diff --git a/recipes/default.rb b/recipes/default.rb
index b200441cc..596b3e6ed 100644
--- a/recipes/default.rb
+++ b/recipes/default.rb
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
 
 Chef::Log.debug "Installation mode #{node[:elasticsearch][:installation][:mode]}"
 
-if node.elasticsearch[:esmajor] >= 5
+if node.elasticsearch[:esmajor].to_i >= 5
   default.elasticsearch[:bootstrap][:memory_lock] = node.elasticsearch[:bootstrap][:mlockall]
   if node.elasticsearch[:limits][:nofile] < 65536
     default.elasticsearch[:limits][:nofile] = 65536
diff --git a/templates/default/elasticsearch.yml.erb b/templates/default/elasticsearch.yml.erb
index 7c99f6975..5d3524e5d 100644
--- a/templates/default/elasticsearch.yml.erb
+++ b/templates/default/elasticsearch.yml.erb
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@
 <%= print_value 'index.number_of_replicas' -%>
 <%= print_value 'index.auto_expand_replicas' -%>
 <%= print_value 'action.auto_create_index' -%>
-<% if node.elasticsearch[:esmajor] < 1 %>
+<% if node.elasticsearch[:esmajor].to_i  < 1 %>
 <%= print_value 'action.disable_delete_all_indices' -%>
 <% else %>
 <%= print_value 'action.destructive_requires_name' -%>
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@
 ################################### Memory ####################################
 
 
-<% if node.elasticsearch[:esmajor] < 5 %>
+<% if node.elasticsearch[:esmajor].to_i  < 5 %>
 <%= print_value 'bootstrap.mlockall' -%>
 <% else %>
 <%= print_value 'bootstrap.memory_lock' -%>
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ discovery.ec2.tag.<%= key %>: <%= value %>
 ################################## Slow Log ###################################
 
 
-<% if node.elasticsearch[:esmajor] < 5 %>
+<% if node.elasticsearch[:esmajor].to_i  < 5 %>
 <%= print_value 'index.mapper.dynamic' -%>
 <%= print_value 'index.search.slowlog.threshold.query.warn' -%>
 <%= print_value 'index.search.slowlog.threshold.query.info' -%>