diff --git a/build-tools-internal/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/gradle/internal/test/TestUtil.java b/build-tools-internal/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/gradle/internal/test/TestUtil.java
index 526b1338abaf3..96fde95d0dd17 100644
--- a/build-tools-internal/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/gradle/internal/test/TestUtil.java
+++ b/build-tools-internal/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/gradle/internal/test/TestUtil.java
@@ -21,13 +21,6 @@ public static String getTestLibraryPath(String nativeLibsDir) {
         String platform = String.format(Locale.ROOT, "%s-%s", ElasticsearchDistribution.CURRENT_PLATFORM, arch);
         String existingLibraryPath = System.getProperty("java.library.path");
 
-        //return String.format(Locale.ROOT, "%s/%s%c%s", nativeLibsDir, platform, File.pathSeparatorChar, existingLibraryPath);
-        String format = "%s/%s%c%s";
-        if (ElasticsearchDistribution.CURRENT_PLATFORM.equals(ElasticsearchDistribution.Platform.WINDOWS)) {
-            // windows doesn't like spaces in paths, so we must wrap the entire path in quotes to guard for it
-            format = "\"" + format + "\"";
-        }
-
-        return String.format(Locale.ROOT, format, nativeLibsDir, platform, File.pathSeparatorChar, existingLibraryPath);
+        return String.format(Locale.ROOT, "%s/%s%c%s", nativeLibsDir, platform, File.pathSeparatorChar, existingLibraryPath);
     }
 }
diff --git a/distribution/tools/server-cli/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/server/cli/SystemJvmOptions.java b/distribution/tools/server-cli/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/server/cli/SystemJvmOptions.java
index 39e4b999ceaae..f853304bcdf90 100644
--- a/distribution/tools/server-cli/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/server/cli/SystemJvmOptions.java
+++ b/distribution/tools/server-cli/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/server/cli/SystemJvmOptions.java
@@ -16,7 +16,6 @@
 import java.nio.file.Path;
 import java.nio.file.Paths;
 import java.util.List;
-import java.util.Locale;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.stream.Collectors;
 import java.util.stream.Stream;
@@ -158,14 +157,10 @@ private static String findLibraryPath(Map<String, String> sysprops) {
         String existingPath = sysprops.get("java.library.path");
         assert existingPath != null;
 
-        String format = "%s%c%s";
-
         String osname = sysprops.get("os.name");
         String os;
         if (osname.startsWith("Windows")) {
             os = "windows";
-            // windows doesn't like spaces in paths, so we must wrap the entire path in quotes to guard for it
-            format = "\"" + format + "\"";
         } else if (osname.startsWith("Linux")) {
             os = "linux";
         } else if (osname.startsWith("Mac OS")) {
@@ -182,13 +177,11 @@ private static String findLibraryPath(Map<String, String> sysprops) {
         } else {
             arch = "unsupported_arch[" + archname + "]";
         }
-        String esPlatformDir = platformDir.resolve(os + "-" + arch).toAbsolutePath().toString();
-        return String.format(Locale.ROOT, format, esPlatformDir, getPathSeparator(), existingPath);
-        //return platformDir.resolve(os + "-" + arch).toAbsolutePath() + getPathSeparator() + existingPath;
+        return platformDir.resolve(os + "-" + arch).toAbsolutePath() + getPathSeparator() + existingPath;
     }
 
     @SuppressForbidden(reason = "no way to get path separator with nio")
-    private static char getPathSeparator() {
-        return File.pathSeparatorChar;
+    private static String getPathSeparator() {
+        return File.pathSeparator;
     }
 }