diff --git a/plugin/build.gradle b/plugin/build.gradle
index 986a7b5f548..35d0d5bb80b 100644
--- a/plugin/build.gradle
+++ b/plugin/build.gradle
@@ -146,11 +146,18 @@ integTestCluster {
 }
 
 run {
-  setting 'xpack.ml.enabled', 'true'
-  setting 'xpack.graph.enabled', 'true'
+  def licenseType = System.getProperty("license_type", "basic")
+  if (licenseType == 'trial') {
+    setting 'xpack.ml.enabled', 'true'
+    setting 'xpack.graph.enabled', 'true'
+    setting 'xpack.watcher.enabled', 'true'
+    setting 'xpack.license.self_generated.type', 'trial'
+  } else if (licenseType != 'basic') {
+    throw new IllegalArgumentException("Unsupported self-generated license type: [" + licenseType + "]. Must be " +
+    "[basic] or [trial].")
+  }
   setting 'xpack.security.enabled', 'true'
   setting 'xpack.monitoring.enabled', 'true'
-  setting 'xpack.watcher.enabled', 'true'
   setting 'xpack.sql.enabled', 'true'
   keystoreSetting 'bootstrap.password', 'password'
 }