diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/node/internal/InternalSettingsPreparer.java b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/node/internal/InternalSettingsPreparer.java
index 0f460274fc1cb..3b61502f723b6 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/node/internal/InternalSettingsPreparer.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/node/internal/InternalSettingsPreparer.java
@@ -114,10 +114,9 @@ public static Tuple<Settings, Environment> prepareSettings(Settings pSettings, b
             }
             if (loadFromEnv) {
                 for (String allowedSuffix : ALLOWED_SUFFIXES) {
-                    try {
-                        settingsBuilder.loadFromPath(environment.configFile().resolve("elasticsearch" + allowedSuffix));
-                    } catch (SettingsException e) {
-                        // ignore
+                    Path path = environment.configFile().resolve("elasticsearch" + allowedSuffix);
+                    if (Files.exists(path)) {
+                        settingsBuilder.loadFromPath(path);
                     }
                 }
             }
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/node/internal/InternalSettingsPreparerTests.java b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/node/internal/InternalSettingsPreparerTests.java
index f868c04d6f22e..9d4324d8ce491 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/node/internal/InternalSettingsPreparerTests.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/node/internal/InternalSettingsPreparerTests.java
@@ -23,15 +23,15 @@
 import org.elasticsearch.common.cli.Terminal;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.collect.Tuple;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.settings.Settings;
+import org.elasticsearch.common.settings.SettingsException;
 import org.elasticsearch.env.Environment;
 import org.elasticsearch.test.ESTestCase;
 import org.junit.After;
 import org.junit.Before;
 import org.junit.Test;
 
+import java.io.IOException;
 import java.io.InputStream;
-import java.net.URL;
-import java.net.URLClassLoader;
 import java.nio.file.Files;
 import java.nio.file.Path;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
@@ -235,4 +235,17 @@ public String readText(String message, Object... args) {
         assertThat(settings.get("name"), is("prompted name 0"));
         assertThat(settings.get("node.name"), is("prompted name 0"));
     }
+
+    @Test(expected = SettingsException.class)
+    public void testGarbageIsNotSwallowed() throws IOException {
+        InputStream garbage = getClass().getResourceAsStream("/config/garbage/garbage.yml");
+        Path home = createTempDir();
+        Path config = home.resolve("config");
+        Files.createDirectory(config);
+        Files.copy(garbage, config.resolve("elasticsearch.yml"));
+        InternalSettingsPreparer.prepareSettings(settingsBuilder()
+                .put("config.ignore_system_properties", true)
+                .put("path.home", home)
+                .build(), true);
+    }
 }
diff --git a/core/src/test/resources/config/garbage/garbage.yml b/core/src/test/resources/config/garbage/garbage.yml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..36c5fdb52a22d
--- /dev/null
+++ b/core/src/test/resources/config/garbage/garbage.yml
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+SKDFLK@$#L%@KL#%L#@$#@L$ #L$@$ #L@K$#L $L $K#L#@L $#L
+!!@!@$(#%#)(@)% #(%)
+#(%#@)%@#)% (@#%()
+()#%@#% (@ )%@%(@#)% @( %)@ %(@)
+)(%)@()(%)()(#%)@#
+
+node.name: "Hiro Takachiho"