditTrail auditor;
 
-    @Before
-    public void setup() {
+    @Override
+    public void setUp() throws Exception {
+        super.setUp();
         threadPool = new TestThreadPool("index audit trail update mapping tests");
     }
 
@@ -63,17 +62,13 @@ public class IndexAuditTrailUpdateMappingTests extends SecurityIntegTestCase {
         // default mapping
         GetMappingsResponse response = client().admin().indices().prepareGetMappings(indexName).get();
 
-        try {
-            // start the audit trail which should update the mappings since it is the master
-            auditor.start(true);
+        // start the audit trail which should update the mappings since it is the master
+        auditor.start(true);
 
-            // get the updated mappings
-            GetMappingsResponse updated = client().admin().indices().prepareGetMappings(indexName).get();
-            assertThat(response.mappings().get(indexName).get(IndexAuditTrail.DOC_TYPE), nullValue());
-            assertThat(updated.mappings().get(indexName).get(IndexAuditTrail.DOC_TYPE), notNullValue());
-        } finally {
-            auditor.close();
-        }
+        // get the updated mappings
+        GetMappingsResponse updated = client().admin().indices().prepareGetMappings(indexName).get();
+        assertThat(response.mappings().get(indexName).get(IndexAuditTrail.DOC_TYPE), nullValue());
+        assertThat(updated.mappings().get(indexName).get(IndexAuditTrail.DOC_TYPE), notNullValue());
     }
 
     @Override
@@ -81,13 +76,14 @@ public class IndexAuditTrailUpdateMappingTests extends SecurityIntegTestCase {
         // no-op here because of the shard counter check
     }
 
-    @After
-    public void shutdown() {
+    @Override
+    public void tearDown() throws Exception {
+        super.tearDown();
         if (auditor != null) {
             auditor.stop();
         }
         if (threadPool != null) {
-            threadPool.shutdownNow();
+            terminate(threadPool);
         }
     }
 }