diff --git a/templates/amazon/initscript.erb b/templates/amazon/initscript.erb
index 8749b3eb4..503b3fafd 100644
--- a/templates/amazon/initscript.erb
+++ b/templates/amazon/initscript.erb
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ export ES_JAVA_OPTS
 export ES_GC_LOG_FILE
 export ES_STARTUP_SLEEP_TIME
 export JAVA_HOME
+export ES_INCLUDE
 
 lockfile=/var/lock/subsys/$prog
 
diff --git a/templates/centos/initscript.erb b/templates/centos/initscript.erb
index 8749b3eb4..503b3fafd 100755
--- a/templates/centos/initscript.erb
+++ b/templates/centos/initscript.erb
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ export ES_JAVA_OPTS
 export ES_GC_LOG_FILE
 export ES_STARTUP_SLEEP_TIME
 export JAVA_HOME
+export ES_INCLUDE
 
 lockfile=/var/lock/subsys/$prog
 
diff --git a/templates/debian/initscript.erb b/templates/debian/initscript.erb
index 5a431d9ea..a908c7fc9 100644
--- a/templates/debian/initscript.erb
+++ b/templates/debian/initscript.erb
@@ -107,6 +107,7 @@ export ES_DIRECT_SIZE
 export ES_JAVA_OPTS
 export ES_GC_LOG_FILE
 export JAVA_HOME
+export ES_INCLUDE
 
 # Check DAEMON exists
 test -x $DAEMON || exit 0
@@ -172,7 +173,7 @@ case "$1" in
 		i=0
 		timeout=10
 		# Wait for the process to be properly started before exiting
-		until { cat "$PID_FILE" | xargs kill -0; } >/dev/null 2>&1
+		until { kill -0 `cat "$PID_FILE"`; } >/dev/null 2>&1
 		do
 			sleep 1
 			i=$(($i + 1))
diff --git a/templates/default/elasticsearch.yml.erb b/templates/default/elasticsearch.yml.erb
index 11cacf4ee..e7941c636 100644
--- a/templates/default/elasticsearch.yml.erb
+++ b/templates/default/elasticsearch.yml.erb
@@ -2,20 +2,17 @@
 # THIS FILE IS MANAGED BY CHEF, DO NOT EDIT MANUALLY, YOUR CHANGES WILL BE OVERWRITTEN!
 # ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 #
-# See the source file for context and more information:
-# <https://github.com/elastic/elasticsearch/blob/master/core/config/elasticsearch.yml>
+# ======================== Elasticsearch Configuration =========================
 #
-# See the documentation for further information on configuration options:
-# <http://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/current/setup-configuration.html>
+# NOTE: Elasticsearch comes with reasonable defaults for most settings.
+#       Before you set out to tweak and tune the configuration, make sure you
+#       understand what are you trying to accomplish and the consequences.
 #
-# To set configurations not exposed by this template, set the `configuration`
-# parameter in your `elasticsearch_configure` resource, as a hash of dotted keys
-# and string values.
+# The primary way of configuring a node is via this file. This template lists
+# the most important settings you may want to configure for a production cluster.
 #
-#     // ...
-#     'threadpool.index.type' => 'fixed',
-#     'threadpool.index.size' => '2'
-#     // ...
+# Please see the documentation for further information on configuration options:
+# <http://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/current/setup-configuration.html>
 #
 # ---------------------------------- Cluster -----------------------------------
 #
diff --git a/templates/oracle/initscript.erb b/templates/oracle/initscript.erb
index 8749b3eb4..503b3fafd 100755
--- a/templates/oracle/initscript.erb
+++ b/templates/oracle/initscript.erb
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ export ES_JAVA_OPTS
 export ES_GC_LOG_FILE
 export ES_STARTUP_SLEEP_TIME
 export JAVA_HOME
+export ES_INCLUDE
 
 lockfile=/var/lock/subsys/$prog
 
diff --git a/templates/redhat/initscript.erb b/templates/redhat/initscript.erb
index 8749b3eb4..503b3fafd 100644
--- a/templates/redhat/initscript.erb
+++ b/templates/redhat/initscript.erb
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ export ES_JAVA_OPTS
 export ES_GC_LOG_FILE
 export ES_STARTUP_SLEEP_TIME
 export JAVA_HOME
+export ES_INCLUDE
 
 lockfile=/var/lock/subsys/$prog
 
diff --git a/templates/ubuntu/initscript.erb b/templates/ubuntu/initscript.erb
index 5a431d9ea..a908c7fc9 100755
--- a/templates/ubuntu/initscript.erb
+++ b/templates/ubuntu/initscript.erb
@@ -107,6 +107,7 @@ export ES_DIRECT_SIZE
 export ES_JAVA_OPTS
 export ES_GC_LOG_FILE
 export JAVA_HOME
+export ES_INCLUDE
 
 # Check DAEMON exists
 test -x $DAEMON || exit 0
@@ -172,7 +173,7 @@ case "$1" in
 		i=0
 		timeout=10
 		# Wait for the process to be properly started before exiting
-		until { cat "$PID_FILE" | xargs kill -0; } >/dev/null 2>&1
+		until { kill -0 `cat "$PID_FILE"`; } >/dev/null 2>&1
 		do
 			sleep 1
 			i=$(($i + 1))