diff --git a/distribution/docker/aarch64-docker-build-context/build.gradle b/distribution/docker/aarch64-docker-build-context/build.gradle
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..19b0bc3646c60
--- /dev/null
+++ b/distribution/docker/aarch64-docker-build-context/build.gradle
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+apply plugin: 'base'
+
+task buildDockerBuildContext(type: Tar) {
+  extension = 'tar.gz'
+  compression = Compression.GZIP
+  archiveClassifier = "docker-build-context"
+  archiveBaseName = "elasticsearch-aarch64"
+  with dockerBuildContext("aarch64", false, false)
+}
+
+assemble.dependsOn buildDockerBuildContext
diff --git a/distribution/docker/aarch64-docker-export/build.gradle b/distribution/docker/aarch64-docker-export/build.gradle
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..537b5a093683e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/distribution/docker/aarch64-docker-export/build.gradle
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+// This file is intentionally blank. All configuration of the
+// export is done in the parent project.
diff --git a/distribution/docker/aarch64-oss-docker-build-context/build.gradle b/distribution/docker/aarch64-oss-docker-build-context/build.gradle
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..bea7d156803fd
--- /dev/null
+++ b/distribution/docker/aarch64-oss-docker-build-context/build.gradle
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+apply plugin: 'base'
+
+task buildOssDockerBuildContext(type: Tar) {
+  extension = 'tar.gz'
+  compression = Compression.GZIP
+  archiveClassifier = "docker-build-context"
+  archiveBaseName = "elasticsearch-aarch64-oss"
+  with dockerBuildContext("aarch64", true, false)
+}
+
+assemble.dependsOn buildOssDockerBuildContext
diff --git a/distribution/docker/aarch64-oss-docker-export/build.gradle b/distribution/docker/aarch64-oss-docker-export/build.gradle
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..537b5a093683e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/distribution/docker/aarch64-oss-docker-export/build.gradle
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+// This file is intentionally blank. All configuration of the
+// export is done in the parent project.
diff --git a/distribution/docker/build.gradle b/distribution/docker/build.gradle
index c33f74501da95..b9ccfe95ac401 100644
--- a/distribution/docker/build.gradle
+++ b/distribution/docker/build.gradle
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import org.elasticsearch.gradle.Architecture
 import org.elasticsearch.gradle.ElasticsearchDistribution.Flavor
 import org.elasticsearch.gradle.LoggedExec
 import org.elasticsearch.gradle.VersionProperties
@@ -13,38 +14,51 @@ testFixtures.useFixture()
 
 configurations {
   dockerPlugins
+  aarch64DockerSource
   dockerSource
+  aarch64OssDockerSource
   ossDockerSource
 }
 
 dependencies {
+  aarch64DockerSource project(path: ":distribution:archives:linux-aarch64-tar")
   dockerSource project(path: ":distribution:archives:linux-tar")
+  aarch64OssDockerSource project(path: ":distribution:archives:oss-linux-aarch64-tar")
   ossDockerSource project(path: ":distribution:archives:oss-linux-tar")
 }
 
-ext.expansions = { oss, local ->
-  final String classifier = 'linux-x86_64'
+ext.expansions = { architecture, oss, local ->
+  switch (architecture) {
+    case "aarch64":
+    case "x64":
+      break;
+    default:
+      throw new IllegalArgumentException("unrecongized architecture [" + architecture + "], must be one of (aarch64|x64)")
+  }
+  final String classifier = "aarch64".equals(architecture) ? "linux-aarch64" : "linux-x86_64"
   final String elasticsearch = oss ? "elasticsearch-oss-${VersionProperties.elasticsearch}-${classifier}.tar.gz" : "elasticsearch-${VersionProperties.elasticsearch}-${classifier}.tar.gz"
   return [
+    'base_image'          : "aarch64".equals(architecture) ? "arm64v8/centos:7" : "centos:7",
     'build_date'          : BuildParams.buildDate,
     'elasticsearch'       : elasticsearch,
     'git_revision'        : BuildParams.gitRevision,
     'license'             : oss ? 'Apache-2.0' : 'Elastic-License',
     'source_elasticsearch': local ? "COPY $elasticsearch /opt/" : "RUN cd /opt && curl --retry 8 -s -L -O https://artifacts.elastic.co/downloads/elasticsearch/${elasticsearch} && cd -",
+    'tini_suffix'         : "aarch64".equals(architecture) ? "-arm64" : "",
     'version'             : VersionProperties.elasticsearch
   ]
 }
 
