diff --git a/qa/sql/multinode/build.gradle b/qa/sql/multinode/build.gradle
index fa294f63335..ac48c6d0a37 100644
--- a/qa/sql/multinode/build.gradle
+++ b/qa/sql/multinode/build.gradle
@@ -1,3 +1,11 @@
+description = 'Run a subset of SQL tests against multiple nodes'
+
+/*
+ * We try to pick a small subset of the SQL tests so it'll
+ * run quickly but still exercise the bits of SQL that we
+ * feel should need to be tested against more than one node.
+ */
+
 integTestCluster {
   numNodes = 2
   setting 'xpack.security.enabled', 'false'
diff --git a/qa/sql/multinode/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/qa/sql/multinode/CliErrorsIT.java b/qa/sql/multinode/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/qa/sql/multinode/CliErrorsIT.java
deleted file mode 100644
index 49161ac5ae1..00000000000
--- a/qa/sql/multinode/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/qa/sql/multinode/CliErrorsIT.java
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,11 +0,0 @@
-/*
- * Copyright Elasticsearch B.V. and/or licensed to Elasticsearch B.V. under one
- * or more contributor license agreements. Licensed under the Elastic License;
- * you may not use this file except in compliance with the Elastic License.
- */
-package org.elasticsearch.xpack.qa.sql.multinode;
-
-import org.elasticsearch.xpack.qa.sql.cli.ErrorsTestCase;
-
-public class CliErrorsIT extends ErrorsTestCase {
-}
diff --git a/qa/sql/multinode/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/qa/sql/multinode/CliFetchSizeIT.java b/qa/sql/multinode/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/qa/sql/multinode/CliFetchSizeIT.java
deleted file mode 100644
index 903a60ba943..00000000000
--- a/qa/sql/multinode/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/qa/sql/multinode/CliFetchSizeIT.java
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,11 +0,0 @@
-/*
- * Copyright Elasticsearch B.V. and/or licensed to Elasticsearch B.V. under one
- * or more contributor license agreements. Licensed under the Elastic License;
- * you may not use this file except in compliance with the Elastic License.
- */
-package org.elasticsearch.xpack.qa.sql.multinode;
-
-import org.elasticsearch.xpack.qa.sql.cli.FetchSizeTestCase;
-
-public class CliFetchSizeIT extends FetchSizeTestCase {
-}
diff --git a/qa/sql/multinode/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/qa/sql/multinode/JdbcConnectionIT.java b/qa/sql/multinode/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/qa/sql/multinode/JdbcConnectionIT.java
deleted file mode 100644
index d092a577646..00000000000
--- a/qa/sql/multinode/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/qa/sql/multinode/JdbcConnectionIT.java
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,11 +0,0 @@
-/*
- * Copyright Elasticsearch B.V. and/or licensed to Elasticsearch B.V. under one
- * or more contributor license agreements. Licensed under the Elastic License;
- * you may not use this file except in compliance with the Elastic License.
- */
-package org.elasticsearch.xpack.qa.sql.multinode;
-
-import org.elasticsearch.xpack.qa.sql.jdbc.ConnectionTestCase;
-
-public class JdbcConnectionIT extends ConnectionTestCase {
-}
diff --git a/qa/sql/multinode/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/qa/sql/multinode/JdbcCsvSpecIT.java b/qa/sql/multinode/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/qa/sql/multinode/JdbcCsvSpecIT.java
deleted file mode 100644
index e4f17f527c1..00000000000
--- a/qa/sql/multinode/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/qa/sql/multinode/JdbcCsvSpecIT.java
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,14 +0,0 @@
-/*
- * Copyright Elasticsearch B.V. and/or licensed to Elasticsearch B.V. under one
- * or more contributor license agreements. Licensed under the Elastic License;
- * you may not use this file except in compliance with the Elastic License.
- */
-package org.elasticsearch.xpack.qa.sql.multinode;
-
-import org.elasticsearch.xpack.qa.sql.jdbc.CsvSpecTestCase;
-
-public class JdbcCsvSpecIT extends CsvSpecTestCase {
-    public JdbcCsvSpecIT(String fileName, String groupName, String testName, Integer lineNumber, CsvTestCase testCase) {
-        super(fileName, groupName, testName, lineNumber, testCase);
-    }
-}
diff --git a/qa/sql/multinode/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/qa/sql/multinode/JdbcFetchSizeIT.java b/qa/sql/multinode/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/qa/sql/multinode/JdbcFetchSizeIT.java
deleted file mode 100644
index ab623ee1590..00000000000
--- a/qa/sql/multinode/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/qa/sql/multinode/JdbcFetchSizeIT.java
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,11 +0,0 @@
-/*
- * Copyright Elasticsearch B.V. and/or licensed to Elasticsearch B.V. under one
- * or more contributor license agreements. Licensed under the Elastic License;
- * you may not use this file except in compliance with the Elastic License.
- */
-package org.elasticsearch.xpack.qa.sql.multinode;
-
-import org.elasticsearch.xpack.qa.sql.jdbc.FetchSizeTestCase;
-
-public class JdbcFetchSizeIT extends FetchSizeTestCase {
-}
diff --git a/qa/sql/multinode/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/qa/sql/multinode/JdbcSimpleExampleIT.java b/qa/sql/multinode/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/qa/sql/multinode/JdbcSimpleExampleIT.java
deleted file mode 100644
index 5b4b94f29de..00000000000
--- a/qa/sql/multinode/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/qa/sql/multinode/JdbcSimpleExampleIT.java
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,11 +0,0 @@
-/*
- * Copyright Elasticsearch B.V. and/or licensed to Elasticsearch B.V. under one
- * or more contributor license agreements. Licensed under the Elastic License;
- * you may not use this file except in compliance with the Elastic License.
- */
-package org.elasticsearch.xpack.qa.sql.multinode;
-
-import org.elasticsearch.xpack.qa.sql.jdbc.SimpleExampleTestCase;
-
-public class JdbcSimpleExampleIT extends SimpleExampleTestCase {
-}
diff --git a/qa/sql/multinode/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/qa/sql/multinode/JdbcSqlSpecIT.java b/qa/sql/multinode/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/qa/sql/multinode/JdbcSqlSpecIT.java
deleted file mode 100644
index dddda28f990..00000000000
--- a/qa/sql/multinode/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/qa/sql/multinode/JdbcSqlSpecIT.java
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,14 +0,0 @@
-/*
- * Copyright Elasticsearch B.V. and/or licensed to Elasticsearch B.V. under one
- * or more contributor license agreements. Licensed under the Elastic License;
- * you may not use this file except in compliance with the Elastic License.
- */
-package org.elasticsearch.xpack.qa.sql.multinode;
-
-import org.elasticsearch.xpack.qa.sql.jdbc.SqlSpecTestCase;
-
-public class JdbcSqlSpecIT extends SqlSpecTestCase {
-    public JdbcSqlSpecIT(String fileName, String groupName, String testName, Integer lineNumber, String query) {
-        super(fileName, groupName, testName, lineNumber, query);
-    }
-}