diff --git a/packages/kbn-test/src/functional_tests/lib/run_elasticsearch.js b/packages/kbn-test/src/functional_tests/lib/run_elasticsearch.js
index f19164fdd6027e..d0cc7091d77679 100644
--- a/packages/kbn-test/src/functional_tests/lib/run_elasticsearch.js
+++ b/packages/kbn-test/src/functional_tests/lib/run_elasticsearch.js
@@ -25,27 +25,25 @@ import { setupUsers, DEFAULT_SUPERUSER_PASS } from './auth';
 
 export async function runElasticsearch({ config, options }) {
   const { log, esFrom } = options;
-  const securityEnabled = config.get('esTestCluster.securityEnabled');
+  const license = config.get('esTestCluster.license');
+  const isTrialLicense = config.get('esTestCluster.license') === 'trial';
 
   const cluster = createEsTestCluster({
     port: config.get('servers.elasticsearch.port'),
-    password: securityEnabled
+    password: isTrialLicense
       ? DEFAULT_SUPERUSER_PASS
       : config.get('servers.elasticsearch.password'),
-    license: config.get('esTestCluster.license'),
+    license,
     log,
     basePath: resolve(KIBANA_ROOT, '.es'),
     esFrom: esFrom || config.get('esTestCluster.from'),
   });
 
-  const esArgs = [
-    ...config.get('esTestCluster.serverArgs'),
-    ...(securityEnabled ? ['xpack.security.enabled=true'] : []),
-  ];
+  const esArgs = config.get('esTestCluster.serverArgs');
 
   await cluster.start(esArgs);
 
-  if (securityEnabled) {
+  if (isTrialLicense) {
     await setupUsers(log, config);
   }
 
diff --git a/src/functional_test_runner/lib/config/schema.js b/src/functional_test_runner/lib/config/schema.js
index 6c3d07f04fd6ab..faf7de7fea9403 100644
--- a/src/functional_test_runner/lib/config/schema.js
+++ b/src/functional_test_runner/lib/config/schema.js
@@ -117,7 +117,6 @@ export const schema = Joi.object().keys({
     license: Joi.string().default('oss'),
     from: Joi.string().default('snapshot'),
     serverArgs: Joi.array(),
-    securityEnabled: Joi.boolean().default(false),
   }).default(),
 
   kbnTestServer: Joi.object().keys({
diff --git a/x-pack/test/functional/config.js b/x-pack/test/functional/config.js
index 9fe631bf298c1d..5f4cb60fa81e88 100644
--- a/x-pack/test/functional/config.js
+++ b/x-pack/test/functional/config.js
@@ -140,9 +140,9 @@ export default async function ({ readConfigFile }) {
     esTestCluster: {
       license: 'trial',
       from: 'snapshot',
-      securityEnabled: true,
       serverArgs: [
         'xpack.license.self_generated.type=trial',
+        'xpack.security.enabled=true',
       ],
     },
 
diff --git a/x-pack/test/saved_object_api_integration/common/config.js b/x-pack/test/saved_object_api_integration/common/config.js
index 86580bdf77e88d..15dce485d5dc21 100644
--- a/x-pack/test/saved_object_api_integration/common/config.js
+++ b/x-pack/test/saved_object_api_integration/common/config.js
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ import { resolveKibanaPath } from '@kbn/plugin-helpers';
 import { EsProvider } from './services/es';
 
 
-export function createTestConfig(name, { license = 'trial', disabledPlugins = [], securityEnabled = true } = {}) {
+export function createTestConfig(name, { license = 'trial', disabledPlugins = [] } = {}) {
 
   return async function ({ readConfigFile }) {
 
@@ -28,11 +28,6 @@ export function createTestConfig(name, { license = 'trial', disabledPlugins = []
       servers: config.xpack.api.get('servers'),
       services: {
         es: EsProvider,
-        // Provide license and list of disabled plugins to tests so they can alter their configuration
-        testEnv: () => ({
-          license,
-          disabledPlugins,
-        }),
         esSupertestWithoutAuth: config.xpack.api.get('services.esSupertestWithoutAuth'),
         supertest: config.kibana.api.get('services.supertest'),
         supertestWithoutAuth: config.xpack.api.get('services.supertestWithoutAuth'),
@@ -48,11 +43,11 @@ export function createTestConfig(name, { license = 'trial', disabledPlugins = []
       },
 
       esTestCluster: {
+        ...config.xpack.api.get('esTestCluster'),
         license,
-        from: 'snapshot',
-        securityEnabled,
         serverArgs: [
-          ...license === 'trial' ? ['xpack.license.self_generated.type=trial'] : [],
+          `xpack.license.self_generated.type=${license}`,
+          `xpack.security.enabled=${!disabledPlugins.includes('security') && license === 'trial'}`,
         ],
       },
 
@@ -62,8 +57,8 @@ export function createTestConfig(name, { license = 'trial', disabledPlugins = []
           ...config.xpack.api.get('kbnTestServer.serverArgs'),
           '--optimize.enabled=false',
           '--server.xsrf.disableProtection=true',
+          `--plugin-path=${path.join(__dirname, 'fixtures', 'namespace_agnostic_type_plugin')}`,
           ...disabledPlugins.map(key => `--xpack.${key}.enabled=false`),
-          `--plugin-path=${path.join(__dirname, 'fixtures', 'namespace_agnostic_type_plugin')}`
         ],
       },
     };
diff --git a/x-pack/test/saved_object_api_integration/security_and_spaces/config.js b/x-pack/test/saved_object_api_integration/security_and_spaces/config.js
index d63841d2cec3cb..5873a050577d7b 100644
--- a/x-pack/test/saved_object_api_integration/security_and_spaces/config.js
+++ b/x-pack/test/saved_object_api_integration/security_and_spaces/config.js
@@ -6,4 +6,4 @@
 
 import { createTestConfig } from '../common/config';
 
-export default createTestConfig('security_and_spaces', { license: 'trial', securityEnabled: true });
+export default createTestConfig('security_and_spaces', { license: 'trial' });