diff --git a/buildSrc/src/main/groovy/org/elasticsearch/gradle/BuildPlugin.groovy b/buildSrc/src/main/groovy/org/elasticsearch/gradle/BuildPlugin.groovy
index dd1459418d013..0df80116099e3 100644
--- a/buildSrc/src/main/groovy/org/elasticsearch/gradle/BuildPlugin.groovy
+++ b/buildSrc/src/main/groovy/org/elasticsearch/gradle/BuildPlugin.groovy
@@ -659,7 +659,10 @@ class BuildPlugin implements Plugin<Project> {
         Task precommit = PrecommitTasks.create(project, true)
         project.check.dependsOn(precommit)
         project.test.mustRunAfter(precommit)
-        project.dependencyLicenses.dependencies = project.configurations.runtime - project.configurations.provided
+        // only require dependency licenses for non-elasticsearch deps
+        project.dependencyLicenses.dependencies = project.configurations.runtime.fileCollection {
+            it.group.startsWith('org.elasticsearch') == false
+        } - project.configurations.provided
     }
 
     private static configureDependenciesInfo(Project project) {
diff --git a/modules/reindex/build.gradle b/modules/reindex/build.gradle
index f29daf799122d..479fe78cc8071 100644
--- a/modules/reindex/build.gradle
+++ b/modules/reindex/build.gradle
@@ -52,13 +52,6 @@ dependencies {
   testCompile project(path: ':modules:parent-join', configuration: 'runtime')
 }
 
-dependencyLicenses {
-  // Don't check the client's license. We know it.
-  dependencies = project.configurations.runtime.fileCollection {
-    it.group.startsWith('org.elasticsearch') == false
-  } - project.configurations.provided
-}
-
 thirdPartyAudit.excludes = [
   // Commons logging
   'javax.servlet.ServletContextEvent',