# Unable to configure cluster.indices.tombstones.size **URL:** \ **Category:** Elasticsearch\ **Created:** [June 22, 2017, 6:00am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/unable-to-configure-cluster-indices-tombstones-size/90393 "2017-06-22T06:00:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 2\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![joeyanglx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e47c2d/32.png) [@joeyanglx](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/joeyanglx)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2017, 6:00am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/unable-to-configure-cluster-indices-tombstones-size/90393/1 "2017-06-22T06:00:27Z")
Hi, I am fairly new to Elasticsearch, in fact I have just started playing with it this week, and I have been looking into an issue relating to dangling indexes. I have been looking into an issue where it is potentially caused by nodes rejoining the cluster reviving some old indexes. I have been looking into the configuration `"cluster.indices.tombstones.size"` described here: [Miscellaneous cluster settings | Elasticsearch Reference [5.5] | Elastic](https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/5.x/misc-cluster.html#cluster-max-tombstones) However, when I try to set this in the configuration in the elasticsearch.yml file, I get the following exception on start up: > [2017-06-22T17:44:32,381][WARN][o.e.b.ElasticsearchUncaughtExceptionHandler] uncaught exception in thread [main] > org.elasticsearch.bootstrap.StartupException: java.lang.IllegalArgumentException: unknown setting [cluster.indices.tombstones.size] please check that any required plugins are installed, or check the breaking changes documentation for removed settings > at org.elasticsearch.bootstrap.Elasticsearch.init(Elasticsearch.java:127) ~[elasticsearch-5.4.2.jar:5.4.2] > at org.elasticsearch.bootstrap.Elasticsearch.execute(Elasticsearch.java:114) ~[elasticsearch-5.4.2.jar:5.4.2] > at org.elasticsearch.cli.EnvironmentAwareCommand.execute(EnvironmentAwareCommand.java:67) ~[elasticsearch-5.4.2.jar:5.4.2] > at org.elasticsearch.cli.Command.mainWithoutErrorHandling(Command.java:122) ~[elasticsearch-5.4.2.jar:5.4.2] > at org.elasticsearch.cli.Command.main(Command.java:88) ~[elasticsearch-5.4.2.jar:5.4.2] > at org.elasticsearch.bootstrap.Elasticsearch.main(Elasticsearch.java:91) ~[elasticsearch-5.4.2.jar:5.4.2] > at org.elasticsearch.bootstrap.Elasticsearch.main(Elasticsearch.java:84) ~[elasticsearch-5.4.2.jar:5.4.2] > Caused by: java.lang.IllegalArgumentException: unknown setting [cluster.indices.tombstones.size] please check that any required plugins are installed, or check the breaking changes documentation for removed settings > at org.elasticsearch.common.settings.AbstractScopedSettings.validate(AbstractScopedSettings.java:293) ~[elasticsearch-5.4.2.jar:5.4.2] > at org.elasticsearch.common.settings.AbstractScopedSettings.validate(AbstractScopedSettings.java:256) ~[elasticsearch-5.4.2.jar:5.4.2] > at org.elasticsearch.common.settings.SettingsModule.(SettingsModule.java:139) ~[elasticsearch-5.4.2.jar:5.4.2] > at org.elasticsearch.node.Node.(Node.java:343) ~[elasticsearch-5.4.2.jar:5.4.2] > at org.elasticsearch.node.Node.(Node.java:242) ~[elasticsearch-5.4.2.jar:5.4.2] > at org.elasticsearch.bootstrap.Bootstrap$5.(Bootstrap.java:232) ~[elasticsearch-5.4.2.jar:5.4.2] > at org.elasticsearch.bootstrap.Bootstrap.setup(Bootstrap.java:232) ~[elasticsearch-5.4.2.jar:5.4.2] > at org.elasticsearch.bootstrap.Bootstrap.init(Bootstrap.java:350) ~[elasticsearch-5.4.2.jar:5.4.2] > at org.elasticsearch.bootstrap.Elasticsearch.init(Elasticsearch.java:123) ~[elasticsearch-5.4.2.jar:5.4.2] > ... 6 more After looking a bit into the code, i see the setting is defined in [IndexGraveyard](https://github.com/elastic/elasticsearch/blob/master/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/metadata/IndexGraveyard.java) but somehow not listed as one of the BUILT\_IN\_CLUSTER\_SETTINGS in [ClusterSettings](https://github.com/elastic/elasticsearch/blob/master/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/settings/ClusterSettings.java) resulting in this setting being marked as unknown. I am just wondering if this is intended behaviour and if there are some other way this configuration can be set? Joe ---
**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/1/a/1ac57faf039f6b580b3f104ef42a2a89e41014de.png) [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 20, 2017, 6:00am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/unable-to-configure-cluster-indices-tombstones-size/90393/2 "2017-07-20T06:00:33Z")
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