diff --git a/docs/development/core/server/kibana-plugin-server.elasticsearchclientconfig.md b/docs/development/core/server/kibana-plugin-server.elasticsearchclientconfig.md
index cd42a84f621a9..39e6ac428292b 100644
--- a/docs/development/core/server/kibana-plugin-server.elasticsearchclientconfig.md
+++ b/docs/development/core/server/kibana-plugin-server.elasticsearchclientconfig.md
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 
 ## ElasticsearchClientConfig type
 
+
 <b>Signature:</b>
 
 ```typescript
diff --git a/docs/development/core/server/kibana-plugin-server.elasticsearchservicesetup.createclient.md b/docs/development/core/server/kibana-plugin-server.elasticsearchservicesetup.createclient.md
index 8b1ce883c4a14..c29d3fbbf69ab 100644
--- a/docs/development/core/server/kibana-plugin-server.elasticsearchservicesetup.createclient.md
+++ b/docs/development/core/server/kibana-plugin-server.elasticsearchservicesetup.createclient.md
@@ -4,8 +4,20 @@
 
 ## ElasticsearchServiceSetup.createClient property
 
+Create application specific Elasticsearch cluster API client with customized config.
+
 <b>Signature:</b>
 
 ```typescript
-readonly createClient: (type: string, config: ElasticsearchClientConfig) => ClusterClient;
+readonly createClient: (type: string, clientConfig?: Partial<ElasticsearchClientConfig>) => ClusterClient;
 ```
+
+## Example
+
+
+```js
+const client = elasticsearch.createCluster('my-app-name', config);
+const data = await client.callAsInternalUser();
+
+```
+
diff --git a/docs/development/core/server/kibana-plugin-server.elasticsearchservicesetup.md b/docs/development/core/server/kibana-plugin-server.elasticsearchservicesetup.md
index 3197869d6d663..a295022971a14 100644
--- a/docs/development/core/server/kibana-plugin-server.elasticsearchservicesetup.md
+++ b/docs/development/core/server/kibana-plugin-server.elasticsearchservicesetup.md
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@ export interface ElasticsearchServiceSetup
 |  Property | Type | Description |
 |  --- | --- | --- |
 |  [adminClient$](./kibana-plugin-server.elasticsearchservicesetup.adminclient$.md) | <code>Observable&lt;ClusterClient&gt;</code> |  |
-|  [createClient](./kibana-plugin-server.elasticsearchservicesetup.createclient.md) | <code>(type: string, config: ElasticsearchClientConfig) =&gt; ClusterClient</code> |  |
+|  [createClient](./kibana-plugin-server.elasticsearchservicesetup.createclient.md) | <code>(type: string, clientConfig?: Partial&lt;ElasticsearchClientConfig&gt;) =&gt; ClusterClient</code> | Create application specific Elasticsearch cluster API client with customized config. |
 |  [dataClient$](./kibana-plugin-server.elasticsearchservicesetup.dataclient$.md) | <code>Observable&lt;ClusterClient&gt;</code> |  |
 |  [legacy](./kibana-plugin-server.elasticsearchservicesetup.legacy.md) | <code>{</code><br/><code>        readonly config$: Observable&lt;ElasticsearchConfig&gt;;</code><br/><code>    }</code> |  |
 
diff --git a/src/core/server/elasticsearch/elasticsearch_client_config.ts b/src/core/server/elasticsearch/elasticsearch_client_config.ts
index 9fe56bf8c7e58..dcc09f711abbe 100644
--- a/src/core/server/elasticsearch/elasticsearch_client_config.ts
+++ b/src/core/server/elasticsearch/elasticsearch_client_config.ts
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@ import { Logger } from '../logging';
 import { ElasticsearchConfig } from './elasticsearch_config';
 
 /**
- * @internalremarks Config that consumers can pass to the Elasticsearch JS client is complex and includes
+ * @privateRemarks Config that consumers can pass to the Elasticsearch JS client is complex and includes
  * not only entries from standard `elasticsearch.*` yaml config, but also some Elasticsearch JS
  * client specific options like `keepAlive` or `plugins` (that eventually will be deprecated).
