diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index e3c48fc499cef..17d77fd51bd68 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -61,7 +61,8 @@
     "makelogs": "makelogs",
     "mocha": "mocha",
     "mocha:debug": "mocha --debug-brk",
-    "sterilize": "grunt sterilize"
+    "sterilize": "grunt sterilize",
+    "es-start": "grunt es-start"
   },
   "repository": {
     "type": "git",
diff --git a/tasks/es-start.js b/tasks/es-start.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..ae6c9e1c220c2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tasks/es-start.js
@@ -0,0 +1,82 @@
+import childProcess from 'child_process';
+import  bluebird  from 'bluebird';
+
+const runCommand = bluebird.promisify(childProcess.exec);
+const runFile = bluebird.promisify(childProcess.execFile);
+const esRepo = `../elasticsearch/`;
+const esDest = `${esRepo}distribution/tar/build/distributions/`;
+
+/**
+ * EXPERIMENTAL
+ *
+ * Build ES from source and startup. It ensures Kibana and Elasticsearch share the same major branch.
+ *
+ * The setup requires Kibana and Elasticsearch are on the same directory level
+ *
+ * Limitations:
+ * - *NIX only.
+ * - X-plugins not yet supported
+ *
+ * @param grunt
+ */
+module.exports = function (grunt) {
+
+  grunt.registerTask('es-start', async function () {
+
+    const taskDone = this.async();
+    const currentLocation = await runCommand('pwd');
+
+    try {
+      const kibanaTags = await runCommand('git tag');
+      const elasticTags = await runCommand(`cd ${esRepo} && git tag`);
+      const kibanaMajor = getMajorVersion(kibanaTags[0]);
+      const elasticsearchMajor = getMajorVersion(elasticTags[0]);
+
+      console.log('Ensuring major branches are the same.');
+      if (kibanaMajor !== elasticsearchMajor) {
+        const message = `Kibana and Elasticsearch must be on
+         the same major branch: Kibana=${kibanaMajor}, Elasticsearch=${elasticsearchMajor}`;
+        throw new Error(message);
+      }
+
+      if (kibanaMajor < 5) {
+        throw new Error('Must at least be at version 5');
+      }
+
+
+      console.log('Building Elasticsearch. This may take a while if this is the first time.');
+      try {
+        await runCommand('cd ../elasticsearch && gradle assemble -x test');
+      } catch (e) {
+        throw new Error('Could not build ElasticSearch');
+      }
+
+      const distrib = await runCommand(`find ${esRepo}distribution/tar/build/distributions/elasticsearch*.tar.gz`);
+      const zipFile = distrib[0].trim();
+      console.log('Unpacking ES');
+      await runCommand(`tar -xzvf ${zipFile} -C ${esDest}`);
+
+
+      let esDistro = await runCommand(`find ${esDest} -name 'elasticsearch*' -type d`);
+      esDistro = esDistro[0].trim();
+      console.log('Starting ES');
+      await runFile(`${esDistro}/bin/elasticsearch`);
+    } catch (e) {
+      console.error('Cannot start Elasticsearch.');
+      console.error(e);
+    } finally {
+      console.log('Tearing down process');
+      await runCommand(`cd ${currentLocation}`);
+      taskDone(false);
+    }
+
+
+  });
+
+};
+
+function getMajorVersion(gitResponse) {
+  const lines = gitResponse.split('\n').filter(s => s.startsWith('v'));
+  const lastTag = lines[lines.length - 1].trim();
+  return parseInt(lastTag.substr(1, 1));
+}