diff --git a/plugin/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/persistent/CompletionPersistentTaskAction.java b/plugin/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/persistent/CompletionPersistentTaskAction.java
index 7f0d39da328..cb3fe39a1c3 100644
--- a/plugin/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/persistent/CompletionPersistentTaskAction.java
+++ b/plugin/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/persistent/CompletionPersistentTaskAction.java
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@ public class CompletionPersistentTaskAction extends Action<CompletionPersistentT
 
         @Override
         protected final void masterOperation(final Request request, ClusterState state, final ActionListener<Response> listener) {
-            persistentTasksClusterService.completeOrRestartPersistentTask(request.taskId, request.exception, new ActionListener<Empty>() {
+            persistentTasksClusterService.completePersistentTask(request.taskId, request.exception, new ActionListener<Empty>() {
                 @Override
                 public void onResponse(Empty empty) {
                     listener.onResponse(newResponse());
diff --git a/plugin/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/persistent/PersistentTasksClusterService.java b/plugin/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/persistent/PersistentTasksClusterService.java
index 7a63bae2b1b..68091359b70 100644
--- a/plugin/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/persistent/PersistentTasksClusterService.java
+++ b/plugin/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/persistent/PersistentTasksClusterService.java
@@ -85,25 +85,20 @@ public class PersistentTasksClusterService extends AbstractComponent implements
      * @param failure  the reason for restarting the task or null if the task completed successfully
      * @param listener the listener that will be called when task is removed
      */
-    public void completeOrRestartPersistentTask(long id, Exception failure, ActionListener<Empty> listener) {
+    public void completePersistentTask(long id, Exception failure, ActionListener<Empty> listener) {
         final String source;
         if (failure != null) {
-            logger.warn("persistent task " + id + " failed, restarting", failure);
-            source = "restart persistent task";
+            logger.warn("persistent task " + id + " failed", failure);
+            source = "finish persistent task (failed)";
         } else {
-            source = "finish persistent task";
+            source = "finish persistent task (success)";
         }
         clusterService.submitStateUpdateTask(source, new ClusterStateUpdateTask() {
             @Override
             public ClusterState execute(ClusterState currentState) throws Exception {
                 PersistentTasksCustomMetaData.Builder tasksInProgress = builder(currentState);
                 if (tasksInProgress.hasTask(id)) {
-                    if (failure != null) {
-                        // If the task failed - we need to restart it on another node, otherwise we just remove it
-                        tasksInProgress.reassignTask(id, (action, request) -> getAssignement(action, currentState, request));
-                    } else {
-                        tasksInProgress.finishTask(id);
-                    }
+                    tasksInProgress.finishTask(id);
                     return update(currentState, tasksInProgress);
                 } else {
                     // we don't send the error message back to the caller becase that would cause an infinite loop of notifications
diff --git a/plugin/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/persistent/PersistentTasksCustomMetaData.java b/plugin/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/persistent/PersistentTasksCustomMetaData.java
index f8decae706f..0b7727fca01 100644
--- a/plugin/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/persistent/PersistentTasksCustomMetaData.java
+++ b/plugin/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/persistent/PersistentTasksCustomMetaData.java
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ public final class PersistentTasksCustomMetaData extends AbstractNamedDiffable<M
 
     @Override
     public Version getMinimalSupportedVersion() {
-        return Version.V_5_3_0_UNRELEASED;
+        return Version.V_5_4_0_UNRELEASED;
     }
 
     @Override
@@ -588,8 +588,7 @@ public final class PersistentTasksCustomMetaData extends AbstractNamedDiffable<M
         /**
          * Assigns the task to another node  if the task exist and not currently assigned
          * <p>
-         * The operation is only performed if the task is not currently assigned to any nodes. To force assignment use
-         * {@link #reassignTask(long, BiFunction)} instead
+         * The operation is only performed if the task is not currently assigned to any nodes.
          */
         @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
         public <Request extends PersistentTaskRequest> Builder assignTask(long taskId,
@@ -605,20 +604,6 @@ public final class PersistentTasksCustomMetaData extends AbstractNamedDiffable<M
             return this;
         }
 