  *
diff --git a/src/core/server/elasticsearch/elasticsearch_service.test.ts b/src/core/server/elasticsearch/elasticsearch_service.test.ts
index a0f7180129382..e84ddb2baa30c 100644
--- a/src/core/server/elasticsearch/elasticsearch_service.test.ts
+++ b/src/core/server/elasticsearch/elasticsearch_service.test.ts
@@ -39,8 +39,12 @@ const deps = {
 configService.atPath.mockReturnValue(
   new BehaviorSubject({
     hosts: ['http://1.2.3.4'],
-    healthCheck: {},
-    ssl: {},
+    healthCheck: {
+      delay: 2000,
+    },
+    ssl: {
+      verificationMode: 'none',
+    },
   } as any)
 );
 
@@ -57,7 +61,7 @@ beforeEach(() => {
 afterEach(() => jest.clearAllMocks());
 
 describe('#setup', () => {
-  test('returns legacy Elasticsearch config as a part of the contract', async () => {
+  it('returns legacy Elasticsearch config as a part of the contract', async () => {
     const setupContract = await elasticsearchService.setup(deps);
 
     await expect(setupContract.legacy.config$.pipe(first()).toPromise()).resolves.toBeInstanceOf(
@@ -65,7 +69,7 @@ describe('#setup', () => {
     );
   });
 
-  test('returns data and admin client observables as a part of the contract', async () => {
+  it('returns data and admin client observables as a part of the contract', async () => {
     const mockAdminClusterClientInstance = { close: jest.fn() };
     const mockDataClusterClientInstance = { close: jest.fn() };
     MockClusterClient.mockImplementationOnce(
@@ -103,27 +107,83 @@ describe('#setup', () => {
     expect(mockDataClusterClientInstance.close).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
   });
 
-  test('returns `createClient` as a part of the contract', async () => {
-    const setupContract = await elasticsearchService.setup(deps);
-
-    const mockClusterClientInstance = { close: jest.fn() };
-    MockClusterClient.mockImplementation(() => mockClusterClientInstance);
-
-    const mockConfig = { logQueries: true };
-    const clusterClient = setupContract.createClient('some-custom-type', mockConfig as any);
-
-    expect(clusterClient).toBe(mockClusterClientInstance);
-
-    expect(MockClusterClient).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
-      mockConfig,
-      expect.objectContaining({ context: ['elasticsearch', 'some-custom-type'] }),
-      expect.any(Function)
-    );
+  describe('#createClient', () => {
+    it('allows to specify config properties', async () => {
+      const setupContract = await elasticsearchService.setup(deps);
+
+      const mockClusterClientInstance = { close: jest.fn() };
+      MockClusterClient.mockImplementation(() => mockClusterClientInstance);
+
+      const customConfig = { logQueries: true };
+      const clusterClient = setupContract.createClient('some-custom-type', customConfig);
+
+      expect(clusterClient).toBe(mockClusterClientInstance);
+
+      expect(MockClusterClient).toHaveBeenCalledWith(
+        expect.objectContaining(customConfig),
+        expect.objectContaining({ context: ['elasticsearch', 'some-custom-type'] }),
+        expect.any(Function)
+      );
+    });
+
+    it('falls back to elasticsearch default config values if property not specified', async () => {
+      const setupContract = await elasticsearchService.setup(deps);
+      // reset all mocks called during setup phase
+      MockClusterClient.mockClear();
+
+      const customConfig = {
+        hosts: ['http://8.8.8.8'],
+        logQueries: true,
+        ssl: { certificate: 'certificate-value' },
+      };
+      setupContract.createClient('some-custom-type', customConfig);
+
+      const config = MockClusterClient.mock.calls[0][0];
+      expect(config).toMatchInlineSnapshot(`
+Object {
+  "healthCheckDelay": 2000,
+  "hosts": Array [
+    "http://8.8.8.8",
+  ],
+  "logQueries": true,
+  "requestHeadersWhitelist": Array [
+    undefined,
+  ],
+  "ssl": Object {
+    "certificate": "certificate-value",
+    "verificationMode": "none",
+  },
+}
+`);
+    });
+    it('falls back to elasticsearch config if custom config not passed', async () => {
+      const setupContract = await elasticsearchService.setup(deps);
+      // reset all mocks called during setup phase
+      MockClusterClient.mockClear();
+
+      setupContract.createClient('another-type');
+
+      const config = MockClusterClient.mock.calls[0][0];
+      expect(config).toMatchInlineSnapshot(`
+Object {
+  "healthCheckDelay": 2000,
+  "hosts": Array [
+    "http://1.2.3.4",
+  ],
+  "requestHeadersWhitelist": Array [
+    undefined,
+  ],
+  "ssl": Object {
+    "verificationMode": "none",
+  },
+}
+`);
+    });
   });
 });
 
 describe('#stop', () => {
-  test('stops both admin and data clients', async () => {
+  it('stops both admin and data clients', async () => {
     const mockAdminClusterClientInstance = { close: jest.fn() };
     const mockDataClusterClientInstance = { close: jest.fn() };
     MockClusterClient.mockImplementationOnce(
diff --git a/src/core/server/elasticsearch/elasticsearch_service.ts b/src/core/server/elasticsearch/elasticsearch_service.ts
index 4e90ff2e2baec..38a0d19b1ae3f 100644
--- a/src/core/server/elasticsearch/elasticsearch_service.ts
+++ b/src/core/server/elasticsearch/elasticsearch_service.ts
@@ -18,7 +18,8 @@
  */
 
 import { ConnectableObservable, Observable, Subscription } from 'rxjs';
-import { filter, map, publishReplay, switchMap } from 'rxjs/operators';
+import { filter, first, map, publishReplay, switchMap } from 'rxjs/operators';
+import { merge } from 'lodash';
 import { CoreService } from '../../types';
 import { CoreContext } from '../core_context';
 import { Logger } from '../logging';
@@ -44,8 +45,27 @@ export interface ElasticsearchServiceSetup {
   readonly legacy: {
     readonly config$: Observable<ElasticsearchConfig>;
   };
-
-  readonly createClient: (type: string, config: ElasticsearchClientConfig) => ClusterClient;
+  /**
+   * Create application specific Elasticsearch cluster API client with customized config.
