diff --git a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/SearchRequest.java b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/SearchRequest.java
index 6af225ab15c..fff986e951c 100644
--- a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/SearchRequest.java
+++ b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/SearchRequest.java
@@ -294,6 +294,14 @@ public class SearchRequest implements ActionRequest {
         return source(source, 0, source.length, false);
     }
 
+
+    /**
+     * The search source to execute.
+     */
+    public SearchRequest source(byte[] source, int offset, int length) {
+        return source(source, offset, length, false);
+    }
+
     /**
      * The search source to execute.
      */
@@ -373,6 +381,13 @@ public class SearchRequest implements ActionRequest {
         return extraSource(source, 0, source.length, false);
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Allows to provide additional source that will be used as well.
+     */
+    public SearchRequest extraSource(byte[] source, int offset, int length) {
+        return extraSource(source, offset, length, false);
+    }
+
     /**
      * Allows to provide additional source that will be used as well.
      */
diff --git a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/client/action/search/SearchRequestBuilder.java b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/client/action/search/SearchRequestBuilder.java
index 273395c9163..8b7721903df 100644
--- a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/client/action/search/SearchRequestBuilder.java
+++ b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/client/action/search/SearchRequestBuilder.java
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ import org.elasticsearch.action.search.SearchType;
 import org.elasticsearch.client.Client;
 import org.elasticsearch.client.action.support.BaseRequestBuilder;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.unit.TimeValue;
+import org.elasticsearch.common.xcontent.XContentBuilder;
 import org.elasticsearch.index.query.xcontent.XContentFilterBuilder;
 import org.elasticsearch.index.query.xcontent.XContentQueryBuilder;
 import org.elasticsearch.search.Scroll;
@@ -474,6 +475,78 @@ public class SearchRequestBuilder extends BaseRequestBuilder<SearchRequest, Sear
         return this;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Sets the source of the request as a json string. Note, settings anything other
+     * than the search type will cause this source to be overridden, consifer using
+     * {@link #setExtraSource(String)}.
+     */
+    public SearchRequestBuilder setSource(String source) {
+        request.source(source);
+        return this;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Sets the source of the request as a json string. Allows to set other parameters.
+     */
+    public SearchRequestBuilder setExtraSource(String source) {
+        request.extraSource(source);
+        return this;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Sets the source of the request as a json string. Note, settings anything other
+     * than the search type will cause this source to be overridden, consifer using
+     * {@link #setExtraSource(byte[])}.
+     */
+    public SearchRequestBuilder setSource(byte[] source) {
+        request.source(source);
+        return this;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Sets the source of the request as a json string. Allows to set other parameters.
+     */
+    public SearchRequestBuilder setExtraSource(byte[] source) {
+        request.extraSource(source);
+        return this;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Sets the source of the request as a json string. Note, settings anything other
+     * than the search type will cause this source to be overridden, consifer using
+     * {@link #setExtraSource(byte[])}.
+     */
+    public SearchRequestBuilder setSource(byte[] source, int offset, int length) {
+        request.source(source, offset, length);
+        return this;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Sets the source of the request as a json string. Allows to set other parameters.
+     */
+    public SearchRequestBuilder setExtraSource(byte[] source, int offset, int length) {
+        request.extraSource(source, offset, length);
+        return this;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Sets the source of the request as a json string. Note, settings anything other
+     * than the search type will cause this source to be overridden, consifer using
+     * {@link #setExtraSource(byte[])}.
+     */
+    public SearchRequestBuilder setSource(XContentBuilder builder) {
+        request.source(builder);
+        return this;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Sets the source of the request as a json string. Allows to set other parameters.
+     */
+    public SearchRequestBuilder setExtraSource(XContentBuilder builder) {
+        request.extraSource(builder);
+        return this;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Sets the source builder to be used with this request. Note, any operations done
      * on this require builder before are discarded as this internal builder replaces