diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/bootstrap/Bootstrap.java b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/bootstrap/Bootstrap.java
index 2b47908c352..1e53faa9efc 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/bootstrap/Bootstrap.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/bootstrap/Bootstrap.java
@@ -163,16 +163,6 @@ final class Bootstrap {
 
         try {
             spawner.spawnNativePluginControllers(environment);
-            Runtime.getRuntime().addShutdownHook(new Thread() {
-                @Override
-                public void run() {
-                    try {
-                        spawner.close();
-                    } catch (IOException e) {
-                        throw new ElasticsearchException("Failed to destroy spawned controllers", e);
-                    }
-                }
-            });
         } catch (IOException e) {
             throw new BootstrapException(e);
         }
@@ -191,7 +181,7 @@ final class Bootstrap {
                 @Override
                 public void run() {
                     try {
-                        IOUtils.close(node);
+                        IOUtils.close(node, spawner);
                         LoggerContext context = (LoggerContext) LogManager.getContext(false);
                         Configurator.shutdown(context);
                     } catch (IOException ex) {
@@ -269,7 +259,7 @@ final class Bootstrap {
 
     static void stop() throws IOException {
         try {
-            IOUtils.close(INSTANCE.node);
+            IOUtils.close(INSTANCE.node, INSTANCE.spawner);
         } finally {
             INSTANCE.keepAliveLatch.countDown();
         }