-        /**
-         * Reassigns the task to another node if the task exist
-         */
-        @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
-        public <Request extends PersistentTaskRequest> Builder reassignTask(long taskId,
-                                                                            BiFunction<String, Request, Assignment> executorNodeFunc) {
-            PersistentTask<Request> taskInProgress = (PersistentTask<Request>) tasks.get(taskId);
-            if (taskInProgress != null) {
-                changed = true;
-                Assignment assignment = executorNodeFunc.apply(taskInProgress.taskName, taskInProgress.request);
-                tasks.put(taskId, new PersistentTask<>(taskInProgress, false, assignment));
-            }
-            return this;
-        }
 
         /**
          * Updates the task status if the task exist
diff --git a/plugin/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/persistent/PersistentTasksCustomMetaDataTests.java b/plugin/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/persistent/PersistentTasksCustomMetaDataTests.java
index 4a89dd4d246..9408fca0e75 100644
--- a/plugin/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/persistent/PersistentTasksCustomMetaDataTests.java
+++ b/plugin/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/persistent/PersistentTasksCustomMetaDataTests.java
@@ -212,11 +212,7 @@ public class PersistentTasksCustomMetaDataTests extends AbstractDiffableSerializ
                         if (builder.hasTask(lastKnownTask)) {
                             changed = true;
                         }
-                        if (randomBoolean()) {
-                            builder.reassignTask(lastKnownTask, randomAssignment());
-                        } else {
-                            builder.reassignTask(lastKnownTask, (s, request) -> randomAssignment());
-                        }
+                        builder.reassignTask(lastKnownTask, randomAssignment());
                         break;
                     case 2:
                         if (builder.hasTask(lastKnownTask)) {
diff --git a/plugin/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/persistent/PersistentTasksExecutorIT.java b/plugin/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/persistent/PersistentTasksExecutorIT.java
index e25d31d9a18..b0bbf2c85c3 100644
--- a/plugin/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/persistent/PersistentTasksExecutorIT.java
+++ b/plugin/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/persistent/PersistentTasksExecutorIT.java
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ public class PersistentTasksExecutorIT extends ESIntegTestCase {
         }
     }
 
-    public void testPersistentActionRestart() throws Exception {
+    public void testPersistentActionFailure() throws Exception {
         PersistentTasksService persistentTasksService = internalCluster().getInstance(PersistentTasksService.class);
         PersistentTaskOperationFuture future = new PersistentTaskOperationFuture();
         persistentTasksService.createPersistentActionTask(TestPersistentTasksExecutor.NAME, new TestRequest("Blah"), future);
@@ -85,22 +85,6 @@ public class PersistentTasksExecutorIT extends ESIntegTestCase {
         assertThat(new TestTasksRequestBuilder(client()).setOperation("fail").setTaskId(firstRunningTask.getTaskId())
                 .get().getTasks().size(), equalTo(1));
 
-        assertBusy(() -> {
-            // Wait for the task to restart
-            List<TaskInfo> tasks = client().admin().cluster().prepareListTasks().setActions(TestPersistentTasksExecutor.NAME + "[c]").get()
-                    .getTasks();
-            logger.info("Found {} tasks", tasks.size());
-            assertThat(tasks.size(), equalTo(1));
-            // Make sure that restarted task is different
-            assertThat(tasks.get(0).getTaskId(), not(equalTo(firstRunningTask.getTaskId())));
-        });
-
-        logger.info("Removing persistent task with id {}", firstRunningTask.getId());
-        // Remove the persistent task
-        PersistentTaskOperationFuture removeFuture = new PersistentTaskOperationFuture();
-        persistentTasksService.removeTask(taskId, removeFuture);
-        assertEquals(removeFuture.get(), (Long) taskId);
-
         logger.info("Waiting for persistent task with id {} to disappear", firstRunningTask.getId());
         assertBusy(() -> {
             // Wait for the task to disappear completely