-private static String buildPath(final boolean oss) {
-  return "build/${oss ? 'oss-' : ''}docker"
+private static String buildPath(final String architecture, final boolean oss) {
+  return "build/${"aarch64".equals(architecture) ? 'aarch64-' : ''}${oss ? 'oss-' : ''}docker"
 }
 
-private static String taskName(final String prefix, final boolean oss, final String suffix) {
-  return "${prefix}${oss ? 'Oss' : ''}${suffix}"
+private static String taskName(final String prefix, final String architecture, final boolean oss, final String suffix) {
+  return "${prefix}${"aarch64".equals(architecture) ? 'Aarch64' : ''}${oss ? 'Oss' : ''}${suffix}"
 }
 
 project.ext {
-  dockerBuildContext = { boolean oss, boolean local ->
+  dockerBuildContext = { String architecture, boolean oss, boolean local ->
     copySpec {
       into('bin') {
         from project.projectDir.toPath().resolve("src/docker/bin")
@@ -62,25 +76,33 @@ project.ext {
       }
 
       from(project.projectDir.toPath().resolve("src/docker/Dockerfile")) {
-        expand(expansions(oss, local))
+        expand(expansions(architecture, oss, local))
       }
     }
   }
 }
 
-void addCopyDockerContextTask(final boolean oss) {
-  task(taskName("copy", oss, "DockerContext"), type: Sync) {
-    expansions(oss, true).findAll { it.key != 'build_date' }.each { k, v ->
+void addCopyDockerContextTask(final String architecture, final boolean oss) {
+  task(taskName("copy", architecture, oss, "DockerContext"), type: Sync) {
+    expansions(architecture, oss, true).findAll { it.key != 'build_date' }.each { k, v ->
       inputs.property(k, { v.toString() })
     }
-    into buildPath(oss)
+    into buildPath(architecture, oss)
 
-    with dockerBuildContext(oss, true)
+    with dockerBuildContext(architecture, oss, true)
 
-    if (oss) {
-      from configurations.ossDockerSource
+    if ("aarch64".equals(architecture)) {
+      if (oss) {
+        from configurations.aarch64OssDockerSource
+      } else {
+        from configurations.aarch64DockerSource
+      }
     } else {
-      from configurations.dockerSource
+      if (oss) {
+        from configurations.ossDockerSource
+      } else {
+        from configurations.dockerSource
+      }
     }
 
     from configurations.dockerPlugins
@@ -149,9 +171,9 @@ task integTest(type: Test) {
 
 check.dependsOn integTest
 
-void addBuildDockerImage(final boolean oss) {
-  final Task buildDockerImageTask = task(taskName("build", oss, "DockerImage"), type: DockerBuildTask) {
-    TaskProvider<Sync> copyContextTask = tasks.named(taskName("copy", oss, "DockerContext"))
+void addBuildDockerImage(final String architecture, final boolean oss) {
+  final Task buildDockerImageTask = task(taskName("build", architecture, oss, "DockerImage"), type: DockerBuildTask) {
+    TaskProvider<Sync> copyContextTask = tasks.named(taskName("copy", architecture, oss, "DockerContext"))
     dependsOn(copyContextTask)
     dockerContext.fileProvider(copyContextTask.map { it.destinationDir })
 
@@ -170,11 +192,14 @@ void addBuildDockerImage(final boolean oss) {
     }
   }
   assemble.dependsOn(buildDockerImageTask)
+  buildDockerImageTask.enabled = Architecture.current().name().toLowerCase().equals(architecture)
 }
 
-for (final boolean oss : [false, true]) {
-  addCopyDockerContextTask(oss)
-  addBuildDockerImage(oss)
+for (final String architecture : ["aarch64", "x64"]) {
+  for (final boolean oss : [false, true]) {
+    addCopyDockerContextTask(architecture, oss)
+    addBuildDockerImage(architecture, oss)
+  }
 }
 
 // We build the images used in compose locally, but the pull command insists on using a repository
@@ -192,11 +217,12 @@ subprojects { Project subProject ->
   if (subProject.name.contains('docker-export')) {
     apply plugin: 'distribution'
 
+    final String architecture = subProject.name.contains('aarch64-') ? 'aarch64' : 'x64'
     final boolean oss = subProject.name.contains('oss-')
 
