diff --git a/bin/elasticsearch b/bin/elasticsearch
index dc01626f0ed7c..5db2355add02d 100755
--- a/bin/elasticsearch
+++ b/bin/elasticsearch
@@ -89,7 +89,12 @@ fi
 if [ -x "$JAVA_HOME/bin/java" ]; then
     JAVA="$JAVA_HOME/bin/java"
 else
-    JAVA=java
+    JAVA=$(which java)
+fi
+
+if [ ! -x "$JAVA" ]; then
+    echo "Could not find any executable java binary. Please install java in your PATH or set JAVA_HOME"
+    exit 1
 fi
 
 if [ -z "$ES_CLASSPATH" ]; then
@@ -169,7 +174,7 @@ while true; do
             break
         ;;
         *)
-            echo "Error parsing arguments!" >&2
+            echo "Error parsing argument $1!" >&2
             exit 1
         ;;
     esac
diff --git a/src/deb/control/control b/src/deb/control/control
index 43a0a6ff76894..beda08159824d 100644
--- a/src/deb/control/control
+++ b/src/deb/control/control
@@ -1,9 +1,8 @@
 Package: elasticsearch
 Version: [[version]]
 Architecture: all
-Maintainer: Nicolas Huray <nicolas.huray@gmail.com>
+Maintainer: Elasticsearch Team <info@elasticsearch.com>
 Depends: libc6, adduser
-Suggest: java7-runtime-headless | java6-runtime-headless | java7-runtime | java6-runtime
 Section: web
 Priority: optional
 Homepage: http://www.elasticsearch.org/
diff --git a/src/deb/init.d/elasticsearch b/src/deb/init.d/elasticsearch
index 7c292114bbcc3..e4b2845269c70 100644
--- a/src/deb/init.d/elasticsearch
+++ b/src/deb/init.d/elasticsearch
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ JDK_DIRS="/usr/lib/jvm/java-7-oracle /usr/lib/jvm/java-7-openjdk /usr/lib/jvm/ja
 # Look for the right JVM to use
 for jdir in $JDK_DIRS; do
     if [ -r "$jdir/bin/java" -a -z "${JAVA_HOME}" ]; then
-	JAVA_HOME="$jdir"
+        JAVA_HOME="$jdir"
     fi
 done
 export JAVA_HOME
@@ -112,12 +112,24 @@ export ES_JAVA_OPTS
 # Check DAEMON exists
 test -x $DAEMON || exit 0
 
-case "$1" in
-  start)
-	if [ -z "$JAVA_HOME" ]; then
-		log_failure_msg "no JDK found - please set JAVA_HOME"
+checkJava() {
+	set +e
+	if [ -x "$JAVA_HOME/bin/java" ]; then
+		JAVA="$JAVA_HOME/bin/java"
+	else
+		JAVA=$(which java)
+	fi
+
+	if [ ! -x "$JAVA" ]; then
+		echo "Could not find any executable java binary. Please install java in your PATH or set JAVA_HOME"
 		exit 1
 	fi
+	set -e
+}
+
+case "$1" in
+  start)
+	checkJava
 
 	if [ -n "$MAX_LOCKED_MEMORY" -a -z "$ES_HEAP_SIZE" ]; then
 		log_failure_msg "MAX_LOCKED_MEMORY is set - ES_HEAP_SIZE must also be set"
@@ -125,11 +137,10 @@ case "$1" in
 	fi
 
 	log_daemon_msg "Starting $DESC"
-	
-	if start-stop-daemon --test --start --pidfile "$PID_FILE" \
-		--user "$ES_USER" --exec "$JAVA_HOME/bin/java" \
-		>/dev/null; then
-		
+
+	set +e
+	start-stop-daemon --status --pidfile "$PID_FILE" >/dev/null
+	if [ "$?" != "0" ]; then
 		# Prepare environment
 		mkdir -p "$LOG_DIR" "$DATA_DIR" "$WORK_DIR" && chown "$ES_USER":"$ES_GROUP" "$LOG_DIR" "$DATA_DIR" "$WORK_DIR"
 		touch "$PID_FILE" && chown "$ES_USER":"$ES_GROUP" "$PID_FILE"
@@ -143,12 +154,11 @@ case "$1" in
 		fi
 
 		# Start Daemon
-		start-stop-daemon --start -b --user "$ES_USER" -c "$ES_USER" --pidfile "$PID_FILE" --exec /bin/bash -- -c "$DAEMON $DAEMON_OPTS"
+		start-stop-daemon --start -b --user "$ES_USER" -c "$ES_USER" --pidfile "$PID_FILE" --exec $DAEMON -- $DAEMON_OPTS
 
 		sleep 1
-		if start-stop-daemon --test --start --pidfile "$PID_FILE" \
-			--user "$ES_USER" --exec "$JAVA_HOME/bin/java" \
-			>/dev/null; then
+		start-stop-daemon --status --pidfile "$PID_FILE" >/dev/null
+		if [ "$?" != "0" ]; then
 			if [ -f "$PID_FILE" ]; then
 				rm -f "$PID_FILE"
 			fi
@@ -156,7 +166,6 @@ case "$1" in
 		else
 			log_end_msg 0
 		fi
-		
 	else
 	    log_progress_msg "(already running)"
 	    log_end_msg 0
@@ -186,11 +195,8 @@ case "$1" in
 	;;
   status)
 	set +e
-	start-stop-daemon --test --start --pidfile "$PID_FILE" \
-		--user "$ES_USER" --exec "$JAVA_HOME/bin/java" \
-		>/dev/null 2>&1
-	if [ "$?" = "0" ]; then
-
+	start-stop-daemon --status --pidfile "$PID_FILE" >/dev/null 2>&1
+	if [ "$?" != "0" ]; then
 		if [ -f "$PID_FILE" ]; then
 		    log_success_msg "$DESC is not running, but pid file exists."
 			exit 1
diff --git a/src/rpm/init.d/elasticsearch b/src/rpm/init.d/elasticsearch
index fbeda2280e6c5..b17d075baaa05 100644
--- a/src/rpm/init.d/elasticsearch
+++ b/src/rpm/init.d/elasticsearch
@@ -49,7 +49,23 @@ if [ -n $USER ] && [ -z $ES_USER ] ; then
    ES_USER=$USER
 fi
 
+checkJava() {
+	set +e
+    if [ -x "$JAVA_HOME/bin/java" ]; then
+        JAVA="$JAVA_HOME/bin/java"
+    else
+        JAVA=$(which java)
+    fi
+
+    if [ ! -x "$JAVA" ]; then
+        echo "Could not find any executable java binary. Please install java in your PATH or set JAVA_HOME"
+        exit 1
+    fi
+	set -e
+}
+
 start() {
+    checkJava
     [ -x $exec ] || exit 5
     [ -f $CONF_FILE ] || exit 6
     if [ -n "$MAX_LOCKED_MEMORY" -a -z "$ES_HEAP_SIZE" ]; then