diff --git a/x-pack/qa/rolling-upgrade/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/test/mixed_cluster/50_token_auth.yml b/x-pack/qa/rolling-upgrade/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/test/mixed_cluster/50_token_auth.yml
deleted file mode 100644
index 9fac41b569048..0000000000000
--- a/x-pack/qa/rolling-upgrade/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/test/mixed_cluster/50_token_auth.yml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,180 +0,0 @@
----
-"Get the indexed token and use if to authenticate":
-  - skip:
-      features: headers
-
-  - do:
-      cluster.health:
-          wait_for_status: yellow
-
-  - do:
-      get:
-        index: token_index
-        id:    "6"
-
-  - match: { _index:   token_index }
-  - match: { _id:      "6"      }
-  - is_true: _source.token
-  - set: { _source.token : token }
-
-  - do:
-      headers:
-        Authorization: Bearer ${token}
-      security.authenticate: {}
-
-  - match: { username: "token_user" }
-  - match: { roles.0:  "superuser" }
-  - match: { full_name: "Token User" }
-
-  # call three times because the client rotates the nodes
-  - do:
-      headers:
-        Authorization: Bearer ${token}
-      search:
-        rest_total_hits_as_int: true
-        index: token_index
-
-  - match: { hits.total: 8 }
-
-  - do:
-      headers:
-        Authorization: Bearer ${token}
-      search:
-        rest_total_hits_as_int: true
-        index: token_index
-
-  - match: { hits.total: 8 }
-
-  - do:
-      headers:
-        Authorization: Bearer ${token}
-      search:
-        rest_total_hits_as_int: true
-        index: token_index
-
-  - match: { hits.total: 8 }
-
----
-"Get the indexed refreshed access token and use if to authenticate":
-  - skip:
-      features: headers
-
-  - do:
-      get:
-        index: token_index
-        id:    "7"
-
-  - match: { _index:   token_index }
-  - match: { _id:      "7"      }
-  - is_true: _source.token
-  - set: { _source.token : token }
-
-  - do:
-      headers:
-        Authorization: Bearer ${token}
-      security.authenticate: {}
-
-  - match: { username: "token_user" }
-  - match: { roles.0:  "superuser" }
-  - match: { full_name: "Token User" }
-
-  - do:
-      headers:
-        Authorization: Bearer ${token}
-      search:
-        rest_total_hits_as_int: true
-        index: token_index
-
-  - match: { hits.total: 8 }
-
-  - do:
-      headers:
-        Authorization: Bearer ${token}
-      search:
-        rest_total_hits_as_int: true
-        index: token_index
-
-  - match: { hits.total: 8 }
-
-  - do:
-      headers:
-        Authorization: Bearer ${token}
-      search:
-        rest_total_hits_as_int: true
-        index: token_index
-
-  - match: { hits.total: 8 }
-
----
-"Get the indexed refresh token and use it to get another access token and authenticate":
-  - skip:
-      features: headers
-
-  - do:
-      get:
-        index: token_index
-        id:    "8"
-
-  - match: { _index:   token_index }
-  - match: { _id:      "8"      }
-  - is_true: _source.token
-  - set: { _source.token : refresh_token }
-
-  - do:
-      security.get_token:
-        body:
-          grant_type: "refresh_token"
-          refresh_token: "${refresh_token}"
-
-  - match: { type: "Bearer" }
-  - is_true: access_token
-  - set: { access_token: token }
-  - is_true: refresh_token
-  - set: { refresh_token: refresh_token }
-  - match: { expires_in: 3600 }
-  - is_false: scope
-
-  - do:
-      headers:
-        Authorization: Bearer ${token}
-      security.authenticate: {}
-
-  - match: { username: "token_user" }
-  - match: { roles.0:  "superuser" }
-  - match: { full_name: "Token User" }
-
-  - do:
-      headers:
-        Authorization: Bearer ${token}
-      search:
-        rest_total_hits_as_int: true
-        index: token_index
-
-  - match: { hits.total: 8 }
-
-  - do:
-      headers:
-        Authorization: Bearer ${token}
-      search:
-        rest_total_hits_as_int: true
-        index: token_index
-
-  - match: { hits.total: 8 }
-
-  - do:
-      headers:
-        Authorization: Bearer ${token}
-      search:
-        rest_total_hits_as_int: true
-        index: token_index
-
-  - match: { hits.total: 8 }
-
-    # overwrite the used refresh token with the new one
-  - do:
-      headers:
-        Authorization: Bearer ${token}
-      index:
-        index: token_index
-        id: "8"
-        body: { "token" : "${refresh_token}"}
diff --git a/x-pack/qa/rolling-upgrade/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/test/old_cluster/50_token_auth.yml b/x-pack/qa/rolling-upgrade/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/test/old_cluster/50_token_auth.yml
deleted file mode 100644
index 2f44c37a37f98..0000000000000
--- a/x-pack/qa/rolling-upgrade/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/test/old_cluster/50_token_auth.yml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,130 +0,0 @@
----
-"Create a token and reuse it across the upgrade":
-  - skip:
-      features: headers
-
-  - do:
-      cluster.health:
-          wait_for_status: yellow
-
-  - do:
-      security.put_user:
-        username: "token_user"
-        body:  >
-          {
-            "password" : "x-pack-test-password",
-            "roles" : [ "superuser" ],
-            "full_name" : "Token User"
-          }
-
-  - do:
-      security.get_token:
-        body:
-          grant_type: "password"
-          username: "token_user"
-          password: "x-pack-test-password"
-
-  - match: { type: "Bearer" }
