diff --git a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/bulk/TransportBulkAction.java b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/bulk/TransportBulkAction.java
index bdaeff4347e..4f874e4d123 100644
--- a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/bulk/TransportBulkAction.java
+++ b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/bulk/TransportBulkAction.java
@@ -31,6 +31,9 @@ import org.elasticsearch.action.index.IndexRequest;
 import org.elasticsearch.action.support.BaseAction;
 import org.elasticsearch.cluster.ClusterService;
 import org.elasticsearch.cluster.ClusterState;
+import org.elasticsearch.cluster.metadata.MappingMetaData;
+import org.elasticsearch.cluster.routing.GroupShardsIterator;
+import org.elasticsearch.cluster.routing.ShardsIterator;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.UUID;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.collect.Lists;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.collect.Maps;
@@ -154,20 +157,39 @@ public class TransportBulkAction extends BaseAction<BulkRequest, BulkResponse> {
         Map<ShardId, List<BulkItemRequest>> requestsByShard = Maps.newHashMap();
         for (int i = 0; i < bulkRequest.requests.size(); i++) {
             ActionRequest request = bulkRequest.requests.get(i);
-            ShardId shardId = null;
             if (request instanceof IndexRequest) {
                 IndexRequest indexRequest = (IndexRequest) request;
-                shardId = clusterService.operationRouting().indexShards(clusterState, indexRequest.index(), indexRequest.type(), indexRequest.id(), indexRequest.routing()).shardId();
+                ShardId shardId = clusterService.operationRouting().indexShards(clusterState, indexRequest.index(), indexRequest.type(), indexRequest.id(), indexRequest.routing()).shardId();
+                List<BulkItemRequest> list = requestsByShard.get(shardId);
+                if (list == null) {
+                    list = Lists.newArrayList();
+                    requestsByShard.put(shardId, list);
+                }
+                list.add(new BulkItemRequest(i, request));
             } else if (request instanceof DeleteRequest) {
                 DeleteRequest deleteRequest = (DeleteRequest) request;
-                shardId = clusterService.operationRouting().deleteShards(clusterState, deleteRequest.index(), deleteRequest.type(), deleteRequest.id(), deleteRequest.routing()).shardId();
+                MappingMetaData mappingMd = clusterState.metaData().index(deleteRequest.index()).mapping(deleteRequest.type());
+                if (mappingMd != null && mappingMd.routing().required() && deleteRequest.routing() == null) {
+                    // if routing is required, and no routing on the delete request, we need to broadcast it....
+                    GroupShardsIterator groupShards = clusterService.operationRouting().broadcastDeleteShards(clusterState, deleteRequest.index());
+                    for (ShardsIterator shardsId : groupShards) {
+                        List<BulkItemRequest> list = requestsByShard.get(shardsId.shardId());
+                        if (list == null) {
+                            list = Lists.newArrayList();
+                            requestsByShard.put(shardsId.shardId(), list);
+                        }
+                        list.add(new BulkItemRequest(i, request));
+                    }
+                } else {
+                    ShardId shardId = clusterService.operationRouting().deleteShards(clusterState, deleteRequest.index(), deleteRequest.type(), deleteRequest.id(), deleteRequest.routing()).shardId();
+                    List<BulkItemRequest> list = requestsByShard.get(shardId);
+                    if (list == null) {
+                        list = Lists.newArrayList();
+                        requestsByShard.put(shardId, list);
+                    }
+                    list.add(new BulkItemRequest(i, request));
+                }
             }
-            List<BulkItemRequest> list = requestsByShard.get(shardId);
-            if (list == null) {
-                list = Lists.newArrayList();
-                requestsByShard.put(shardId, list);
-            }
-            list.add(new BulkItemRequest(i, request));
         }
 
         final AtomicInteger counter = new AtomicInteger(requestsByShard.size());
diff --git a/modules/test/integration/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/integration/routing/SimpleRoutingTests.java b/modules/test/integration/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/integration/routing/SimpleRoutingTests.java
index 706984bbad6..4323fd53f6e 100644
--- a/modules/test/integration/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/integration/routing/SimpleRoutingTests.java
+++ b/modules/test/integration/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/integration/routing/SimpleRoutingTests.java
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ package org.elasticsearch.test.integration.routing;
 import org.elasticsearch.ElasticSearchException;
 import org.elasticsearch.action.RoutingMissingException;
 import org.elasticsearch.client.Client;
+import org.elasticsearch.client.Requests;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.xcontent.XContentFactory;
 import org.elasticsearch.index.query.xcontent.QueryBuilders;
 import org.elasticsearch.test.integration.AbstractNodesTests;
@@ -222,5 +223,17 @@ public class SimpleRoutingTests extends AbstractNodesTests {
             assertThat(client.prepareGet("test", "type1", "1").execute().actionGet().exists(), equalTo(false));
             assertThat(client.prepareGet("test", "type1", "1").setRouting("0").execute().actionGet().exists(), equalTo(false));
         }
+
+        logger.info("--> indexing with id [1], and routing [0]");
+        client.prepareIndex("test", "type1", "1").setRouting("0").setSource("field", "value1").setRefresh(true).execute().actionGet();
+        logger.info("--> verifying get with no routing, should not find anything");
+
+        logger.info("--> bulk deleting with no routing, should broadcast the delete since _routing is required");
+        client.prepareBulk().add(Requests.deleteRequest("test").type("type1").id("1")).execute().actionGet();
+        client.admin().indices().prepareRefresh().execute().actionGet();
+        for (int i = 0; i < 5; i++) {
+            assertThat(client.prepareGet("test", "type1", "1").execute().actionGet().exists(), equalTo(false));
+            assertThat(client.prepareGet("test", "type1", "1").setRouting("0").execute().actionGet().exists(), equalTo(false));
+        }
     }
 }