diff --git a/build.gradle b/build.gradle
index 620e043d1c081..4721a3520b8aa 100644
--- a/build.gradle
+++ b/build.gradle
@@ -205,7 +205,7 @@ subprojects {
     "org.elasticsearch.gradle:build-tools:${version}": ':build-tools',
     "org.elasticsearch:rest-api-spec:${version}": ':rest-api-spec',
     "org.elasticsearch:elasticsearch:${version}": ':server',
-    "org.elasticsearch:elasticsearch-cli:${version}": ':server:cli',
+    "org.elasticsearch:elasticsearch-cli:${version}": ':libs:cli',
     "org.elasticsearch:elasticsearch-core:${version}": ':libs:elasticsearch-core',
     "org.elasticsearch:elasticsearch-nio:${version}": ':libs:elasticsearch-nio',
     "org.elasticsearch:elasticsearch-x-content:${version}": ':libs:x-content',
diff --git a/server/cli/build.gradle b/libs/cli/build.gradle
similarity index 100%
rename from server/cli/build.gradle
rename to libs/cli/build.gradle
diff --git a/server/cli/licenses/jopt-simple-5.0.2.jar.sha1 b/libs/cli/licenses/jopt-simple-5.0.2.jar.sha1
similarity index 100%
rename from server/cli/licenses/jopt-simple-5.0.2.jar.sha1
rename to libs/cli/licenses/jopt-simple-5.0.2.jar.sha1
diff --git a/server/cli/licenses/jopt-simple-LICENSE.txt b/libs/cli/licenses/jopt-simple-LICENSE.txt
similarity index 100%
rename from server/cli/licenses/jopt-simple-LICENSE.txt
rename to libs/cli/licenses/jopt-simple-LICENSE.txt
diff --git a/server/cli/licenses/jopt-simple-NOTICE.txt b/libs/cli/licenses/jopt-simple-NOTICE.txt
similarity index 100%
rename from server/cli/licenses/jopt-simple-NOTICE.txt
rename to libs/cli/licenses/jopt-simple-NOTICE.txt
diff --git a/server/cli/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cli/Command.java b/libs/cli/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cli/Command.java
similarity index 100%
rename from server/cli/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cli/Command.java
rename to libs/cli/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cli/Command.java
diff --git a/server/cli/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cli/ExitCodes.java b/libs/cli/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cli/ExitCodes.java
similarity index 100%
rename from server/cli/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cli/ExitCodes.java
rename to libs/cli/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cli/ExitCodes.java
diff --git a/server/cli/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cli/MultiCommand.java b/libs/cli/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cli/MultiCommand.java
similarity index 99%
rename from server/cli/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cli/MultiCommand.java
rename to libs/cli/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cli/MultiCommand.java
index 054a29e78a6cc..bcc75a2d1be12 100644
--- a/server/cli/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cli/MultiCommand.java
+++ b/libs/cli/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cli/MultiCommand.java
@@ -19,17 +19,15 @@
 
 package org.elasticsearch.cli;
 
-import java.io.Closeable;
+import joptsimple.NonOptionArgumentSpec;
+import joptsimple.OptionSet;
+import org.elasticsearch.core.internal.io.IOUtils;
+
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.LinkedHashMap;
 import java.util.Map;
 
-import joptsimple.NonOptionArgumentSpec;
-import joptsimple.OptionSet;
-
-import org.elasticsearch.core.internal.io.IOUtils;
-
 /**
  * A cli tool which is made up of multiple subcommands.
  */
diff --git a/server/cli/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cli/SuppressForbidden.java b/libs/cli/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cli/SuppressForbidden.java
similarity index 100%
rename from server/cli/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cli/SuppressForbidden.java
rename to libs/cli/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cli/SuppressForbidden.java
diff --git a/server/cli/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cli/Terminal.java b/libs/cli/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cli/Terminal.java
similarity index 100%
rename from server/cli/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cli/Terminal.java
rename to libs/cli/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cli/Terminal.java
diff --git a/server/cli/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cli/UserException.java b/libs/cli/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cli/UserException.java
similarity index 100%
rename from server/cli/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cli/UserException.java
rename to libs/cli/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cli/UserException.java