Elasticsearch does not start after changing data path?

I configured Elasticsearch with Search Guard SSL and Search Guard and am able to run it correctly with the default data path setting, i.e., path.data commented out in elasticsearch.yml. The default data path is /var/lib/elasticsearch, and i see that it creates a nodes directory in there.

Now if I uncomment out the path.data line in elasticsearch.yml, set it to a new path, and restart elasticsearch, I get "search guard index not healthy yet".

If I change it back to the default, that is comment out the path.data in elasticsearch.yml, and restart elasticsearch, it works again.

The new path is owned by elasticsearch user and group.

Is there something else I need to do if I change the data path than just restarting elasticsearch?

I search the forum, and the only clue I got was file permissions, which I don't think I have problems with because I see a nodes directory created in the new path.

This seems to be fixed in v2.4.1