diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 467c340e..c66c35ca 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
   "dependencies": {
     "@hapi/joi": "^16.1.8",
     "colors": "^1.1.2",
-    "@elastic/elasticsearch": "~7.17.0",
+    "pelias-elasticsearch": "https://github.com/michaelkirk-pelias/pelias-elasticsearch#mkirk\/elastic8",
     "glob": "^7.1.6",
     "lodash": "^4.17.15",
     "pelias-config": "https://github.com/michaelkirk-pelias/config#mkirk\/elastic8",
diff --git a/scripts/check_plugins.js b/scripts/check_plugins.js
index ac7a2aa2..8b23db65 100644
--- a/scripts/check_plugins.js
+++ b/scripts/check_plugins.js
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 const colors = require('colors/safe');
 const config = require('pelias-config').generate();
-const es = require('@elastic/elasticsearch');
-const client = new es.Client(config.esclient);
+const buildClient = require('pelias-elasticsearch');
+const client = buildClient(config.esclient);
 const cli = require('./cli');
 
 // mandatory plugins
diff --git a/scripts/check_version.js b/scripts/check_version.js
index 9e0d76b6..77e0894d 100644
--- a/scripts/check_version.js
+++ b/scripts/check_version.js
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 const _ = require('lodash');
 const semver = require('semver');
-const es = require('@elastic/elasticsearch');
+const buildClient = require('pelias-elasticsearch');
 const config = require('pelias-config').generate();
-const client = new es.Client(config.esclient);
+const client = buildClient(config.esclient);
 const cli = require('./cli');
 
 // pass target elastic version semver as the first CLI arg
diff --git a/scripts/create_index.js b/scripts/create_index.js
index 93b68b57..9cca702f 100644
--- a/scripts/create_index.js
+++ b/scripts/create_index.js
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 const child_process = require('child_process');
 const config = require('pelias-config').generate();
-const es = require('@elastic/elasticsearch');
+const buildClient = require('pelias-elasticsearch');
 const SUPPORTED_ES_VERSIONS = '>=7.4.2';
 
 const cli = require('./cli');
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ const schema = require('../schema');
 
 cli.header("create index");
 
-const client = new es.Client(config.esclient);
+const client = buildClient(config.esclient);
 
 // check minimum elasticsearch versions before continuing
 try {
diff --git a/scripts/drop_index.js b/scripts/drop_index.js
index 0fd3c655..f82d253b 100644
--- a/scripts/drop_index.js
+++ b/scripts/drop_index.js
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 const colors = require('colors/safe');
 const config = require('pelias-config').generate();
-const es = require('@elastic/elasticsearch');
-const client = new es.Client(config.esclient);
+const buildClient = require('pelias-elasticsearch');
+const client = buildClient(config.esclient);
 const readline = require('readline');
 const rl = readline.createInterface({ input: process.stdin, output: process.stdout });
 
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@ function drop() {
 // check all hosts to see if any is not localhost
 function warnIfNotLocal() {
   for (const idx in config.esclient.nodes) {
-    debugger;
     const node = config.esclient.nodes[idx];
     if (!node.includes('://localhost')) {
       console.log(colors.red(`WARNING: DROPPING SCHEMA NOT ON LOCALHOST: ${node}`));
diff --git a/scripts/info.js b/scripts/info.js
index 62504c6e..26d0788b 100644
--- a/scripts/info.js
+++ b/scripts/info.js
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 var config = require('pelias-config').generate().esclient;
-var es = require('@elastic/elasticsearch');
-var client = new es.Client(config);
+var buildClient = require('pelias-elasticsearch');
+var client = buildClient(config);
 
 client.info( {}, console.log.bind(console) );
diff --git a/scripts/update_settings.js b/scripts/update_settings.js
index b2ae69b8..1dbdd633 100644
--- a/scripts/update_settings.js
+++ b/scripts/update_settings.js
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 var config = require('pelias-config').generate();
-var es = require('@elastic/elasticsearch');
-var client = new es.Client(config.esclient);
+var buildClient = require('pelias-elasticsearch');
+var client = buildClient(config.esclient);
 var schema = require('../schema');
 
 var _index = config.schema.indexName;