diff --git a/x-pack/qa/core-rest-tests-with-security/build.gradle b/x-pack/qa/core-rest-tests-with-security/build.gradle
index c23432e5127..1ef0a3a98ec 100644
--- a/x-pack/qa/core-rest-tests-with-security/build.gradle
+++ b/x-pack/qa/core-rest-tests-with-security/build.gradle
@@ -19,6 +19,9 @@ integTestRunner {
      'cat.templates/10_basic/Sort templates',
      'cat.templates/10_basic/Multiple template',
     ].join(',')
+
+  systemProperty 'tests.rest.cluster.username', System.getProperty('tests.rest.cluster.username', 'test_user')
+  systemProperty 'tests.rest.cluster.password', System.getProperty('tests.rest.cluster.password', 'x-pack-test-password')
 }
 
 integTestCluster {
@@ -28,7 +31,10 @@ integTestCluster {
   setting 'xpack.ml.enabled', 'false'
   setting 'xpack.license.self_generated.type', 'trial'
   setupCommand 'setupDummyUser',
-               'bin/elasticsearch-users', 'useradd', 'test_user', '-p', 'x-pack-test-password', '-r', 'superuser'
+               'bin/elasticsearch-users',
+               'useradd', System.getProperty('tests.rest.cluster.username', 'test_user'),
+               '-p', System.getProperty('tests.rest.cluster.password', 'x-pack-test-password'),
+               '-r', 'superuser'
   waitCondition = { node, ant ->
     File tmpFile = new File(node.cwd, 'wait.success')
     ant.get(src: "http://${node.httpUri()}/_cluster/health?wait_for_nodes=>=${numNodes}&wait_for_status=yellow",
diff --git a/x-pack/qa/core-rest-tests-with-security/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/security/CoreWithSecurityClientYamlTestSuiteIT.java b/x-pack/qa/core-rest-tests-with-security/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/security/CoreWithSecurityClientYamlTestSuiteIT.java
index 89ebc2db0ee..e5c82a23a59 100644
--- a/x-pack/qa/core-rest-tests-with-security/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/security/CoreWithSecurityClientYamlTestSuiteIT.java
+++ b/x-pack/qa/core-rest-tests-with-security/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/security/CoreWithSecurityClientYamlTestSuiteIT.java
@@ -3,11 +3,11 @@
  * 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.security;
 
 import com.carrotsearch.randomizedtesting.annotations.Name;
 import com.carrotsearch.randomizedtesting.annotations.ParametersFactory;
-
 import com.carrotsearch.randomizedtesting.annotations.TimeoutSuite;
 import org.apache.lucene.util.TimeUnits;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.settings.SecureString;
@@ -16,13 +16,15 @@ import org.elasticsearch.common.util.concurrent.ThreadContext;
 import org.elasticsearch.test.rest.yaml.ClientYamlTestCandidate;
 import org.elasticsearch.test.rest.yaml.ESClientYamlSuiteTestCase;
 
+import java.util.Objects;
+
 import static org.elasticsearch.xpack.core.security.authc.support.UsernamePasswordToken.basicAuthHeaderValue;
 
 @TimeoutSuite(millis = 30 * TimeUnits.MINUTE) // as default timeout seems not enough on the jenkins VMs
 public class CoreWithSecurityClientYamlTestSuiteIT extends ESClientYamlSuiteTestCase {
 
-    private static final String USER = "test_user";
-    private static final String PASS = "x-pack-test-password";
+    private static final String USER = Objects.requireNonNull(System.getProperty("tests.rest.cluster.username"));
+    private static final String PASS = Objects.requireNonNull(System.getProperty("tests.rest.cluster.password"));
 
     public CoreWithSecurityClientYamlTestSuiteIT(@Name("yaml") ClientYamlTestCandidate testCandidate) {
         super(testCandidate);