diff --git a/plugin/bin/x-pack/certgen b/plugin/bin/x-pack/certgen
index 163a8c645ad..731859331c3 100644
--- a/plugin/bin/x-pack/certgen
+++ b/plugin/bin/x-pack/certgen
@@ -8,11 +8,16 @@ source "`dirname "$0"`"/../elasticsearch-env
 
 source "`dirname "$0"`"/x-pack-env
 
-declare -a args=("$@")
-args=("${args[@]}" --path.conf "$CONF_DIR")
-
 cd "$ES_HOME" > /dev/null
-"$JAVA" $ES_JAVA_OPTS -Des.path.home="$ES_HOME" -cp "$ES_CLASSPATH" org.elasticsearch.xpack.ssl.CertificateTool "${args[@]}"
+
+"$JAVA" \
+  $ES_JAVA_OPTS \
+  -Des.path.home="$ES_HOME" \
+  -Des.path.conf="$CONF_DIR" \
+  -cp "$ES_CLASSPATH" \
+  org.elasticsearch.xpack.ssl.CertificateTool \
+  "$@"
+
 status=$?
 cd - > /dev/null
 exit $status
diff --git a/plugin/bin/x-pack/croneval b/plugin/bin/x-pack/croneval
index 56629de521c..88714c2afab 100755
--- a/plugin/bin/x-pack/croneval
+++ b/plugin/bin/x-pack/croneval
@@ -9,7 +9,15 @@ source "`dirname "$0"`"/../elasticsearch-env
 source "`dirname "$0"`"/x-pack-env
 
 cd "$ES_HOME" > /dev/null
-"$JAVA" $ES_JAVA_OPTS -Des.path.home="$ES_HOME" -cp "$ES_CLASSPATH" org.elasticsearch.xpack.watcher.trigger.schedule.tool.CronEvalTool "$@"
+
+"$JAVA" \
+  $ES_JAVA_OPTS \
+  -Des.path.home="$ES_HOME" \
+  -Des.path.conf="$CONF_DIR" \
+  -cp "$ES_CLASSPATH" \
+  org.elasticsearch.xpack.watcher.trigger.schedule.tool.CronEvalTool \
+  "$@"
+  
 status=$?
 cd - > /dev/null
 exit $status
diff --git a/plugin/bin/x-pack/extension b/plugin/bin/x-pack/extension
index 0bbfaf7afa0..6010a1101d1 100755
--- a/plugin/bin/x-pack/extension
+++ b/plugin/bin/x-pack/extension
@@ -8,11 +8,16 @@ source "`dirname "$0"`"/../elasticsearch-env
 
 source "`dirname "$0"`"/x-pack-env
 
-declare -a args=("$@")
-args=("${args[@]}" --path.conf "$CONF_DIR")
-
 cd "$ES_HOME" > /dev/null
-"$JAVA" $ES_JAVA_OPTS -Des.path.home="$ES_HOME" -cp "$ES_CLASSPATH" org.elasticsearch.xpack.extensions.XPackExtensionCli "${args[@]}"
+
+"$JAVA" \
+  $ES_JAVA_OPTS \
+  -Des.path.home="$ES_HOME" \
+  -Des.path.conf="$CONF_DIR" \
+  -cp "$ES_CLASSPATH" \
+  org.elasticsearch.xpack.extensions.XPackExtensionCli \
+  "$@"
+
 status=$?
 cd - > /dev/null
 exit $status
diff --git a/plugin/bin/x-pack/migrate b/plugin/bin/x-pack/migrate
index ded08408c8c..f0153f8fd15 100755
--- a/plugin/bin/x-pack/migrate
+++ b/plugin/bin/x-pack/migrate
@@ -8,11 +8,16 @@ source "`dirname "$0"`"/../elasticsearch-env
 
