diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/watcher/qa/rest/src/yamlRestTest/resources/rest-api-spec/test/watcher/ack_watch/10_basic.yml b/x-pack/plugin/watcher/qa/rest/src/yamlRestTest/resources/rest-api-spec/test/watcher/ack_watch/10_basic.yml
index 3a3f962ce6f54..7c88f3d75a4b2 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/watcher/qa/rest/src/yamlRestTest/resources/rest-api-spec/test/watcher/ack_watch/10_basic.yml
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/watcher/qa/rest/src/yamlRestTest/resources/rest-api-spec/test/watcher/ack_watch/10_basic.yml
@@ -46,14 +46,11 @@
   - match: { "status.actions.test_index.ack.state" : "awaits_successful_execution" }
 
   - do:
-      warnings:
-        - "this request accesses system indices: [.watches], but in a future major version, direct access to system indices will be prevented by default"
-      search:
-        rest_total_hits_as_int: true
-        index: .watches
-        body: { "query": { "term": { "_id": "my_watch" } } }
-  - match: { hits.total: 1 }
-  - match: { hits.hits.0._source.status.actions.test_index.ack.state: "awaits_successful_execution" }
+      watcher.get_watch:
+        id: "my_watch"
+  - match: { found: true }
+  - match: { _id: "my_watch" }
+  - match: { status.actions.test_index.ack.state: "awaits_successful_execution" }
 
   - do:
       watcher.delete_watch:
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/watcher/qa/rest/src/yamlRestTest/resources/rest-api-spec/test/watcher/activate_watch/10_basic.yml b/x-pack/plugin/watcher/qa/rest/src/yamlRestTest/resources/rest-api-spec/test/watcher/activate_watch/10_basic.yml
index 015310babd29d..da15e624a0f46 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/watcher/qa/rest/src/yamlRestTest/resources/rest-api-spec/test/watcher/activate_watch/10_basic.yml
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/watcher/qa/rest/src/yamlRestTest/resources/rest-api-spec/test/watcher/activate_watch/10_basic.yml
@@ -49,16 +49,6 @@
 
   - match: { status.state.active : false }
 
-  - do:
-      warnings:
-        - "this request accesses system indices: [.watches], but in a future major version, direct access to system indices will be prevented by default"
-      search:
-        rest_total_hits_as_int: true
-        index: .watches
-        body: { "query": { "term": { "_id": "my_watch" } } }
-  - match: { hits.total: 1 }
-  - match: { hits.hits.0._source.status.state.active: false }
-
   - do:
       watcher.get_watch:
         id: "my_watch"
@@ -72,16 +62,6 @@
 
   - match: { status.state.active : true }
 
-  - do:
-      warnings:
-        - "this request accesses system indices: [.watches], but in a future major version, direct access to system indices will be prevented by default"
-      search:
-        rest_total_hits_as_int: true
-        index: .watches
-        body: { "query": { "term": { "_id": "my_watch" } } }
-  - match: { hits.total: 1 }
-  - match: { hits.hits.0._source.status.state.active: true }
-
   - do:
       watcher.get_watch:
         id: "my_watch"
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/watcher/qa/rest/src/yamlRestTest/resources/rest-api-spec/test/watcher/delete_watch/10_basic.yml b/x-pack/plugin/watcher/qa/rest/src/yamlRestTest/resources/rest-api-spec/test/watcher/delete_watch/10_basic.yml
index 1b999a5eabe35..ad4f542ee8b52 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/watcher/qa/rest/src/yamlRestTest/resources/rest-api-spec/test/watcher/delete_watch/10_basic.yml
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/watcher/qa/rest/src/yamlRestTest/resources/rest-api-spec/test/watcher/delete_watch/10_basic.yml
@@ -48,19 +48,23 @@ teardown:
   - match: { _id: "my_watch" }
   - match: { created: true }
 
+  - do:
+      watcher.get_watch:
+        id: "my_watch"
+  - match: { found: true }
+  - match: { _id: "my_watch" }
+
   - do:
       watcher.delete_watch:
         id: "my_watch"
   - match: { found: true }
 
   - do:
-      warnings:
-        - "this request accesses system indices: [.watches], but in a future major version, direct access to system indices will be prevented by default"
-      search:
-        rest_total_hits_as_int: true
-        index: .watches
-        body: { "query": { "term": { "_id": "my_watch" } } }
-  - match: { hits.total: 0 }
+      catch: missing
+      watcher.get_watch:
+        id: "my_watch"
+  - match: { found: false }
+  - match: { _id: "my_watch" }
 
 ---
 "Non existent watch returns 404":
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/watcher/qa/rest/src/yamlRestTest/resources/rest-api-spec/test/watcher/get_watch/10_basic.yml b/x-pack/plugin/watcher/qa/rest/src/yamlRestTest/resources/rest-api-spec/test/watcher/get_watch/10_basic.yml
index 913366853b974..0894c9d163e96 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/watcher/qa/rest/src/yamlRestTest/resources/rest-api-spec/test/watcher/get_watch/10_basic.yml
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/watcher/qa/rest/src/yamlRestTest/resources/rest-api-spec/test/watcher/get_watch/10_basic.yml
@@ -48,15 +48,6 @@ teardown:
   - match: { _id: "my_watch" }
   - match: { created: true }
 
-  - do:
-      warnings:
-        - "this request accesses system indices: [.watches], but in a future major version, direct access to system indices will be prevented by default"
-      search:
-        rest_total_hits_as_int: true
-        index: .watches
-        body: { "query": { "term": { "_id": "my_watch" } } }
-  - match: { hits.total: 1 }
-
   - do:
       watcher.get_watch:
         id: "my_watch"
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/watcher/qa/rest/src/yamlRestTest/resources/rest-api-spec/test/watcher/put_watch/80_put_get_watch_with_passwords.yml b/x-pack/plugin/watcher/qa/rest/src/yamlRestTest/resources/rest-api-spec/test/watcher/put_watch/80_put_get_watch_with_passwords.yml
index b66579d7b044e..9601d1b1b025d 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/watcher/qa/rest/src/yamlRestTest/resources/rest-api-spec/test/watcher/put_watch/80_put_get_watch_with_passwords.yml
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/watcher/qa/rest/src/yamlRestTest/resources/rest-api-spec/test/watcher/put_watch/80_put_get_watch_with_passwords.yml
@@ -262,25 +262,9 @@ setup:
           }
 
   - do:
-      warnings:
-        - "this request accesses system indices: [.watches], but in a future major version, direct access to system indices will be prevented by default"
-      search:
-        rest_total_hits_as_int: true
-        index: .watches
-        body:  >
-          {
-            "query": {
-              "term": {
-                "_id": {
-                  "value": "watch_with_seq_no"
-                }
-              }
-            }
-          }
-
-
-  - match: { hits.total: 1 }
-  - match: { hits.hits.0._id: "watch_with_seq_no" }
-  - match: { hits.hits.0._source.input.http.request.auth.basic.username: "new_user" }
-  - match: { hits.hits.0._source.input.http.request.auth.basic.password: "pass" }
-
+      watcher.get_watch:
+        id: "watch_with_seq_no"
+  - match: { found: true }
+  - match: { _id: "watch_with_seq_no" }
+  - match: { watch.input.http.request.auth.basic.username: "new_user" }
+  - match: { watch.input.http.request.auth.basic.password: "::es_redacted::" }