diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/bulk/BulkItemResponse.java b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/bulk/BulkItemResponse.java
index 13d4201e6cf..1062b397af5 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/bulk/BulkItemResponse.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/bulk/BulkItemResponse.java
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ import org.elasticsearch.action.DocWriteResponse;
 import org.elasticsearch.action.delete.DeleteResponse;
 import org.elasticsearch.action.index.IndexResponse;
 import org.elasticsearch.action.update.UpdateResponse;
+import org.elasticsearch.common.Strings;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.io.stream.StreamInput;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.io.stream.StreamOutput;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.io.stream.Streamable;
@@ -173,6 +174,11 @@ public class BulkItemResponse implements Streamable, StatusToXContent {
             builder.field(STATUS_FIELD, status.getStatus());
             return builder;
         }
+
+        @Override
+        public String toString() {
+            return Strings.toString(this);
+        }
     }
 
     private int id;
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/ingest/IngestClientIT.java b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/ingest/IngestClientIT.java
index f0d12158752..2945a6ce269 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/ingest/IngestClientIT.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/ingest/IngestClientIT.java
@@ -158,6 +158,9 @@ public class IngestClientIT extends ESIntegTestCase {
                 assertThat(failure.getMessage(), equalTo("java.lang.IllegalArgumentException: test processor failed"));
             } else {
                 IndexResponse indexResponse = itemResponse.getResponse();
+                assertThat("Expected a successful response but found failure [" + itemResponse.getFailure() + "].",
+                    itemResponse.isFailed(), is(false));
+                assertThat(indexResponse, notNullValue());
                 assertThat(indexResponse.getId(), equalTo(Integer.toString(i)));
                 assertThat(indexResponse.isCreated(), is(true));
             }