diff --git a/rest-api-spec/test/create/50_parent.yaml b/rest-api-spec/test/create/50_parent.yaml
index e5db34e474f..dcd24d99346 100644
--- a/rest-api-spec/test/create/50_parent.yaml
+++ b/rest-api-spec/test/create/50_parent.yaml
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@
             mappings:
               test:
                 _parent: { type: "foo" }
+
  - do:
       cluster.health:
           wait_for_status: yellow
@@ -40,10 +41,3 @@
  - match:   { fields._parent: "5"}
  - match:   { fields._routing: "5"}
 
- - do:
-      catch: param
-      get:
-          index:   test_1
-          type:    test
-          id:      1
-
diff --git a/rest-api-spec/test/exists/30_parent.yaml b/rest-api-spec/test/exists/30_parent.yaml
index ee7b9d6f8a6..786f364ee43 100644
--- a/rest-api-spec/test/exists/30_parent.yaml
+++ b/rest-api-spec/test/exists/30_parent.yaml
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 ---
-"Parent":
+setup:
  - skip:
       version:  "0 - 0.90.2"
       reason:   "Parent not supported in exists https://github.com/elasticsearch/elasticsearch/issues/3276"
@@ -15,6 +15,8 @@
       cluster.health:
           wait_for_status: yellow
 
+---
+"Parent":
  - do:
       index:
           index:   test_1
@@ -32,8 +34,14 @@
 
  - is_true: ''
 
+---
+"Parent omitted pre 1.0":
+
+ - skip:
+      version:  "1 - 999"
+      reason: "Pre 1.0 omitting a parent with exists would just use the id for routing, possibly resulting in 404"
+
  - do:
-      catch:  param
       exists:
           index:   test_1
           type:    test
@@ -41,3 +49,21 @@
 
  - is_false: ''
 
+
+---
+"Parent omitted post 1.0":
+
+ - skip:
+      version:  "0 - 0.999"
+      reason: "When a parent is specified in the mapping it cannot be omitted"
+
+ - do:
+      catch: request
+      exists:
+          index:   test_1
+          type:    test
+          id:      1
+
+ - is_false: ''
+
+
diff --git a/rest-api-spec/test/get/30_parent.yaml b/rest-api-spec/test/get/30_parent.yaml
index a3ad6a7e23d..964cdb43344 100644
--- a/rest-api-spec/test/get/30_parent.yaml
+++ b/rest-api-spec/test/get/30_parent.yaml
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 ---
-"Parent":
-
+setup:
  - do:
       indices.create:
           index: test_1
@@ -20,6 +19,9 @@
           parent:  中文
           body:    { foo: bar }
 
+---
+"Parent":
+
  - do:
       get:
           index:   test_1
@@ -32,8 +34,27 @@
  - match:   { fields._parent: 中文 }
  - match:   { fields._routing: 中文}
 
+---
+"Parent omitted post 1.0":
+ - skip:
+      version: "0 - 0.999"
+      reason: "Required parent has been introduced in 1.0"
+    
  - do:
-      catch: param
+      catch: request
+      get:
+          index:   test_1
+          type:    test
+          id:      1
+
+---
+"Parent omitted pre 1.0":
+ - skip:
+      version: "1 - 999"
+      reason: "Required parent has been introduced in 1.0"
+
+ - do:
+      catch: missing
       get:
           index:   test_1
           type:    test
diff --git a/rest-api-spec/test/get_source/30_parent.yaml b/rest-api-spec/test/get_source/30_parent.yaml
index fbd6666f1d6..e5ad4f3fb5b 100644
--- a/rest-api-spec/test/get_source/30_parent.yaml
+++ b/rest-api-spec/test/get_source/30_parent.yaml
@@ -1,8 +1,9 @@
 ---
-"Parent":
+setup:
  - skip:
       version:  "0 - 0.90.0"
       reason:   "Get source not supported in pre 0.90.1 versions."
+
  - do:
       indices.create:
           index: test_1
@@ -22,6 +23,9 @@
           parent:  5
           body:    { foo: bar }
 
+
+---
+"Parent":
  - do:
       get_source:
           index:   test_1
@@ -31,8 +35,27 @@
 
  - match:   { '': {foo: bar}}
 
+---
+"Parent omitted pre 1.0":
+ - skip:
+      version:  "1 - 999"
+      reason:   "Get source not supported in pre 0.90.1 versions."
+
  - do:
-      catch: param
+      catch: missing
+      get_source:
+          index:   test_1
+          type:    test
+          id:      1
+
+---
+"Parent omitted post 1.0":
+ - skip:
+      version:  "0 - 0.999"
+      reason: "Required parent has been introduced in 1.0"
+
+ - do:
+      catch: request
       get_source:
           index:   test_1
           type:    test
diff --git a/rest-api-spec/test/index/50_parent.yaml b/rest-api-spec/test/index/50_parent.yaml
index c4ec15b4c4b..551d30d95d7 100644
--- a/rest-api-spec/test/index/50_parent.yaml
+++ b/rest-api-spec/test/index/50_parent.yaml
@@ -40,10 +40,3 @@
  - match:   { fields._parent: "5"}
  - match:   { fields._routing: "5"}
 
- - do:
-      catch: param
-      get:
-          index:   test_1
-          type:    test
-          id:      1
-
diff --git a/rest-api-spec/test/update/50_parent.yaml b/rest-api-spec/test/update/50_parent.yaml
index f12f98b9bfc..a55b406fc1d 100644
--- a/rest-api-spec/test/update/50_parent.yaml
+++ b/rest-api-spec/test/update/50_parent.yaml
@@ -1,6 +1,5 @@
 ---
-"Parent":
-
+setup:
  - do:
       indices.create:
           index: test_1
@@ -12,6 +11,9 @@
       cluster.health:
           wait_for_status: yellow
 
+---
+"Parent":
+
  - do:
       catch:      /RoutingMissingException/
       update:
@@ -43,15 +45,6 @@
  - match: { fields._parent:  "5"}
  - match: { fields._routing: "5"}
 
- - do:
-      catch:      param
-      update:
-          index:   test_1
-          type:    test
-          id:      1
-          body:
-            doc:        { foo: baz }
-
  - do:
       update:
           index:   test_1
@@ -64,3 +57,51 @@
 
  - match: { get.fields.foo: baz }
 
+---
+"Parent omitted post 1.0":
+
+ - skip:
+      version: "0 - 0.999"
+      reason: "Required parent has been introduced in 1.0"
+
+ - do:
+      index:
+          index:   test_1
+          type:    test
+          id:      1
+          parent:  5
+          body:    { foo: bar }
+
+ - do:
+      catch:      request
+      update:
+          index:   test_1
+          type:    test
+          id:      1
+          body:
+            doc:        { foo: baz }
+
+---
+"Parent omitted pre 1.0":
+
+ - skip:
+      version: "1 - 999"
+      reason: "Required parent has been introduced in 1.0"
+
+ - do:
+      index:
+          index:   test_1
+          type:    test
+          id:      1
+          parent:  5
+          body:    { foo: bar }
+
+ - do:
+      catch:      missing
+      update:
+          index:   test_1
+          type:    test
+          id:      1
+          body:
+            doc:        { foo: baz }
+