diff --git a/build-tools-internal/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/gradle/internal/RestrictedBuildApiService.java b/build-tools-internal/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/gradle/internal/RestrictedBuildApiService.java
index c7da5683ee41..b9b0cdcb5bcf 100644
--- a/build-tools-internal/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/gradle/internal/RestrictedBuildApiService.java
+++ b/build-tools-internal/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/gradle/internal/RestrictedBuildApiService.java
@@ -36,7 +36,6 @@ public abstract class RestrictedBuildApiService implements BuildService<Restrict
         map.put(LegacyRestTestBasePlugin.class, ":qa:remote-clusters");
         map.put(LegacyRestTestBasePlugin.class, ":qa:repository-multi-version");
         map.put(LegacyRestTestBasePlugin.class, ":qa:rolling-upgrade-legacy");
-        map.put(LegacyRestTestBasePlugin.class, ":x-pack:plugin:core");
         map.put(LegacyRestTestBasePlugin.class, ":x-pack:plugin:ent-search");
         map.put(LegacyRestTestBasePlugin.class, ":x-pack:plugin:fleet");
         map.put(LegacyRestTestBasePlugin.class, ":x-pack:plugin:logstash");
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/core/build.gradle b/x-pack/plugin/core/build.gradle
index f9c408ba302e..ddf6f1ae0572 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/core/build.gradle
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/core/build.gradle
@@ -12,9 +12,9 @@ import java.nio.file.Paths
 apply plugin: 'elasticsearch.internal-es-plugin'
 apply plugin: 'elasticsearch.publish'
 apply plugin: 'elasticsearch.internal-cluster-test'
-apply plugin: 'elasticsearch.legacy-yaml-rest-test'
-apply plugin: 'elasticsearch.legacy-java-rest-test'
-apply plugin: 'elasticsearch.legacy-yaml-rest-compat-test'
+apply plugin: 'elasticsearch.internal-yaml-rest-test'
+apply plugin: 'elasticsearch.internal-java-rest-test'
+apply plugin: 'elasticsearch.yaml-rest-compat-test'
 apply plugin: 'elasticsearch.internal-test-artifact'
 
 base {
@@ -149,16 +149,8 @@ restResources {
   }
 }
 
-testClusters.configureEach {
-  testDistribution = 'default'
-  setting 'xpack.security.enabled', 'true'
-  setting 'xpack.license.self_generated.type', 'trial'
-  //disabling ILM history as it disturbs testDSXpackUsage test
-  setting 'indices.lifecycle.history_index_enabled', 'false'
-  keystore 'bootstrap.password', 'x-pack-test-password'
-  user username: "x_pack_rest_user", password: "x-pack-test-password"
-  requiresFeature 'es.failure_store_feature_flag_enabled', Version.fromString("8.15.0")
-  systemProperty 'es.queryable_built_in_roles_enabled', 'false'
+tasks.named("javaRestTest") {
+  usesDefaultDistribution("uses the _xpack api")
 }
 
 if (buildParams.snapshotBuild == false) {
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/core/src/javaRestTest/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/DataStreamRestIT.java b/x-pack/plugin/core/src/javaRestTest/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/DataStreamRestIT.java
index 600a41ed01be..6812d6179cb5 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/core/src/javaRestTest/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/DataStreamRestIT.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/core/src/javaRestTest/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/DataStreamRestIT.java
@@ -13,10 +13,14 @@ import org.elasticsearch.cluster.metadata.DataStreamFailureStoreSettings;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.settings.SecureString;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.settings.Settings;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.util.concurrent.ThreadContext;
+import org.elasticsearch.test.cluster.ElasticsearchCluster;
+import org.elasticsearch.test.cluster.FeatureFlag;
+import org.elasticsearch.test.cluster.local.distribution.DistributionType;
 import org.elasticsearch.test.rest.ESRestTestCase;
 import org.elasticsearch.xcontent.XContentParser;
 import org.elasticsearch.xcontent.XContentParserConfiguration;
 import org.elasticsearch.xcontent.json.JsonXContent;
+import org.junit.ClassRule;
 
