diff --git a/templates/init/redhat/elasticsearch.j2 b/templates/init/redhat/elasticsearch.j2
index bdb1ad7..b50d63b 100755
--- a/templates/init/redhat/elasticsearch.j2
+++ b/templates/init/redhat/elasticsearch.j2
@@ -32,16 +32,22 @@ if [ -f /etc/rc.d/init.d/functions ]; then
 fi
 
 # Sets the default values for elasticsearch variables used in this script
-ES_USER="elasticsearch"
-ES_GROUP="elasticsearch"
-ES_HOME="/usr/share/elasticsearch"
-MAX_OPEN_FILES=65535
-MAX_MAP_COUNT=262144
-LOG_DIR="/var/log/elasticsearch"
-DATA_DIR="/var/lib/elasticsearch"
-CONF_DIR="/etc/elasticsearch"
+ES_USER="{{es_user}}"
+ES_GROUP="{{es_group}}"
+ES_HOME="{{es_home}}"
+{% if es_max_open_files is defined %}
+MAX_OPEN_FILES={{es_max_open_files}}
+{% endif %}
+# Maximum number of VMA (Virtual Memory Areas) a process can own
+{% if es_max_map_count is defined %}
+MAX_MAP_COUNT={{es_max_map_count}}
+{% endif %}
 
-PID_DIR="/var/run/elasticsearch"
+LOG_DIR="{{log_dir}}"
+DATA_DIR={{ data_dirs | array_to_str }}
+CONF_DIR="{{conf_dir}}"
+
+PID_DIR="{{pid_dir}}"
 
 # Source the default env file
 ES_ENV_FILE="{{instance_default_file}}"
@@ -56,16 +62,24 @@ if [ ! -z "$CONF_FILE" ]; then
 fi
 
 exec="$ES_HOME/bin/elasticsearch"
-prog="elasticsearch"
+prog="{{es_instance_name}}_{{default_file | basename}}"
 pidfile="$PID_DIR/${prog}.pid"
 
-export ES_HEAP_SIZE
-export ES_HEAP_NEWSIZE
-export ES_DIRECT_SIZE
 export ES_JAVA_OPTS
-export ES_GC_LOG_FILE
-export ES_STARTUP_SLEEP_TIME
 export JAVA_HOME
+export ES_INCLUDE
+export ES_JVM_OPTIONS
+export ES_STARTUP_SLEEP_TIME
+
+# export unsupported variables so bin/elasticsearch can reject them and inform the user these are unsupported
+if test -n "$ES_MIN_MEM"; then export ES_MIN_MEM; fi
+if test -n "$ES_MAX_MEM"; then export ES_MAX_MEM; fi
+if test -n "$ES_HEAP_SIZE"; then export ES_HEAP_SIZE; fi
+if test -n "$ES_HEAP_NEWSIZE"; then export ES_HEAP_NEWSIZE; fi
+if test -n "$ES_DIRECT_SIZE"; then export ES_DIRECT_SIZE; fi
+if test -n "$ES_USE_IPV4"; then export ES_USE_IPV4; fi
+if test -n "$ES_GC_OPTS"; then export ES_GC_OPTS; fi
+if test -n "$ES_GC_LOG_FILE"; then export ES_GC_LOG_FILE; fi
 
 lockfile=/var/lock/subsys/$prog
 
@@ -74,6 +88,11 @@ if [ -n $USER ] && [ -z $ES_USER ] ; then
    ES_USER=$USER
 fi
 
+if [ ! -x "$exec" ]; then
+    echo "The elasticsearch startup script does not exists or it is not executable, tried: $exec"
+    exit 1
+fi
+
 checkJava() {
     if [ -x "$JAVA_HOME/bin/java" ]; then
         JAVA="$JAVA_HOME/bin/java"
@@ -90,12 +109,7 @@ checkJava() {
 start() {
     checkJava
     [ -x $exec ] || exit 5
-{% if es_version | version_compare('5.0', '<') %}
-    if [ -n "$MAX_LOCKED_MEMORY" -a -z "$ES_HEAP_SIZE" ]; then
-        echo "MAX_LOCKED_MEMORY is set - ES_HEAP_SIZE must also be set"
-        return 7
-    fi
-{% endif %}
+
     if [ -n "$MAX_OPEN_FILES" ]; then
         ulimit -n $MAX_OPEN_FILES
     fi
@@ -105,7 +119,6 @@ start() {
     if [ -n "$MAX_MAP_COUNT" -a -f /proc/sys/vm/max_map_count ]; then
         sysctl -q -w vm.max_map_count=$MAX_MAP_COUNT
     fi
-    export ES_GC_LOG_FILE
 
     # Ensure that the PID_DIR exists (it is cleaned at OS startup time)
     if [ -n "$PID_DIR" ] && [ ! -e "$PID_DIR" ]; then
@@ -118,11 +131,7 @@ start() {
     cd $ES_HOME
     echo -n $"Starting $prog: "
     # if not running, start it up here, usually something like "daemon $exec"
-{% if es_version | version_compare('5.0', '<') %}
-    daemon --user $ES_USER --pidfile $pidfile $exec -p $pidfile -d -Des.default.path.home=$ES_HOME -Des.default.path.logs=$LOG_DIR -Des.default.path.data=$DATA_DIR -Des.default.path.conf=$CONF_DIR
-{% else %}
-    daemon --user $ES_USER --pidfile $pidfile $exec -p $pidfile -d -Edefault.path.home=$ES_HOME -Edefault.path.logs=$LOG_DIR -Edefault.path.data=${DATA_DIR} -Edefault.path.conf=$CONF_DIR
-{% endif %}
+    daemon --user $ES_USER --pidfile $pidfile $exec -p $pidfile -d -Edefault.path.logs=$LOG_DIR -Edefault.path.data=$DATA_DIR -Edefault.path.conf=$CONF_DIR
     retval=$?
     echo
     [ $retval -eq 0 ] && touch $lockfile