-  - is_true: access_token
-  - set: { access_token: token }
-  - is_true: refresh_token
-  - set: { refresh_token: refresh_token }
-  - match: { expires_in: 3600 }
-  - is_false: scope
-
-  - do:
-      headers:
-        Authorization: Bearer ${token}
-      security.authenticate: {}
-
-  - match: { username: "token_user" }
-  - match: { roles.0:  "superuser" }
-  - match: { full_name: "Token User" }
-
-  - do:
-      indices.create:
-        index: token_index
-        wait_for_active_shards : all
-        body:
-          settings:
-            index:
-              number_of_replicas: 1
-
-  - do:
-      headers:
-        Authorization: Bearer ${token}
-      bulk:
-        refresh: true
-        body:
-          - '{"index": {"_index": "token_index", "_id" : "1"}}'
-          - '{"f1": "v1_old", "f2": 0}'
-          - '{"index": {"_index": "token_index", "_id" : "2"}}'
-          - '{"f1": "v2_old", "f2": 1}'
-          - '{"index": {"_index": "token_index", "_id" : "3"}}'
-          - '{"f1": "v3_old", "f2": 2}'
-          - '{"index": {"_index": "token_index", "_id" : "4"}}'
-          - '{"f1": "v4_old", "f2": 3}'
-          - '{"index": {"_index": "token_index", "_id" : "5"}}'
-          - '{"f1": "v5_old", "f2": 4}'
-
-  - do:
-      headers:
-        Authorization: Bearer ${token}
-      search:
-        rest_total_hits_as_int: true
-        index: token_index
-
-  - match: { hits.total: 5 }
-
-  # we do store the token in the index such that we can reuse it down the road once
-  # the cluster is upgraded
-  - do:
-      headers:
-        Authorization: Bearer ${token}
-      index:
-        index: token_index
-        id: "6"
-        body: { "token" : "${token}"}
-
-  # refresh token and store it as well
-  - do:
-      security.get_token:
-        body:
-          grant_type: "refresh_token"
-          refresh_token: "${refresh_token}"
-
-  - match: { type: "Bearer" }
-  - is_true: access_token
-  - set: { access_token: refreshed_access_token }
-  - is_true: refresh_token
-  - set: { refresh_token: refreshed_refresh_token }
-  - match: { expires_in: 3600 }
-  - is_false: scope
-
-  # test refresh token (use it)
-  - do:
-      headers:
-        Authorization: Bearer ${refreshed_access_token}
-      security.authenticate: {}
-
-  - match: { username: "token_user" }
-  - match: { roles.0:  "superuser" }
-  - match: { full_name: "Token User" }
-
-  # store the new refreshed access token
-  - do:
-      headers:
-        Authorization: Bearer ${refreshed_access_token}
-      index:
-        index: token_index
-        id: "7"
-        body: { "token" : "${refreshed_access_token}"}
-
-  # store the refresh token
-  - do:
-      headers:
-        Authorization: Bearer ${refreshed_access_token}
-      index:
-        index: token_index
-        id: "8"
-        body: { "token" : "${refreshed_refresh_token}"}
diff --git a/x-pack/qa/rolling-upgrade/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/test/upgraded_cluster/50_token_auth.yml b/x-pack/qa/rolling-upgrade/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/test/upgraded_cluster/50_token_auth.yml
deleted file mode 100644
index 2ca983fc031bc..0000000000000
--- a/x-pack/qa/rolling-upgrade/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/test/upgraded_cluster/50_token_auth.yml
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,92 +0,0 @@
----
-"Get the indexed token and use if to authenticate":
-  - skip:
-      features: headers
-
-  - do:
-      cluster.health:
-          wait_for_status: yellow
-
-  - do:
-      get:
-        index: token_index
-        id:    "6"
-
-  - match: { _index:   token_index }
-  - match: { _id:      "6"      }
-  - is_true: _source.token
-  - set: { _source.token : token }
-
-  - do:
-      headers:
-        Authorization: Bearer ${token}
-      security.authenticate: {}
-
-  - match: { username: "token_user" }
-  - match: { roles.0:  "superuser" }
-  - match: { full_name: "Token User" }
-
-  - do:
-      headers:
-        Authorization: Bearer ${token}
-      search:
-        rest_total_hits_as_int: true
-        index: token_index
-
-  - match: { hits.total: 8 }
-
-  # counter example that we are really checking this
-  - do:
-      headers:
-        Authorization: Bearer boom
-      catch: /unable to authenticate with provided credentials and anonymous access is not allowed for this request/
-      search:
-        rest_total_hits_as_int: true
-        index: token_index
-
----
-"Get the indexed refresh token and use if to get another access token and authenticate":
-  - skip:
-      features: headers
-
-  - do:
-      get:
-        index: token_index
-        id:    "8"
-
-  - match: { _index:   token_index }
-  - match: { _id:      "8"      }
-  - is_true: _source.token
-  - set: { _source.token : refresh_token }
-
-  - do:
-      security.get_token:
-        body:
-          grant_type: "refresh_token"
-          refresh_token: "${refresh_token}"
-
-  - match: { type: "Bearer" }
-  - is_true: access_token
-  - set: { access_token: token }
-  - is_true: refresh_token
-  - set: { refresh_token: refresh_token }
-  - match: { expires_in: 3600 }
-  - is_false: scope
-
-  - do:
-      headers:
-        Authorization: Bearer ${token}
-      security.authenticate: {}
-
-  - match: { username: "token_user" }
-  - match: { roles.0:  "superuser" }
-  - match: { full_name: "Token User" }
-
-  - do:
-      headers:
-        Authorization: Bearer ${token}
-      search:
-        rest_total_hits_as_int: true
-        index: token_index
-
-  - match: { hits.total: 8 }