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
@@ -27,6 +31,18 @@ import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.notNullValue;
 
 public class DataStreamRestIT extends ESRestTestCase {
 
+    @ClassRule
+    public static ElasticsearchCluster cluster = ElasticsearchCluster.local()
+        .distribution(DistributionType.DEFAULT)
+        .setting("xpack.security.enabled", "true")
+        .setting("xpack.license.self_generated.type", "trial")
+        .setting("indices.lifecycle.history_index_enabled", "false")
+        .feature(FeatureFlag.FAILURE_STORE_ENABLED)
+        .keystore("bootstrap.password", "x-pack-test-password")
+        .user("x_pack_rest_user", "x-pack-test-password")
+        .systemProperty("es.queryable_built_in_roles_enabled", "false")
+        .build();
+
     private static final String BASIC_AUTH_VALUE = basicAuthHeaderValue("x_pack_rest_user", new SecureString("x-pack-test-password"));
 
     @Override
@@ -143,4 +159,9 @@ public class DataStreamRestIT extends ESRestTestCase {
             throw new RuntimeException(e);
         }
     }
+
+    @Override
+    protected String getTestRestCluster() {
+        return cluster.getHttpAddresses();
+    }
 }
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/core/src/javaRestTest/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/LicenseInstallationIT.java b/x-pack/plugin/core/src/javaRestTest/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/LicenseInstallationIT.java
index 1f670e0ee2d8..aa95b1a528f1 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/core/src/javaRestTest/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/LicenseInstallationIT.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/core/src/javaRestTest/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/LicenseInstallationIT.java
@@ -18,11 +18,14 @@ import org.elasticsearch.core.TimeValue;
 import org.elasticsearch.license.License;
 import org.elasticsearch.license.LicenseSettings;
 import org.elasticsearch.license.TestUtils;
+import org.elasticsearch.test.cluster.ElasticsearchCluster;
+import org.elasticsearch.test.cluster.FeatureFlag;
 import org.elasticsearch.test.rest.ESRestTestCase;
 import org.elasticsearch.xcontent.ToXContent;
 import org.elasticsearch.xcontent.XContentBuilder;
 import org.elasticsearch.xcontent.json.JsonXContent;
 import org.junit.Before;
+import org.junit.ClassRule;
 
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.util.Locale;
@@ -39,6 +42,16 @@ import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.equalTo;
  */
 public class LicenseInstallationIT extends ESRestTestCase {
 
+    @ClassRule
+    public static ElasticsearchCluster cluster = ElasticsearchCluster.local()
+        .setting("xpack.security.enabled", "true")
+        .setting("xpack.license.self_generated.type", "trial")
+        .feature(FeatureFlag.FAILURE_STORE_ENABLED)
+        .keystore("bootstrap.password", "x-pack-test-password")
+        .user("x_pack_rest_user", "x-pack-test-password")
+        .systemProperty("es.queryable_built_in_roles_enabled", "false")
+        .build();
+
     @Override
     protected Settings restClientSettings() {
         String token = basicAuthHeaderValue("x_pack_rest_user", new SecureString("x-pack-test-password".toCharArray()));
@@ -159,4 +172,9 @@ public class LicenseInstallationIT extends ESRestTestCase {
             assertThat("the cluster should be using a trial license", innerMap.get("type"), equalTo("trial"));
         });
     }
+
+    @Override
+    protected String getTestRestCluster() {
+        return cluster.getHttpAddresses();
+    }
 }
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/core/src/javaRestTest/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/StackTemplatesRestIT.java b/x-pack/plugin/core/src/javaRestTest/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/StackTemplatesRestIT.java
index fcbf955c2b9a..534f6bca07a6 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/core/src/javaRestTest/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/StackTemplatesRestIT.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/core/src/javaRestTest/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/StackTemplatesRestIT.java
@@ -12,12 +12,27 @@ import org.elasticsearch.client.RestClient;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.settings.SecureString;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.settings.Settings;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.util.concurrent.ThreadContext;
+import org.elasticsearch.test.cluster.ElasticsearchCluster;
+import org.elasticsearch.test.cluster.FeatureFlag;
+import org.elasticsearch.test.cluster.local.distribution.DistributionType;
 import org.elasticsearch.test.rest.ESRestTestCase;
+import org.junit.ClassRule;
 