-    def exportTaskName = taskName("export", oss, "DockerImage")
-    def buildTaskName = taskName("build", oss, "DockerImage")
-    def tarFile = "${parent.projectDir}/build/elasticsearch${oss ? '-oss' : ''}_test.${VersionProperties.elasticsearch}.docker.tar"
+    def exportTaskName = taskName("export", architecture, oss, "DockerImage")
+    def buildTaskName = taskName("build", architecture, oss, "DockerImage")
+    def tarFile = "${parent.projectDir}/build/elasticsearch${"aarch64".equals(architecture) ? '-aarch64' : ''}${oss ? '-oss' : ''}_test.${VersionProperties.elasticsearch}.docker.tar"
 
     final Task exportDockerImageTask = task(exportTaskName, type: LoggedExec) {
       inputs.file("${parent.projectDir}/build/markers/${buildTaskName}.marker")
@@ -212,7 +238,7 @@ subprojects { Project subProject ->
 
     artifacts.add('default', file(tarFile)) {
       type 'tar'
-      name "elasticsearch${oss ? '-oss' : ''}"
+      name "elasticsearch${"aarch64".equals(architecture) ? '-aarch64' : ''}${oss ? '-oss' : ''}"
       builtBy exportTaskName
     }
 
diff --git a/distribution/docker/docker-build-context/build.gradle b/distribution/docker/docker-build-context/build.gradle
index 50be407e566bc..2dd28329d7ba5 100644
--- a/distribution/docker/docker-build-context/build.gradle
+++ b/distribution/docker/docker-build-context/build.gradle
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ task buildDockerBuildContext(type: Tar) {
   compression = Compression.GZIP
   archiveClassifier = "docker-build-context"
   archiveBaseName = "elasticsearch"
-  with dockerBuildContext(false, false)
+  with dockerBuildContext("x64", false, false)
 }
 
 assemble.dependsOn buildDockerBuildContext
diff --git a/distribution/docker/oss-docker-build-context/build.gradle b/distribution/docker/oss-docker-build-context/build.gradle
index b69f7dc620f53..0a29c2a2b7274 100644
--- a/distribution/docker/oss-docker-build-context/build.gradle
+++ b/distribution/docker/oss-docker-build-context/build.gradle
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ task buildOssDockerBuildContext(type: Tar) {
   compression = Compression.GZIP
   archiveClassifier = "docker-build-context"
   archiveBaseName = "elasticsearch-oss"
-  with dockerBuildContext(true, false)
+  with dockerBuildContext("x64", true, false)
 }
 
 assemble.dependsOn buildOssDockerBuildContext
diff --git a/distribution/docker/src/docker/Dockerfile b/distribution/docker/src/docker/Dockerfile
index b12a3c7518265..7eb62b7d8ad1b 100644
--- a/distribution/docker/src/docker/Dockerfile
+++ b/distribution/docker/src/docker/Dockerfile
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 # Set gid=0 and make group perms==owner perms
 ################################################################################
 
-FROM centos:7 AS builder
+FROM ${base_image} AS builder
 
 RUN for iter in {1..10}; do yum update --setopt=tsflags=nodocs -y && \
     yum install --setopt=tsflags=nodocs -y gzip shadow-utils tar && \
@@ -42,8 +42,8 @@ RUN chmod 0660 config/elasticsearch.yml config/log4j2.properties
 # gpg, but the keyservers are slow to return the key and this can fail the
 # build. Instead, we check the binary against a checksum that we have
 # computed.
-ADD https://github.com/krallin/tini/releases/download/v0.18.0/tini /tini
-COPY config/tini.sha512 /tini.sha512
+ADD https://github.com/krallin/tini/releases/download/v0.18.0/tini${tini_suffix} /tini
+COPY config/tini${tini_suffix}.sha512 /tini.sha512
 RUN sha512sum -c /tini.sha512 && chmod +x /tini
 
 ################################################################################
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ RUN sha512sum -c /tini.sha512 && chmod +x /tini
 # Add entrypoint
 ################################################################################
 
-FROM centos:7
+FROM ${base_image}
 
 ENV ELASTIC_CONTAINER true
 
diff --git a/distribution/docker/src/docker/config/tini-arm64.sha512 b/distribution/docker/src/docker/config/tini-arm64.sha512
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..274eaa28cff08
--- /dev/null
+++ b/distribution/docker/src/docker/config/tini-arm64.sha512
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+6ae5147e522e484b9d59b0caa04e6dadf0efe332b272039c7cf5951e39f5028e9852c3c4bcdd46b98977329108d555ee7ea55f9eca99765d05922ec7aff837d8  /tini