diff --git a/sql/cli/build.gradle b/sql/cli/build.gradle
index 1fe00c77b7f..472db245dda 100644
--- a/sql/cli/build.gradle
+++ b/sql/cli/build.gradle
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 import org.elasticsearch.gradle.test.RunTask
 
 apply plugin: 'elasticsearch.build'
-apply plugin: 'application'
+/* We don't use the 'application' plugin because it builds a zip and tgz which
+ * we don't want. */
 
 description = 'Command line interface to Elasticsearch that speaks SQL'
 
@@ -33,14 +34,18 @@ forbiddenApisMain {
   signaturesURLs = [this.class.getResource('/forbidden/jdk-signatures.txt')]
 }
 
-// TODO seems like we should use the jars....
 jar {
-  from(zipTree(project(':x-pack-elasticsearch:sql:net-client').jar.archivePath))
-  from(zipTree(project(':x-pack-elasticsearch:sql:cli-proto').jar.archivePath))
+  // Bundle all dependencies into the jar.
+  from {
+    configurations.compile.collect { it.isDirectory() ? it : zipTree(it) }
+    configurations.runtime.collect { it.isDirectory() ? it : zipTree(it) }
+  }
+  // Make the jar "executable" with `java -jar`
+  manifest {
+    attributes 'Main-Class': 'org.elasticsearch.xpack.sql.cli.Cli'
+  }
 }
 
-mainClassName = "org.elasticsearch.sql.console.SqlConsole"
-
 // Needed so we can launch graphviz if it is installed
 project.compactProfile = 'full'
 
@@ -93,15 +98,39 @@ integTestCluster {
 }
 
 task runServer(type: RunTask) {
-  distribution = 'zip' // NOCOMMIT make double sure we want all the modules
+  distribution = 'zip'
   plugin project(':x-pack-elasticsearch:plugin').path
+  // Daemonize Elasticsearch so we can run the cli application
+  daemonize = true
   /* Get a "clean" test without the other x-pack features here and check them
    * all together later on. */
   setting 'xpack.security.enabled', 'false'
   setting 'xpack.monitoring.enabled', 'false'
   setting 'xpack.ml.enabled', 'false'
   setting 'xpack.watcher.enabled', 'false'
-  run.dependsOn this
+}
+task run {
+  /* We can't use JavaExec or Exec because neither support
+   * ProcessBuilder.Redirect.INHERIT which is required to get full tty-support.
+   */
+  dependsOn jar, runServer
+  finalizedBy 'runServer#stop'
+  description = 'Run the CLI and an Elasticsearch instant for it to connect to'
+  doLast {
+    List command = [new File(project.javaHome, 'bin/java').absolutePath]
+    if ('true'.equals(System.getProperty('debug', 'false'))) {
+      command += '-agentlib:jdwp=transport=dt_socket,server=y,suspend=y,address=8000'
+    }
+    command += ['-jar', jar.archivePath.absolutePath]
+    logger.info("command: ${command}")
+
+    new ProcessBuilder(command)
+        .redirectOutput(ProcessBuilder.Redirect.INHERIT)
+        .redirectInput(ProcessBuilder.Redirect.INHERIT)
+        .redirectError(ProcessBuilder.Redirect.INHERIT)
+        .start()
+        .waitFor()
+  }
 }
 
 // Allow for com.sun.net.httpserver.* usage for testing
diff --git a/sql/cli/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/sql/cli/Cli.java b/sql/cli/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/sql/cli/Cli.java
index d3525690061..69e291147e9 100644
--- a/sql/cli/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/sql/cli/Cli.java
+++ b/sql/cli/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/sql/cli/Cli.java
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import java.io.InputStream;
 import java.io.PrintWriter;
 import java.util.Locale;
 import java.util.Properties;
+import java.util.logging.LogManager;
 
 import static org.jline.utils.AttributedStyle.BOLD;
 import static org.jline.utils.AttributedStyle.BRIGHT;
@@ -33,6 +34,9 @@ import static org.jline.utils.AttributedStyle.YELLOW;
 
 public class Cli {
     public static void main(String... args) throws Exception {
+        /* Initialize the logger from the a properties file we bundle. This makes sure
+         * we get useful error messages. */
+        LogManager.getLogManager().readConfiguration(Cli.class.getResourceAsStream("/logging.properties"));
         try (Terminal term = TerminalBuilder.builder().build()) {
             try {
                 Cli console = new Cli(new CliConfiguration("localhost:9200/_cli", new Properties()), term);
diff --git a/sql/cli/src/main/resources/logging.properties b/sql/cli/src/main/resources/logging.properties
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..cfba3c2935f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/sql/cli/src/main/resources/logging.properties
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+handlers=java.util.logging.ConsoleHandler
+.level = WARNING
+
+# Let jline log information about any failure to setup the terminal properly.
+# Without this we have no way of knowing *why* you lose terminal features.
+org.jline.level = FINE
diff --git a/sql/jdbc/build.gradle b/sql/jdbc/build.gradle
index 9cc4374ba16..2eff5b1c595 100644
--- a/sql/jdbc/build.gradle
+++ b/sql/jdbc/build.gradle
@@ -43,6 +43,8 @@ task generateGitHash {
 dependencies {
   compile project(':x-pack-elasticsearch:sql:net-client')
   compile project(':x-pack-elasticsearch:sql:jdbc-proto')
+  /* We want to limit these dependencies so do not add anything to this list
+   * without serious consideration, and probably shading. */
 
   testCompile project(path: ':client:transport', configuration: 'runtime')
   testCompile project(path: ':x-pack-elasticsearch:plugin', configuration: 'testArtifacts')
@@ -59,10 +61,12 @@ dependencyLicenses {
   ignoreSha 'net-client'
 }
 
-// TODO seems like we should use the jars....
 jar {
-  from(zipTree(project(':x-pack-elasticsearch:sql:net-client').jar.archivePath))
-  from(zipTree(project(':x-pack-elasticsearch:sql:jdbc-proto').jar.archivePath))
+  // Bundle all dependencies into the jar.
+  from {
+    configurations.compile.collect { it.isDirectory() ? it : zipTree(it) }
+    configurations.runtime.collect { it.isDirectory() ? it : zipTree(it) }
+  }
 }
 
 apply plugin: 'elasticsearch.rest-test'