diff --git a/src/core_plugins/elasticsearch/lib/__tests__/check_es_version.js b/src/core_plugins/elasticsearch/lib/__tests__/check_es_version.js
index 74d43816d8384..cc36d350d6eb0 100644
--- a/src/core_plugins/elasticsearch/lib/__tests__/check_es_version.js
+++ b/src/core_plugins/elasticsearch/lib/__tests__/check_es_version.js
@@ -56,6 +56,12 @@ describe('plugins/elasticsearch', () => {
       client.nodes.info = sinon.stub().returns(Promise.resolve({ nodes: nodes }));
     }
 
+    function setNodeWithoutHTTP(version) {
+      const nodes = { 'node-without-http': { version, ip: 'ip' } };
+      const client = server.plugins.elasticsearch.client;
+      client.nodes.info = sinon.stub().returns(Promise.resolve({ nodes: nodes }));
+    }
+
     it('returns true with single a node that matches', async () => {
       setNodes('5.1.0');
       const result = await checkEsVersion(server, KIBANA_VERSION);
@@ -99,6 +105,24 @@ describe('plugins/elasticsearch', () => {
       expect(server.log.getCall(1).args[0]).to.contain('warning');
     });
 
+    it('warns if a node is off by a patch version and without http publish address', async () => {
+      setNodeWithoutHTTP('5.1.1');
+      await checkEsVersion(server, KIBANA_VERSION);
+      sinon.assert.callCount(server.log, 2);
+      expect(server.log.getCall(0).args[0]).to.contain('debug');
+      expect(server.log.getCall(1).args[0]).to.contain('warning');
+    });
+
+    it('errors if a node incompatible and without http publish address', async () => {
+      setNodeWithoutHTTP('6.1.1');
+      try {
+        await checkEsVersion(server, KIBANA_VERSION);
+      } catch (e) {
+        expect(e.message).to.contain('incompatible nodes');
+        expect(e).to.be.a(Error);
+      }
+    });
+
     it('only warns once per node list', async () => {
       setNodes('5.1.1');
 
diff --git a/src/core_plugins/elasticsearch/lib/check_es_version.js b/src/core_plugins/elasticsearch/lib/check_es_version.js
index b9eddd0e0f249..a6cc89978ac9b 100644
--- a/src/core_plugins/elasticsearch/lib/check_es_version.js
+++ b/src/core_plugins/elasticsearch/lib/check_es_version.js
@@ -44,7 +44,8 @@ module.exports = function checkEsVersion(server, kibanaVersion) {
 
     function getHumanizedNodeNames(nodes) {
       return nodes.map(node => {
-        return 'v' + node.version + ' @ ' + node.http.publish_address + ' (' + node.ip + ')';
+        const publishAddress =  _.get(node, 'http.publish_address') ? (_.get(node, 'http.publish_address') + ' ') : '';
+        return 'v' + node.version + ' @ ' + publishAddress + '(' + node.ip + ')';
       });
     }
 
@@ -52,7 +53,7 @@ module.exports = function checkEsVersion(server, kibanaVersion) {
       const simplifiedNodes = warningNodes.map(node => ({
         version: node.version,
         http: {
-          publish_address: node.http.publish_address,
+          publish_address: _.get(node, 'http.publish_address')
         },
         ip: node.ip,
       }));
@@ -78,7 +79,7 @@ module.exports = function checkEsVersion(server, kibanaVersion) {
       throw new Error(
         `This version of Kibana requires Elasticsearch v` +
         `${kibanaVersion} on all nodes. I found ` +
-        `the following incompatible nodes in your cluster: ${incompatibleNodeNames.join(',')}`
+        `the following incompatible nodes in your cluster: ${incompatibleNodeNames.join(', ')}`
       );
     }