--- a/init.d/elasticsearch	
+++ a/init.d/elasticsearch	
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ export ES_GC_LOG_FILE
 export ES_STARTUP_SLEEP_TIME
 
 server_command="/usr/share/elasticsearch/bin/elasticsearch"
-server_args="-d -p ${PIDFILE} --default.path.home=${ES_HOME} --default.path.logs=${LOG_DIR} --default.path.data=${DATA_DIR} --default.path.conf=${CONF_DIR}"
+server_args="-d -p ${PIDFILE} -E default.path.home=${ES_HOME} -E default.path.logs=${LOG_DIR} -E default.path.data=${DATA_DIR} -E default.path.conf=${CONF_DIR}"
 
 depend() {
        use net
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ depend() {
 start() {
        local conf
        local conf_file
-       for conf in elasticsearch.yml logging.yml; do
+       for conf in elasticsearch.yml log4j2.properties; do
                conf_file="${CONF_DIR}/${conf}"
                if [ ! -f "${conf_file}" ]; then
                        eerror "${conf_file} must be copied into place"
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ start() {
                --chdir "${ES_HOME}" \
                --user="${ES_USER}" \
                --pidfile="${PIDFILE}" \
-               --exec ${server_command} -- ${server_args}
+               --exec ${server_command} ${server_args}
        eend $?
 }