diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/ml/build.gradle b/x-pack/plugin/ml/build.gradle
index de4857860f561..0b3dda1e365ed 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/ml/build.gradle
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/ml/build.gradle
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
+import org.elasticsearch.gradle.internal.info.BuildParams
+
 apply plugin: 'elasticsearch.internal-es-plugin'
 apply plugin: 'elasticsearch.internal-cluster-test'
 apply plugin: 'elasticsearch.internal-test-artifact'
@@ -78,15 +80,20 @@ dependencies {
   api "org.apache.lucene:lucene-analysis-icu:${versions.lucene}"
   api "org.apache.lucene:lucene-analysis-kuromoji:${versions.lucene}"
   implementation 'org.ojalgo:ojalgo:51.2.0'
-  nativeBundle("org.elasticsearch.ml:ml-cpp:${project.version}:deps@zip") {
+  nativeBundle("org.elasticsearch.ml:ml-cpp:${mlCppVersion()}:deps@zip") {
     changing = true
   }
-  nativeBundle("org.elasticsearch.ml:ml-cpp:${project.version}:nodeps@zip") {
+  nativeBundle("org.elasticsearch.ml:ml-cpp:${mlCppVersion()}:nodeps@zip") {
     changing = true
   }
   testImplementation 'org.ini4j:ini4j:0.5.2'
 }
 
+def mlCppVersion(){
+  return (project.gradle.parent != null && BuildParams.isSnapshotBuild() == false) ?
+      (project.version + "-SNAPSHOT") : project.version;
+}
+
 artifacts {
   // normal es plugins do not publish the jar but we need to since users need it for extensions
   archives tasks.named("jar")