diff --git a/shield/TESTING.asciidoc b/shield/TESTING.asciidoc
index 6e3f659884b..2428d6ff7bc 100644
--- a/shield/TESTING.asciidoc
+++ b/shield/TESTING.asciidoc
@@ -18,15 +18,14 @@ using the internal binary transport (port 9300 by default).
 Shield is also tested using the REST tests provided by Elasticsearch core,
 just by running those same tests against a cluster with Shield installed.
 
-The REST tests are not run automatically when executing the maven test
-command just yet (they are run with the regular suite when -Dtests.slow=true
-is supplied).  Some tests are blacklisted as they are known to fail against 
+The REST tests are run automatically during the integration test phase
+(`mvn verify`). Some tests are blacklisted as they are known to fail against 
 shield due to different behaviours introduced by the security plugin.
 
 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
-mvn test -Dtests.filter="@Rest"
+mvn verify
 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-`ShieldRestTests` is the executable test class that runs all the
+`ShieldRestIT` is the executable test class that runs all the
 yaml suites available within the `rest-api-spec` folder.
 
diff --git a/shield/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/ShieldRest0Tests.java b/shield/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/ShieldRest0Tests.java
deleted file mode 100644
index afe1200ef86..00000000000
--- a/shield/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/ShieldRest0Tests.java
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,26 +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.test;
-
-import com.carrotsearch.randomizedtesting.annotations.Name;
-import com.carrotsearch.randomizedtesting.annotations.ParametersFactory;
-import org.elasticsearch.test.rest.ESRestTestCase;
-import org.elasticsearch.test.rest.RestTestCandidate;
-import org.elasticsearch.test.rest.parser.RestTestParseException;
-
-import java.io.IOException;
-
-/** Rest API tests subset 0 */
-public class ShieldRest0Tests extends ShieldRestTestCase {
-    public ShieldRest0Tests(@Name("yaml") RestTestCandidate testCandidate) {
-        super(testCandidate);
-    }
-  
-    @ParametersFactory
-    public static Iterable<Object[]> parameters() throws IOException, RestTestParseException {
-        return ESRestTestCase.createParameters(0, 8);
-    }
-}
diff --git a/shield/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/ShieldRest1Tests.java b/shield/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/ShieldRest1Tests.java
deleted file mode 100644
index eb30461b6e8..00000000000
--- a/shield/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/ShieldRest1Tests.java
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,26 +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.test;
-
-import com.carrotsearch.randomizedtesting.annotations.Name;
-import com.carrotsearch.randomizedtesting.annotations.ParametersFactory;
-import org.elasticsearch.test.rest.ESRestTestCase;
-import org.elasticsearch.test.rest.RestTestCandidate;
-import org.elasticsearch.test.rest.parser.RestTestParseException;
-
-import java.io.IOException;
-
-/** Rest API tests subset 1 */
-public class ShieldRest1Tests extends ShieldRestTestCase {
-    public ShieldRest1Tests(@Name("yaml") RestTestCandidate testCandidate) {
-        super(testCandidate);
-    }
-  
-    @ParametersFactory
-    public static Iterable<Object[]> parameters() throws IOException, RestTestParseException {
-        return ESRestTestCase.createParameters(1, 8);
-    }
-}
diff --git a/shield/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/ShieldRest2Tests.java b/shield/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/ShieldRest2Tests.java
deleted file mode 100644
index 86b3722d0b6..00000000000
--- a/shield/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/ShieldRest2Tests.java
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,26 +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.test;
-
-import com.carrotsearch.randomizedtesting.annotations.Name;
-import com.carrotsearch.randomizedtesting.annotations.ParametersFactory;
-import org.elasticsearch.test.rest.ESRestTestCase;
-import org.elasticsearch.test.rest.RestTestCandidate;
-import org.elasticsearch.test.rest.parser.RestTestParseException;
-
-import java.io.IOException;
-
-/** Rest API tests subset 2 */
-public class ShieldRest2Tests extends ShieldRestTestCase {
-    public ShieldRest2Tests(@Name("yaml") RestTestCandidate testCandidate) {
-        super(testCandidate);
-    }
-  
-    @ParametersFactory
-    public static Iterable<Object[]> parameters() throws IOException, RestTestParseException {
-        return ESRestTestCase.createParameters(2, 8);
-    }
-}
diff --git a/shield/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/ShieldRest3Tests.java b/shield/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/ShieldRest3Tests.java
deleted file mode 100644
index 9c5c6352b76..00000000000
--- a/shield/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/ShieldRest3Tests.java
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,26 +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.test;
-
-import com.carrotsearch.randomizedtesting.annotations.Name;
-import com.carrotsearch.randomizedtesting.annotations.ParametersFactory;
