diff --git a/build-tools/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/gradle/test/TestBuildInfoPlugin.java b/build-tools/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/gradle/test/TestBuildInfoPlugin.java
index c0aabfe17e56f..307de78a15d25 100644
--- a/build-tools/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/gradle/test/TestBuildInfoPlugin.java
+++ b/build-tools/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/gradle/test/TestBuildInfoPlugin.java
@@ -57,13 +57,9 @@ public void apply(Project project) {
             task.into("META-INF", copy -> copy.from(testBuildInfoTask));
         });
 
-        if (project.getRootProject().getName().equals("elasticsearch")) {
-            project.getTasks()
-                .withType(Test.class)
-                .matching(test -> List.of("test", "internalClusterTest").contains(test.getName()))
-                .configureEach(test -> {
-                    test.systemProperty("es.entitlement.enableForTests", "true");
-                });
-        }
+        project.getTasks()
+            .withType(Test.class)
+            .matching(test -> List.of("test", "internalClusterTest").contains(test.getName()))
+            .configureEach(test -> test.getSystemProperties().putIfAbsent("es.entitlement.enableForTests", "true"));
     }
 }
diff --git a/plugins/examples/build.gradle b/plugins/examples/build.gradle
index c5f75e71e4842..d1d802e288419 100644
--- a/plugins/examples/build.gradle
+++ b/plugins/examples/build.gradle
@@ -20,6 +20,11 @@ subprojects {
     targetCompatibility = 21
   }
 
+  test {
+    // testing with entitlements doesn't work for example plugins ES-12453
+    systemProperty 'es.entitlement.enableForTests', 'false'
+  }
+
   repositories {
     // Only necessary when building plugins against SNAPSHOT versions of Elasticsearch
     if (gradle.includedBuilds.isEmpty()) {