diff --git a/client/build.gradle b/client/build.gradle
index 2c82fd74569..c947f94ff26 100644
--- a/client/build.gradle
+++ b/client/build.gradle
@@ -53,10 +53,11 @@ forbiddenApisMain {
 //excludes don't seem to work though and we don't want to have our own @SuppressForbidden
 forbiddenApisTest.enabled=false
 
-//forbiddenApisTest {
+forbiddenApisTest {
   //client does not depend on core, so only jdk signatures should be checked
-  //signaturesURLs = [PrecommitTasks.getResource('/forbidden/jdk-signatures.txt')]
-//}
+  signaturesURLs = [PrecommitTasks.getResource('/forbidden/jdk-signatures.txt')]
+  suppressAnnotations = ['**.SuppressForbidden']
+}
 
 //JarHell is part of es core, which we don't want to pull in
 jarHell.enabled=false
diff --git a/client/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/client/RestClientIntegTests.java b/client/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/client/RestClientIntegTests.java
index 4dadfc1a918..1505ccd55d2 100644
--- a/client/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/client/RestClientIntegTests.java
+++ b/client/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/client/RestClientIntegTests.java
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ import static org.hamcrest.CoreMatchers.equalTo;
  * Integration test to check interaction between {@link RestClient} and {@link org.apache.http.client.HttpClient}.
  * Works against a real http server, one single host.
  */
+@SuppressForbidden(reason = "uses sun HttpServer")
 public class RestClientIntegTests extends LuceneTestCase {
 
     private static HttpServer httpServer;
diff --git a/client/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/client/SuppressForbidden.java b/client/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/client/SuppressForbidden.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..309cc666bc4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/client/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/client/SuppressForbidden.java
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+/*
+ * Licensed to Elasticsearch under one or more contributor
+ * license agreements. See the NOTICE file distributed with
+ * this work for additional information regarding copyright
+ * ownership. Elasticsearch licenses this file to you under
+ * the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License"); you may
+ * not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing,
+ * software distributed under the License is distributed on an
+ * "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY
+ * KIND, either express or implied.  See the License for the
+ * specific language governing permissions and limitations
+ * under the License.
+ */
+
+package org.elasticsearch.client;
+
+import java.lang.annotation.ElementType;
+import java.lang.annotation.Retention;
+import java.lang.annotation.RetentionPolicy;
+import java.lang.annotation.Target;
+
+/**
+ * Annotation to suppress forbidden-apis errors inside a whole class, a method, or a field.
+ */
+@Retention(RetentionPolicy.CLASS)
+@Target({ ElementType.CONSTRUCTOR, ElementType.FIELD, ElementType.METHOD, ElementType.TYPE })
+public @interface SuppressForbidden {
+    String reason();
+}
\ No newline at end of file