-import org.elasticsearch.test.rest.ESRestTestCase;
-import org.elasticsearch.test.rest.RestTestCandidate;
-import org.elasticsearch.test.rest.parser.RestTestParseException;
-
-import java.io.IOException;
-
-/** Rest API tests subset 3 */
-public class ShieldRest3Tests extends ShieldRestTestCase {
-    public ShieldRest3Tests(@Name("yaml") RestTestCandidate testCandidate) {
-        super(testCandidate);
-    }
-  
-    @ParametersFactory
-    public static Iterable<Object[]> parameters() throws IOException, RestTestParseException {
-        return ESRestTestCase.createParameters(3, 8);
-    }
-}
diff --git a/shield/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/ShieldRest4Tests.java b/shield/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/ShieldRest4Tests.java
deleted file mode 100644
index a83fc07c128..00000000000
--- a/shield/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/ShieldRest4Tests.java
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,26 +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.test;
-
-import com.carrotsearch.randomizedtesting.annotations.Name;
-import com.carrotsearch.randomizedtesting.annotations.ParametersFactory;
-import org.elasticsearch.test.rest.ESRestTestCase;
-import org.elasticsearch.test.rest.RestTestCandidate;
-import org.elasticsearch.test.rest.parser.RestTestParseException;
-
-import java.io.IOException;
-
-/** Rest API tests subset 4 */
-public class ShieldRest4Tests extends ShieldRestTestCase {
-    public ShieldRest4Tests(@Name("yaml") RestTestCandidate testCandidate) {
-        super(testCandidate);
-    }
-  
-    @ParametersFactory
-    public static Iterable<Object[]> parameters() throws IOException, RestTestParseException {
-        return ESRestTestCase.createParameters(4, 8);
-    }
-}
diff --git a/shield/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/ShieldRest5Tests.java b/shield/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/ShieldRest5Tests.java
deleted file mode 100644
index a30c6955431..00000000000
--- a/shield/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/ShieldRest5Tests.java
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,26 +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.test;
-
-import com.carrotsearch.randomizedtesting.annotations.Name;
-import com.carrotsearch.randomizedtesting.annotations.ParametersFactory;
-import org.elasticsearch.test.rest.ESRestTestCase;
-import org.elasticsearch.test.rest.RestTestCandidate;
-import org.elasticsearch.test.rest.parser.RestTestParseException;
-
-import java.io.IOException;
-
-/** Rest API tests subset 5 */
-public class ShieldRest5Tests extends ShieldRestTestCase {
-    public ShieldRest5Tests(@Name("yaml") RestTestCandidate testCandidate) {
-        super(testCandidate);
-    }
-  
-    @ParametersFactory
-    public static Iterable<Object[]> parameters() throws IOException, RestTestParseException {
-        return ESRestTestCase.createParameters(5, 8);
-    }
-}
diff --git a/shield/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/ShieldRest6Tests.java b/shield/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/ShieldRest6Tests.java
deleted file mode 100644
index eb1e838809f..00000000000
--- a/shield/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/ShieldRest6Tests.java
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,26 +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.test;
-
-import com.carrotsearch.randomizedtesting.annotations.Name;
-import com.carrotsearch.randomizedtesting.annotations.ParametersFactory;
-import org.elasticsearch.test.rest.ESRestTestCase;
-import org.elasticsearch.test.rest.RestTestCandidate;
-import org.elasticsearch.test.rest.parser.RestTestParseException;
-
-import java.io.IOException;
-
-/** Rest API tests subset 6 */
-public class ShieldRest6Tests extends ShieldRestTestCase {
-    public ShieldRest6Tests(@Name("yaml") RestTestCandidate testCandidate) {
-        super(testCandidate);
-    }
-  
-    @ParametersFactory
-    public static Iterable<Object[]> parameters() throws IOException, RestTestParseException {
-        return ESRestTestCase.createParameters(6, 8);
-    }
-}
diff --git a/shield/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/ShieldRest7Tests.java b/shield/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/ShieldRest7Tests.java
deleted file mode 100644
index 8bdc033e9c2..00000000000
--- a/shield/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/ShieldRest7Tests.java
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,26 +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.test;
-
-import com.carrotsearch.randomizedtesting.annotations.Name;
-import com.carrotsearch.randomizedtesting.annotations.ParametersFactory;
-import org.elasticsearch.test.rest.ESRestTestCase;
-import org.elasticsearch.test.rest.RestTestCandidate;
-import org.elasticsearch.test.rest.parser.RestTestParseException;
-
-import java.io.IOException;
-
-/** Rest API tests subset 7 */
-public class ShieldRest7Tests extends ShieldRestTestCase {
-    public ShieldRest7Tests(@Name("yaml") RestTestCandidate testCandidate) {
-        super(testCandidate);
-    }
-  
-    @ParametersFactory
-    public static Iterable<Object[]> parameters() throws IOException, RestTestParseException {
-        return ESRestTestCase.createParameters(7, 8);
-    }
-}