diff --git a/tools/travis/setupPrereq.sh b/tools/travis/setupPrereq.sh
index f820c283231..7832938cdca 100755
--- a/tools/travis/setupPrereq.sh
+++ b/tools/travis/setupPrereq.sh
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ $ANSIBLE_CMD prereq.yml
 $ANSIBLE_CMD couchdb.yml
 $ANSIBLE_CMD initdb.yml
 $ANSIBLE_CMD wipe.yml
+$ANSIBLE_CMD elasticsearch.yml
 
 $ANSIBLE_CMD properties.yml -e manifest_file="$RUNTIMES_MANIFEST"
 echo "Time taken for ${0##*/} is $SECONDS secs"
diff --git a/tools/travis/setupSystem.sh b/tools/travis/setupSystem.sh
index 0750dddcf1c..9f99cf7b013 100755
--- a/tools/travis/setupSystem.sh
+++ b/tools/travis/setupSystem.sh
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ RUNTIMES_MANIFEST=${1:-"/ansible/files/runtimes.json"}
 
 cd $ROOTDIR/ansible
 
-$ANSIBLE_CMD openwhisk.yml -e manifest_file="$RUNTIMES_MANIFEST"
+$ANSIBLE_CMD openwhisk.yml -e manifest_file="$RUNTIMES_MANIFEST" -e db_activation_backend=ElasticSearch
 $ANSIBLE_CMD apigateway.yml
 $ANSIBLE_CMD routemgmt.yml