+   *
+   * @param type Unique identifier of the client
+   * @param clientConfig A config consists of Elasticsearch JS client options and
+   * valid sub-set of Elasticsearch service config.
+   * We fill all the missing properties in the `clientConfig` using the default
+   * Elasticsearch config so that we don't depend on default values set and
+   * controlled by underlying Elasticsearch JS client.
+   * We don't run validation against passed config expect it to be valid.
+   *
+   * @example
+   * ```js
+   * const client = elasticsearch.createCluster('my-app-name', config);
+   * const data = await client.callAsInternalUser();
+   * ```
+   */
+  readonly createClient: (
+    type: string,
+    clientConfig?: Partial<ElasticsearchClientConfig>
+  ) => ClusterClient;
   readonly adminClient$: Observable<ClusterClient>;
   readonly dataClient$: Observable<ClusterClient>;
 }
@@ -101,14 +121,17 @@ export class ElasticsearchService implements CoreService<ElasticsearchServiceSet
 
     this.subscription = clients$.connect();
 
+    const config = await this.config$.pipe(first()).toPromise();
+
     return {
       legacy: { config$: clients$.pipe(map(clients => clients.config)) },
 
       adminClient$: clients$.pipe(map(clients => clients.adminClient)),
       dataClient$: clients$.pipe(map(clients => clients.dataClient)),
 
-      createClient: (type: string, clientConfig: ElasticsearchClientConfig) => {
-        return this.createClusterClient(type, clientConfig, deps.http.auth.getAuthHeaders);
+      createClient: (type: string, clientConfig: Partial<ElasticsearchClientConfig> = {}) => {
+        const finalConfig = merge({}, config, clientConfig);
+        return this.createClusterClient(type, finalConfig, deps.http.auth.getAuthHeaders);
       },
     };
   }
diff --git a/src/core/server/server.api.md b/src/core/server/server.api.md
index b1fdc1289151c..79d784224eccd 100644
--- a/src/core/server/server.api.md
+++ b/src/core/server/server.api.md
@@ -142,8 +142,7 @@ export class ElasticsearchErrorHelpers {
 export interface ElasticsearchServiceSetup {
     // (undocumented)
     readonly adminClient$: Observable<ClusterClient>;
-    // (undocumented)
-    readonly createClient: (type: string, config: ElasticsearchClientConfig) => ClusterClient;
+    readonly createClient: (type: string, clientConfig?: Partial<ElasticsearchClientConfig>) => ClusterClient;
     // (undocumented)
     readonly dataClient$: Observable<ClusterClient>;
     // (undocumented)
diff --git a/src/legacy/core_plugins/elasticsearch/index.js b/src/legacy/core_plugins/elasticsearch/index.js
index 8dc9c77e79d99..51dac9e3a4682 100644
--- a/src/legacy/core_plugins/elasticsearch/index.js
+++ b/src/legacy/core_plugins/elasticsearch/index.js
@@ -77,13 +77,7 @@ export default function (kibana) {
           throw new Error(`cluster '${name}' already exists`);
         }
 
-        // We fill all the missing properties in the `clientConfig` using the default
-        // Elasticsearch config so that we don't depend on default values set and
-        // controlled by underlying Elasticsearch JS client.
-        const cluster = new Cluster(server.newPlatform.setup.core.elasticsearch.createClient(name, {
-          ...esConfig,
-          ...clientConfig,
-        }));
+        const cluster = new Cluster(server.newPlatform.setup.core.elasticsearch.createClient(name, clientConfig));
 
         clusters.set(name, cluster);