 import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.is;
 
 public class StackTemplatesRestIT extends ESRestTestCase {
 
+    @ClassRule
+    public static ElasticsearchCluster cluster = ElasticsearchCluster.local()
+        .distribution(DistributionType.DEFAULT)
+        .setting("xpack.security.enabled", "true")
+        .setting("xpack.license.self_generated.type", "trial")
+        .feature(FeatureFlag.FAILURE_STORE_ENABLED)
+        .keystore("bootstrap.password", "x-pack-test-password")
+        .user("x_pack_rest_user", "x-pack-test-password")
+        .systemProperty("es.queryable_built_in_roles_enabled", "false")
+        .build();
+
     private static final String BASIC_AUTH_VALUE = basicAuthHeaderValue("x_pack_rest_user", new SecureString("x-pack-test-password"));
 
     @Override
@@ -56,4 +71,9 @@ public class StackTemplatesRestIT extends ESRestTestCase {
         ResponseException exception = expectThrows(ResponseException.class, () -> client.performRequest(deleteRequest));
         assertThat(exception.getResponse().getStatusLine().getStatusCode(), is(404));
     }
+
+    @Override
+    protected String getTestRestCluster() {
+        return cluster.getHttpAddresses();
+    }
 }
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/core/src/yamlRestTest/java/org/elasticsearch/license/XPackCoreClientYamlTestSuiteIT.java b/x-pack/plugin/core/src/yamlRestTest/java/org/elasticsearch/license/XPackCoreClientYamlTestSuiteIT.java
index 105df6dbeca4..a6c658bb1fe6 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/core/src/yamlRestTest/java/org/elasticsearch/license/XPackCoreClientYamlTestSuiteIT.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/core/src/yamlRestTest/java/org/elasticsearch/license/XPackCoreClientYamlTestSuiteIT.java
@@ -13,11 +13,24 @@ import com.carrotsearch.randomizedtesting.annotations.ParametersFactory;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.settings.SecureString;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.settings.Settings;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.util.concurrent.ThreadContext;
+import org.elasticsearch.test.cluster.ElasticsearchCluster;
+import org.elasticsearch.test.cluster.FeatureFlag;
 import org.elasticsearch.test.rest.yaml.ClientYamlTestCandidate;
 import org.elasticsearch.test.rest.yaml.ESClientYamlSuiteTestCase;
+import org.junit.ClassRule;
 
 public class XPackCoreClientYamlTestSuiteIT extends ESClientYamlSuiteTestCase {
 
+    @ClassRule
+    public static ElasticsearchCluster cluster = ElasticsearchCluster.local()
+        .setting("xpack.security.enabled", "true")
+        .setting("xpack.license.self_generated.type", "trial")
+        .feature(FeatureFlag.FAILURE_STORE_ENABLED)
+        .keystore("bootstrap.password", "x-pack-test-password")
+        .user("x_pack_rest_user", "x-pack-test-password")
+        .systemProperty("es.queryable_built_in_roles_enabled", "false")
+        .build();
+
     private static final String BASIC_AUTH_VALUE = basicAuthHeaderValue("x_pack_rest_user", new SecureString("x-pack-test-password"));
 
     public XPackCoreClientYamlTestSuiteIT(@Name("yaml") ClientYamlTestCandidate testCandidate) {
@@ -33,4 +46,9 @@ public class XPackCoreClientYamlTestSuiteIT extends ESClientYamlSuiteTestCase {
     protected Settings restClientSettings() {
         return Settings.builder().put(ThreadContext.PREFIX + ".Authorization", BASIC_AUTH_VALUE).build();
     }
+
+    @Override
+    protected String getTestRestCluster() {
+        return cluster.getHttpAddresses();
+    }
 }