 source "`dirname "$0"`"/x-pack-env
 
-declare -a args=("$@")
-args=("${args[@]}" --path.conf "$CONF_DIR")
-
 cd "$ES_HOME" > /dev/null
-"$JAVA" $ES_JAVA_OPTS -Des.path.home="$ES_HOME" -cp "$ES_CLASSPATH" org.elasticsearch.xpack.security.authc.esnative.ESNativeRealmMigrateTool "${args[@]}"
+
+"$JAVA" \
+  $ES_JAVA_OPTS \
+  -Des.path.home="$ES_HOME" \
+  -Des.path.conf="$CONF_DIR" \
+  -cp "$ES_CLASSPATH" \
+  org.elasticsearch.xpack.security.authc.esnative.ESNativeRealmMigrateTool \
+  "$@"
+
 status=$?
 cd - > /dev/null
 exit $status
diff --git a/plugin/bin/x-pack/setup-passwords b/plugin/bin/x-pack/setup-passwords
index e9daa0813b6..8516ef8bb4f 100644
--- a/plugin/bin/x-pack/setup-passwords
+++ b/plugin/bin/x-pack/setup-passwords
@@ -8,11 +8,16 @@ source "`dirname "$0"`"/../elasticsearch-env
 
 source "`dirname "$0"`"/x-pack-env
 
-declare -a args=("$@")
-args=("${args[@]}" --path.conf "$CONF_DIR")
-
 cd "$ES_HOME" > /dev/null
-"$JAVA" $ES_JAVA_OPTS -Des.path.home="$ES_HOME" -cp "$ES_CLASSPATH" org.elasticsearch.xpack.security.authc.esnative.tool.SetupPasswordTool "${args[@]}"
+
+"$JAVA" \
+  $ES_JAVA_OPTS \
+  -Des.path.home="$ES_HOME" \
+  -Des.path.conf="$CONF_DIR" \
+  -cp "$ES_CLASSPATH" \
+  org.elasticsearch.xpack.security.authc.esnative.tool.SetupPasswordTool \
+  "$@"
+
 status=$?
 cd - > /dev/null
 exit $status
diff --git a/plugin/bin/x-pack/syskeygen b/plugin/bin/x-pack/syskeygen
index 6b62dbe9d21..080159d3f46 100755
--- a/plugin/bin/x-pack/syskeygen
+++ b/plugin/bin/x-pack/syskeygen
@@ -8,11 +8,16 @@ source "`dirname "$0"`"/../elasticsearch-env
 
 source "`dirname "$0"`"/x-pack-env
 
-declare -a args=("$@")
-args=("${args[@]}" --path.conf "$CONF_DIR")
-
 cd "$ES_HOME" > /dev/null
-"$JAVA" $ES_JAVA_OPTS -Des.path.home="$ES_HOME" -cp "$ES_CLASSPATH" org.elasticsearch.xpack.security.crypto.tool.SystemKeyTool "${args[@]}"
+
+"$JAVA" \
+  $ES_JAVA_OPTS \
+  -Des.path.home="$ES_HOME" \
+  -Des.path.conf="$CONF_DIR" \
+  -cp "$ES_CLASSPATH" \
+  org.elasticsearch.xpack.security.crypto.tool.SystemKeyTool \
+  "$@"
+
 status=$?
 cd - > /dev/null
 exit $status
diff --git a/plugin/bin/x-pack/users b/plugin/bin/x-pack/users
index 2ff978feb12..086549ffbaa 100755
--- a/plugin/bin/x-pack/users
+++ b/plugin/bin/x-pack/users
@@ -8,11 +8,16 @@ source "`dirname "$0"`"/../elasticsearch-env
 
 source "`dirname "$0"`"/x-pack-env
 
-declare -a args=("$@")
-args=("${args[@]}" --path.conf "$CONF_DIR")
-
 cd "$ES_HOME" > /dev/null
-"$JAVA" $ES_JAVA_OPTS -Des.path.home="$ES_HOME" -cp "$ES_CLASSPATH" org.elasticsearch.xpack.security.authc.file.tool.UsersTool "${args[@]}"
+
+"$JAVA" \
+  $ES_JAVA_OPTS \
+  -Des.path.home="$ES_HOME" \
+  -Des.path.conf="$CONF_DIR" \
+  -cp "$ES_CLASSPATH" \
+  org.elasticsearch.xpack.security.authc.file.tool.UsersTool \
+  "$@"
+
 status=$?
 cd - > /dev/null
 exit $status