diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/settings/Setting.java b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/settings/Setting.java
index d4164b474de0b..20c36bb7d5484 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/settings/Setting.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/settings/Setting.java
@@ -404,7 +404,9 @@ public T getDefault(Settings settings) {
      * @return true if the setting is present in the given settings instance, otherwise false
      */
     public boolean exists(final Settings settings) {
-        return settings.keySet().contains(getKey());
+        SecureSettings secureSettings = settings.getSecureSettings();
+        return settings.keySet().contains(getKey()) &&
+            (secureSettings == null || secureSettings.getSettingNames().contains(getKey()) == false);
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/common/settings/SettingTests.java b/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/common/settings/SettingTests.java
index b2f73db90f722..5592498e4e810 100644
--- a/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/common/settings/SettingTests.java
+++ b/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/common/settings/SettingTests.java
@@ -910,6 +910,13 @@ public void testExists() {
         assertTrue(fooSetting.exists(Settings.builder().put("foo", "bar").build()));
     }
 
+    public void testExistsWithSecure() {
+        final MockSecureSettings secureSettings = new MockSecureSettings();
+        secureSettings.setString("foo", "foo");
+        Setting<String> fooSetting = Setting.simpleString("foo", Property.NodeScope);
+        assertFalse(fooSetting.exists(Settings.builder().setSecureSettings(secureSettings).build()));
+    }
+
     public void testExistsWithFallback() {
         final int count = randomIntBetween(1, 16);
         Setting<String> current = Setting.simpleString("fallback0", Property.NodeScope);