diff --git a/docs/manual/docs/install-guide/installing-index.md b/docs/manual/docs/install-guide/installing-index.md
index 870e764f3ed..57d86319f07 100644
--- a/docs/manual/docs/install-guide/installing-index.md
+++ b/docs/manual/docs/install-guide/installing-index.md
@@ -108,15 +108,34 @@ Older version may be supported but are untested.
 
 ## Configure GeoNetwork connection to Elasticsearch
 
-1. Update Elasticsearch connection details in ```WEB-INF/config.properties```:
-    
-    ``` properties
-    es.protocol=http
-    es.port=9200
-    es.host=localhost
-    es.url=${es.protocol}://${es.host}:${es.port}
-    es.username=
-    es.password=
-    ```
+By default, GeoNetwork expects Elasticsearch to be running at <http://localhost:9200> without authentication. If your Elasticsearch server is on a different host or port or requires authentication, you will need to configure connection details using either of these methods:
+
+* Define the connection details in Java properties.
+
+  ```shell
+  export JAVA_OPTS="$JAVA_OPTS -Des.protocol=http -Des.port=9200 -Des.host=localhost -Des.url=http://localhost:9200 -Des.username= -Des.password="
+  ```
+
+* Define the connection details in environment variables.
+
+  ```shell
+  export GEONETWORK_ES_HOST=localhost
+  export GEONETWORK_ES_PROTOCOL=http
+  export GEONETWORK_ES_PORT=9200
+  export GEONETWORK_ES_URL=$GEONETWORK_ES_PROTOCOL://$GEONETWORK_ES_HOST:$GEONETWORK_ES_PORT
+  export GEONETWORK_ES_USERNAME=
+  export GEONETWORK_ES_PASSWORD=
+  ```
+
+* Edit the values in ```WEB-INF/config.properties``` (not recommended):
+
+  ```properties
+  es.protocol=#{systemEnvironment['GEONETWORK_ES_PROTOCOL']?:'http'}
+  es.port=#{systemEnvironment['GEONETWORK_ES_PORT']?:9200}
+  es.host=#{systemEnvironment['GEONETWORK_ES_HOST']?:'localhost'}
+  es.url=#{systemEnvironment['GEONETWORK_ES_URL']?:'http://localhost:9200'}
+  es.username=#{systemEnvironment['GEONETWORK_ES_USERNAME']?:''}
+  es.password=#{systemEnvironment['GEONETWORK_ES_PASSWORD']?:''}
+  ```
 
-2.  Restart the application:
+Once the configuration is complete, you will need to restart the application.
diff --git a/web/src/main/webResources/WEB-INF/config.properties b/web/src/main/webResources/WEB-INF/config.properties
index 6704931e473..c002af37f1d 100644
--- a/web/src/main/webResources/WEB-INF/config.properties
+++ b/web/src/main/webResources/WEB-INF/config.properties
@@ -11,12 +11,12 @@ usersavedselection.watchlist.searchurl=catalog.search#/search?_uuid={{filter}}
 # Define the link to each record sent by email by the watchlist notifier
 usersavedselection.watchlist.recordurl=api/records/{{index:uuid}}
 
-es.protocol=${es.protocol}
-es.port=${es.port}
-es.host=${es.host}
-es.url=\${es.protocol}://\${es.host}:\${es.port}
-es.username=${es.username}
-es.password=${es.password}
+es.protocol=#{systemEnvironment['GEONETWORK_ES_PROTOCOL']?:'${es.protocol}'}
+es.port=#{systemEnvironment['GEONETWORK_ES_PORT']?:${es.port}}
+es.host=#{systemEnvironment['GEONETWORK_ES_HOST']?:'${es.host}'}
+es.url=#{systemEnvironment['GEONETWORK_ES_URL']?:'${es.url}'}
+es.username=#{systemEnvironment['GEONETWORK_ES_USERNAME']?:'${es.username}'}
+es.password=#{systemEnvironment['GEONETWORK_ES_PASSWORD']?:'${es.password}'}
 es.index.features=${es.index.features}
 es.index.features.type=${es.index.features.type}
 # Define the number of decimals to apply when converting geometries to GeoJSON
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ es.index.records_public=${es.index.records_public}
 es.index.searchlogs=${es.index.searchlogs}
 es.index.searchlogs.type=${es.index.searchlogs.type}
 
-kb.url=${kb.url}
+kb.url=#{systemEnvironment['GEONETWORK_KIBANA_URL']?:'${kb.url}'}
 
 es.index.checker.interval=0/5 * * * * ?