diff --git a/distribution/src/main/resources/bin/elasticsearch-service.bat b/distribution/src/main/resources/bin/elasticsearch-service.bat
index d3ec3fd60ba..9089f96bf97 100644
--- a/distribution/src/main/resources/bin/elasticsearch-service.bat
+++ b/distribution/src/main/resources/bin/elasticsearch-service.bat
@@ -126,8 +126,6 @@ if exist "%JAVA_HOME%\bin\client\jvm.dll" (
 :foundJVM
 CALL "%ES_HOME%\bin\elasticsearch.in.bat"
 
-if "%CONF_DIR%" == "" set CONF_DIR=%ES_HOME%\config
-
 set ES_JVM_OPTIONS=%CONF_DIR%\jvm.options
 
 if not "%ES_JAVA_OPTS%" == "" set ES_JAVA_OPTS=%ES_JAVA_OPTS: =;%
@@ -205,7 +203,7 @@ if "%JVM_SS%" == "" (
   goto:eof
 )
 
-set ES_PARAMS=-Delasticsearch;-Des.path.home="%ES_HOME%"
+set ES_PARAMS=-Delasticsearch;-Des.path.home="%ES_HOME%";-Des.path.conf="%CONF_DIR%"
 
 if "%ES_START_TYPE%" == "" set ES_START_TYPE=manual
 if "%ES_STOP_TIMEOUT%" == "" set ES_STOP_TIMEOUT=0
@@ -219,7 +217,7 @@ if not "%SERVICE_USERNAME%" == "" (
 	)
 )
 
-"%EXECUTABLE%" //IS//%SERVICE_ID% --Startup %ES_START_TYPE% --StopTimeout %ES_STOP_TIMEOUT% --StartClass org.elasticsearch.bootstrap.Elasticsearch --StopClass org.elasticsearch.bootstrap.Elasticsearch --StartMethod main --StopMethod close --Classpath "%ES_CLASSPATH%" --JvmMs %JVM_MS% --JvmMx %JVM_MX% --JvmSs %JVM_SS% --JvmOptions %ES_JAVA_OPTS% ++JvmOptions %ES_PARAMS% %LOG_OPTS% --PidFile "%SERVICE_ID%.pid" --DisplayName "%SERVICE_DISPLAY_NAME%" --Description "%SERVICE_DESCRIPTION%" --Jvm "%%JAVA_HOME%%%JVM_DLL%" --StartMode jvm --StopMode jvm --StartPath "%ES_HOME%" --StartParams --path.conf ++StartParams "%CONF_DIR%" %SERVICE_PARAMS%
+"%EXECUTABLE%" //IS//%SERVICE_ID% --Startup %ES_START_TYPE% --StopTimeout %ES_STOP_TIMEOUT% --StartClass org.elasticsearch.bootstrap.Elasticsearch --StopClass org.elasticsearch.bootstrap.Elasticsearch --StartMethod main --StopMethod close --Classpath "%ES_CLASSPATH%" --JvmMs %JVM_MS% --JvmMx %JVM_MX% --JvmSs %JVM_SS% --JvmOptions %ES_JAVA_OPTS% ++JvmOptions %ES_PARAMS% %LOG_OPTS% --PidFile "%SERVICE_ID%.pid" --DisplayName "%SERVICE_DISPLAY_NAME%" --Description "%SERVICE_DESCRIPTION%" --Jvm "%%JAVA_HOME%%%JVM_DLL%" --StartMode jvm --StopMode jvm --StartPath "%ES_HOME%" %SERVICE_PARAMS%
 
 if not errorlevel 1 goto installed
 echo Failed installing '%SERVICE_ID%' service
diff --git a/distribution/src/main/resources/bin/elasticsearch.bat b/distribution/src/main/resources/bin/elasticsearch.bat
index 4f1a14849aa..def7410115e 100644
--- a/distribution/src/main/resources/bin/elasticsearch.bat
+++ b/distribution/src/main/resources/bin/elasticsearch.bat
@@ -35,19 +35,6 @@ FOR /F "usebackq tokens=1* delims= " %%A IN (!params!) DO (
 
 SET HOSTNAME=%COMPUTERNAME%
 
-if "%CONF_DIR%" == "" (
-rem '0' is the batch file, '~dp' appends the drive and path
-set "ES_JVM_OPTIONS=%~dp0\..\config\jvm.options"
-) else (
-set "ES_JVM_OPTIONS=%CONF_DIR%\jvm.options"
-)
-
-@setlocal
-rem extract the options from the JVM options file %ES_JVM_OPTIONS%
-rem such options are the lines beginning with '-', thus "findstr /b"
-for /F "usebackq delims=" %%a in (`findstr /b \- "%ES_JVM_OPTIONS%"`) do set JVM_OPTIONS=!JVM_OPTIONS! %%a
-@endlocal & set ES_JAVA_OPTS=%JVM_OPTIONS% %ES_JAVA_OPTS%
-
 CALL "%~dp0elasticsearch.in.bat"
 IF ERRORLEVEL 1 (
 	IF NOT DEFINED nopauseonerror (
@@ -56,6 +43,14 @@ IF ERRORLEVEL 1 (
 	EXIT /B %ERRORLEVEL%
 )
 
+set "ES_JVM_OPTIONS=%CONF_DIR%\jvm.options"
+
+@setlocal
+rem extract the options from the JVM options file %ES_JVM_OPTIONS%
+rem such options are the lines beginning with '-', thus "findstr /b"
+for /F "usebackq delims=" %%a in (`findstr /b \- "%ES_JVM_OPTIONS%"`) do set JVM_OPTIONS=!JVM_OPTIONS! %%a
+@endlocal & set ES_JAVA_OPTS=%JVM_OPTIONS% %ES_JAVA_OPTS%
+
 %JAVA% %ES_JAVA_OPTS% %ES_PARAMS% -cp "%ES_CLASSPATH%" "org.elasticsearch.bootstrap.Elasticsearch" !newparams!
 
 ENDLOCAL
diff --git a/distribution/src/main/resources/bin/elasticsearch.in.bat b/distribution/src/main/resources/bin/elasticsearch.in.bat
index d7b985d0824..96c703c92e8 100644
--- a/distribution/src/main/resources/bin/elasticsearch.in.bat
+++ b/distribution/src/main/resources/bin/elasticsearch.in.bat
@@ -30,4 +30,8 @@ IF ERRORLEVEL 1 (
     EXIT /B 1
 )
 
-set ES_PARAMS=-Delasticsearch -Des.path.home="%ES_HOME%"
+if "%CONF_DIR%" == "" (
+set "CONF_DIR=%~dp0\..\config"
+)
+
+set ES_PARAMS=-Delasticsearch -Des.path.home="%ES_HOME%" -Des.path.conf="%CONF_DIR%"