diff --git a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/gateway/GatewayService.java b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/gateway/GatewayService.java
index e95a18b1f5b..78198901c87 100644
--- a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/gateway/GatewayService.java
+++ b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/gateway/GatewayService.java
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ import org.elasticsearch.util.concurrent.DynamicExecutors;
 import org.elasticsearch.util.settings.Settings;
 
 import java.util.Map;
+import java.util.concurrent.CountDownLatch;
 import java.util.concurrent.ExecutorService;
 import java.util.concurrent.Executors;
 import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
@@ -162,11 +163,27 @@ public class GatewayService extends AbstractComponent implements ClusterStateLis
                         for (final IndexMetaData indexMetaData : fMetaData) {
                             threadPool.execute(new Runnable() {
                                 @Override public void run() {
+                                    final CountDownLatch latch = new CountDownLatch(1);
+                                    ClusterStateListener waitForIndex = new ClusterStateListener() {
+                                        @Override public void clusterChanged(ClusterChangedEvent event) {
+                                            if (event.state().metaData().hasIndex(indexMetaData.index())) {
+                                                latch.countDown();
+                                            }
+                                        }
+                                    };
+                                    clusterService.add(waitForIndex);
                                     try {
-                                        metaDataService.createIndex(indexMetaData.index(), indexMetaData.settings(), timeValueMillis(500));
+                                        metaDataService.createIndex(indexMetaData.index(), indexMetaData.settings(), timeValueMillis(10));
                                     } catch (Exception e) {
+                                        latch.countDown();
                                         logger.error("Failed to create index [" + indexMetaData.index() + "]", e);
                                     }
+                                    try {
+                                        latch.await(5, TimeUnit.MINUTES);
+                                    } catch (InterruptedException e) {
+                                        logger.warn("Interrupted while waiting for index creation in gateway recovery");
+                                    }
+                                    clusterService.remove(waitForIndex);
                                     for (Map.Entry<String, String> entry : indexMetaData.mappings().entrySet()) {
                                         try {
                                             metaDataService.putMapping(new String[]{indexMetaData.index()}, entry.getKey(), entry.getValue(), true, timeValueMillis(10));