diff --git a/src/setup_node_env/index.js b/src/setup_node_env/index.js
index a3fe8d938ba2bf..6592fa9fd2424a 100644
--- a/src/setup_node_env/index.js
+++ b/src/setup_node_env/index.js
@@ -17,6 +17,5 @@
  * under the License.
  */
 
-require('./root');
 require('./node_version_validator');
 require('./babel_register');
diff --git a/src/setup_node_env/root/force.js b/src/setup_node_env/root/force.js
deleted file mode 100644
index 1c750c433ba87f..00000000000000
--- a/src/setup_node_env/root/force.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,25 +0,0 @@
-/*
- * Licensed to Elasticsearch B.V. under one or more contributor
- * license agreements. See the NOTICE file distributed with
- * this work for additional information regarding copyright
- * ownership. Elasticsearch B.V. licenses this file to you under
- * the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License"); you may
- * not use this file except in compliance with the License.
- * You may obtain a copy of the License at
- *
- *    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
- *
- * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing,
- * software distributed under the License is distributed on an
- * "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY
- * KIND, either express or implied.  See the License for the
- * specific language governing permissions and limitations
- * under the License.
- */
-
-module.exports = function (argv) {
-  var forceIndex = argv.indexOf('--force-root');
-  var force = forceIndex >= 0;
-  if (force) argv.splice(forceIndex, 1);
-  return force;
-};
diff --git a/src/setup_node_env/root/force.test.js b/src/setup_node_env/root/force.test.js
deleted file mode 100644
index 70fb19fa52e2ce..00000000000000
--- a/src/setup_node_env/root/force.test.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,39 +0,0 @@
-/*
- * Licensed to Elasticsearch B.V. under one or more contributor
- * license agreements. See the NOTICE file distributed with
- * this work for additional information regarding copyright
- * ownership. Elasticsearch B.V. licenses this file to you under
- * the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License"); you may
- * not use this file except in compliance with the License.
- * You may obtain a copy of the License at
- *
- *    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
- *
- * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing,
- * software distributed under the License is distributed on an
- * "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY
- * KIND, either express or implied.  See the License for the
- * specific language governing permissions and limitations
- * under the License.
- */
-
-var forceRoot = require('./force');
-
-describe('forceRoot', function () {
-
-  it('with flag', function () {
-    expect(forceRoot(['--force-root'])).toBeTruthy();
-  });
-
-  it('without flag', function () {
-    expect(forceRoot(['--foo'])).toBeFalsy();
-
-  });
-
-  test('remove argument', function () {
-    var args = ['--force-root', 'foo'];
-    forceRoot(args);
-    expect(args.includes('--force-root')).toBeFalsy();
-  });
-
-});
diff --git a/src/setup_node_env/root/index.js b/src/setup_node_env/root/index.js
deleted file mode 100644
index ebe9cc294d85cf..00000000000000
--- a/src/setup_node_env/root/index.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,26 +0,0 @@
-/*
- * Licensed to Elasticsearch B.V. under one or more contributor
- * license agreements. See the NOTICE file distributed with
- * this work for additional information regarding copyright
- * ownership. Elasticsearch B.V. licenses this file to you under
- * the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License"); you may
- * not use this file except in compliance with the License.
- * You may obtain a copy of the License at
- *
- *    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
- *
- * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing,
- * software distributed under the License is distributed on an
- * "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY
- * KIND, either express or implied.  See the License for the
- * specific language governing permissions and limitations
- * under the License.
- */
-
-var force = require('./force')(process.argv);
-var isRoot = require('./is_root')(process.getuid());
-
-if(isRoot && !force) {
-  console.error('Kibana should not be run as root.  Use --force-root to continue.');
-  process.exit(1);
-}
diff --git a/src/setup_node_env/root/is_root.js b/src/setup_node_env/root/is_root.js
deleted file mode 100644
index e2eaaf6af51540..00000000000000
--- a/src/setup_node_env/root/is_root.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,22 +0,0 @@
-/*
- * Licensed to Elasticsearch B.V. under one or more contributor
- * license agreements. See the NOTICE file distributed with
- * this work for additional information regarding copyright
- * ownership. Elasticsearch B.V. licenses this file to you under
- * the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License"); you may
- * not use this file except in compliance with the License.
- * You may obtain a copy of the License at
- *
- *    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
- *
- * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing,
- * software distributed under the License is distributed on an
- * "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY
- * KIND, either express or implied.  See the License for the
- * specific language governing permissions and limitations
- * under the License.
- */
-
-module.exports = function (uid) {
-  return uid === 0;
-};
diff --git a/src/setup_node_env/root/is_root.test.js b/src/setup_node_env/root/is_root.test.js
deleted file mode 100644
index a976299cd5d5b4..00000000000000
--- a/src/setup_node_env/root/is_root.test.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,32 +0,0 @@
-/*
- * Licensed to Elasticsearch B.V. under one or more contributor
- * license agreements. See the NOTICE file distributed with
- * this work for additional information regarding copyright
- * ownership. Elasticsearch B.V. licenses this file to you under
- * the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License"); you may
- * not use this file except in compliance with the License.
- * You may obtain a copy of the License at
- *
- *    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
- *
- * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing,
- * software distributed under the License is distributed on an
- * "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY
- * KIND, either express or implied.  See the License for the
- * specific language governing permissions and limitations
- * under the License.
- */
-
-var isRoot = require('./is_root');
-
-
-describe('isRoot', function () {
-
-  test('0 is root', function () {
-    expect(isRoot(0)).toBeTruthy();
-  });
-
-  test('not 0 is not root', function () {
-    expect(isRoot(5)).toBeFalsy();
-  });
-});