diff --git a/distribution/packages/src/deb/init.d/elasticsearch b/distribution/packages/src/deb/init.d/elasticsearch
index 72eb635bba3..82fc52c1b50 100755
--- a/distribution/packages/src/deb/init.d/elasticsearch
+++ b/distribution/packages/src/deb/init.d/elasticsearch
@@ -81,16 +81,16 @@ if [ ! -x "$DAEMON" ]; then
 fi
 
 checkJava() {
-	if [ -x "$JAVA_HOME/bin/java" ]; then
-		JAVA="$JAVA_HOME/bin/java"
-	else
-		JAVA=`which java`
-	fi
+  if [ ! -z "${JAVA_HOME}" ]; then
+    JAVA="${JAVA_HOME}"/bin/java
+  else
+    JAVA="${ES_HOME}"/jdk/bin/java
+  fi
 
-	if [ ! -x "$JAVA" ]; then
-		echo "Could not find any executable java binary. Please install java in your PATH or set JAVA_HOME"
-		exit 1
-	fi
+  if [ ! -x "$JAVA" ]; then
+    echo "could not find java in JAVA_HOME or bundled at ${JAVA}"
+    exit 1
+  fi
 }
 
 case "$1" in
diff --git a/distribution/packages/src/rpm/init.d/elasticsearch b/distribution/packages/src/rpm/init.d/elasticsearch
index 99d8ef45ef6..fbf9e090c1e 100644
--- a/distribution/packages/src/rpm/init.d/elasticsearch
+++ b/distribution/packages/src/rpm/init.d/elasticsearch
@@ -68,16 +68,16 @@ if [ ! -x "$exec" ]; then
 fi
 
 checkJava() {
-    if [ -x "$JAVA_HOME/bin/java" ]; then
-        JAVA="$JAVA_HOME/bin/java"
-    else
-        JAVA=`which java`
-    fi
+  if [ ! -z "${JAVA_HOME}" ]; then
+    JAVA="${JAVA_HOME}"/bin/java
+  else
+    JAVA="${ES_HOME}"/jdk/bin/java
+  fi
 
-    if [ ! -x "$JAVA" ]; then
-        echo "Could not find any executable java binary. Please install java in your PATH or set JAVA_HOME"
-        exit 1
-    fi
+  if [ ! -x "$JAVA" ]; then
+    echo "could not find java in JAVA_HOME or bundled at ${JAVA}"
+    exit 1
+  fi
 }
 
 start() {
diff --git a/qa/os/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/packaging/test/PackageTestCase.java b/qa/os/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/packaging/test/PackageTestCase.java
index 20781c63f69..05bc80c3263 100644
--- a/qa/os/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/packaging/test/PackageTestCase.java
+++ b/qa/os/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/packaging/test/PackageTestCase.java
@@ -136,6 +136,25 @@ public abstract class PackageTestCase extends PackagingTestCase {
         assertRunsWithJavaHome();
     }
 
+    public void test33RunsIfJavaNotOnPath() throws Exception {
+        assumeThat(distribution().hasJdk, is(true));
+
+        final Result readlink = sh.run("readlink /usr/bin/java");
+        boolean unlinked = false;
+        try {
+            sh.run("unlink /usr/bin/java");
+            unlinked = true;
+
+            startElasticsearch(sh);
+            runElasticsearchTests();
+            stopElasticsearch(sh);
+        } finally {
+            if (unlinked) {
+                sh.run("ln -sf " + readlink.stdout.trim() + " /usr/bin/java");
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
     public void test42BundledJdkRemoved() throws Exception {
         assumeThat(installation, is(notNullValue()));
         assumeThat(distribution().hasJdk, is(true));