diff --git a/conf/index-writers.xml.template b/conf/index-writers.xml.template
index 4eb4386..aa9a90b 100644
--- a/conf/index-writers.xml.template
+++ b/conf/index-writers.xml.template
@@ -109,9 +109,9 @@
       <param name="host" value="localhost"/>
       <param name="port" value="9200"/>
       <param name="index" value="nutch"/>
-      <!--Configure username and password if necessary, default user is "elastic"
-      <param name="user" value="user"/>
-      <param name="password" value="password"/>-->
+      <param name="username" value="elastic"/>
+      <param name="password" value=""/>
+      <!--<param name="auth" value="false"/>-->
       <param name="max.bulk.docs" value="250"/>
       <param name="max.bulk.size" value="2500500"/>
       <param name="exponential.backoff.millis" value="100"/>
diff --git a/src/plugin/indexer-elastic/README.md b/src/plugin/indexer-elastic/README.md
index 41316de..b2a875b 100644
--- a/src/plugin/indexer-elastic/README.md
+++ b/src/plugin/indexer-elastic/README.md
@@ -33,8 +33,9 @@
 host | Comma-separated list of hostnames to send documents to using [TransportClient](https://static.javadoc.io/org.elasticsearch/elasticsearch/5.3.0/org/elasticsearch/client/transport/TransportClient.html). Either host and port must be defined or cluster. | 
 port | The port to connect to using [TransportClient](https://static.javadoc.io/org.elasticsearch/elasticsearch/5.3.0/org/elasticsearch/client/transport/TransportClient.html). | 9300
 index | Default index to send documents to. | nutch
-user | Username for auth credentials | elastic
+username | Username for auth credentials | elastic
 password | Password for auth credentials | ""
+auth | Whether to enable HTTP basic authentication with elastic. Use `username` and `password` properties to configure your credentials. | false
 max.bulk.docs | Maximum size of the bulk in number of documents. | 250
 max.bulk.size | Maximum size of the bulk in bytes. | 2500500
 exponential.backoff.millis | Initial delay for the [BulkProcessor](https://static.javadoc.io/org.elasticsearch/elasticsearch/5.3.0/org/elasticsearch/action/bulk/BulkProcessor.html) exponential backoff policy. | 100
diff --git a/src/plugin/indexer-elastic/src/java/org/apache/nutch/indexwriter/elastic/ElasticConstants.java b/src/plugin/indexer-elastic/src/java/org/apache/nutch/indexwriter/elastic/ElasticConstants.java
index 7a65d0f..c0d1a61 100644
--- a/src/plugin/indexer-elastic/src/java/org/apache/nutch/indexwriter/elastic/ElasticConstants.java
+++ b/src/plugin/indexer-elastic/src/java/org/apache/nutch/indexwriter/elastic/ElasticConstants.java
@@ -20,10 +20,9 @@
   String HOSTS = "host";
   String PORT = "port";
   
-  String USER = "user";
+  String USER = "username";
   String PASSWORD = "password";
-  
-  String CLUSTER = "cluster";
+  String USE_AUTH = "auth";
   String INDEX = "index";
   String MAX_BULK_DOCS = "max.bulk.docs";
   String MAX_BULK_LENGTH = "max.bulk.size";
diff --git a/src/plugin/indexer-elastic/src/java/org/apache/nutch/indexwriter/elastic/ElasticIndexWriter.java b/src/plugin/indexer-elastic/src/java/org/apache/nutch/indexwriter/elastic/ElasticIndexWriter.java
index 5f772ba..a9aa354 100644
--- a/src/plugin/indexer-elastic/src/java/org/apache/nutch/indexwriter/elastic/ElasticIndexWriter.java
+++ b/src/plugin/indexer-elastic/src/java/org/apache/nutch/indexwriter/elastic/ElasticIndexWriter.java
@@ -86,13 +86,12 @@
   private static final String DEFAULT_INDEX = "nutch";
   private static final String DEFAULT_USER = "elastic";
 
-  private String cluster;
   private String[] hosts;
   private int port;
   private Boolean https = null;
   private String user = null;
   private String password = null;
-  private Boolean trustAllHostnames = null;
+  private Boolean auth;
 
   private int maxBulkDocs;
   private int maxBulkLength;
@@ -122,7 +121,7 @@
    */
   @Override
   public void open(IndexWriterParams parameters) throws IOException {
-    cluster = parameters.get(ElasticConstants.CLUSTER);
+
     String hosts = parameters.get(ElasticConstants.HOSTS);
 
     if (StringUtils.isBlank(hosts)) {
@@ -170,6 +169,7 @@
     hosts = parameters.getStrings(ElasticConstants.HOSTS);
     port = parameters.getInt(ElasticConstants.PORT, DEFAULT_PORT);
 
+    auth = parameters.getBoolean(ElasticConstants.USE_AUTH, false);
     user = parameters.get(ElasticConstants.USER, DEFAULT_USER);
     password = parameters.get(ElasticConstants.PASSWORD, "");
 
@@ -186,15 +186,7 @@
         hostsList[i++] = new HttpHost(host, port);
       }
       RestClientBuilder restClientBuilder = RestClient.builder(hostsList);
-      if (StringUtils.isNotBlank(cluster)) {
-        Header[] defaultHeaders = new Header[] {
-            new BasicHeader("cluster.name", cluster) };
-        restClientBuilder.setDefaultHeaders(defaultHeaders);
-      } else {
-        LOG.debug("No cluster name provided so using default");
-      }
-      // Only add username and password if password is configured
-      if (StringUtils.isNotBlank(password)) {
+      if (auth) {
         restClientBuilder
             .setHttpClientConfigCallback(new HttpClientConfigCallback() {
               @Override
@@ -310,17 +302,17 @@
   public Map<String, Map.Entry<String, Object>> describe() {
     Map<String, Map.Entry<String, Object>> properties = new LinkedHashMap<>();
 
-    properties.put(ElasticConstants.CLUSTER, new AbstractMap.SimpleEntry<>(
-        "The cluster name to discover. Either host and port must be defined or cluster.",
-        this.cluster));
-    properties.put(ElasticConstants.HOSTS, new AbstractMap.SimpleEntry<>(
-        "Comma-separated list of hostnames to send documents to using TransportClient. "
-            + "Either host and port must be defined or cluster.",
-        this.hosts == null ? "" : String.join(",", hosts)));
+    properties.put(ElasticConstants.HOSTS,
+        new AbstractMap.SimpleEntry<>("Comma-separated list of hostnames",
+            this.hosts == null ? "" : String.join(",", hosts)));
     properties.put(ElasticConstants.PORT, new AbstractMap.SimpleEntry<>(
-        "The port to connect to using TransportClient.", this.port));
+        "The port to connect to elastic server.", this.port));
     properties.put(ElasticConstants.INDEX, new AbstractMap.SimpleEntry<>(
         "Default index to send documents to.", this.defaultIndex));
+    properties.put(ElasticConstants.USER, new AbstractMap.SimpleEntry<>(
+        "Username for auth credentials", this.user));
+    properties.put(ElasticConstants.PASSWORD, new AbstractMap.SimpleEntry<>(
+        "Password for auth credentials", this.password));
     properties.put(ElasticConstants.MAX_BULK_DOCS,
         new AbstractMap.SimpleEntry<>(
             "Maximum size of the bulk in number of documents.",