diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/search/MultiMatchQuery.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/search/MultiMatchQuery.java
index 2b56e81c231..1376c6b3817 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/search/MultiMatchQuery.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/search/MultiMatchQuery.java
@@ -46,11 +46,14 @@ public class MultiMatchQuery extends MatchQuery {
         super(parseContext);
     }
     
-    private Query parseAndApply(Type type, String fieldName, Object value, String minimumShouldMatch) throws IOException {
+    private Query parseAndApply(Type type, String fieldName, Object value, String minimumShouldMatch, Float boostValue) throws IOException {
         Query query = parse(type, fieldName, value);
         if (query instanceof BooleanQuery) {
             Queries.applyMinimumShouldMatch((BooleanQuery) query, minimumShouldMatch);
         }
+        if (boostValue != null && query != null) {
+            query.setBoost(boostValue);
+        }
         return query;
     }
 
@@ -58,23 +61,15 @@ public class MultiMatchQuery extends MatchQuery {
         if (fieldNames.size() == 1) {
             Map.Entry<String, Float> fieldBoost = fieldNames.entrySet().iterator().next();
             Float boostValue = fieldBoost.getValue();
-            final Query query = parseAndApply(type, fieldBoost.getKey(), value, minimumShouldMatch);
-            if (boostValue != null) {
-                query.setBoost(boostValue);
-            }
-            return query;
+            return parseAndApply(type, fieldBoost.getKey(), value, minimumShouldMatch, boostValue);
         }
 
         if (useDisMax) {
             DisjunctionMaxQuery disMaxQuery = new DisjunctionMaxQuery(tieBreaker);
             boolean clauseAdded = false;
             for (String fieldName : fieldNames.keySet()) {
-                Query query = parseAndApply(type, fieldName, value, minimumShouldMatch);
                 Float boostValue = fieldNames.get(fieldName);
-                if (boostValue != null) {
-                    query.setBoost(boostValue);
-                }
-               
+                Query query = parseAndApply(type, fieldName, value, minimumShouldMatch, boostValue);
                 if (query != null) {
                     clauseAdded = true;
                     disMaxQuery.add(query);
@@ -84,11 +79,8 @@ public class MultiMatchQuery extends MatchQuery {
         } else {
             BooleanQuery booleanQuery = new BooleanQuery();
             for (String fieldName : fieldNames.keySet()) {
-                Query query = parseAndApply(type, fieldName, value, minimumShouldMatch);
                 Float boostValue = fieldNames.get(fieldName);
-                if (boostValue != null) {
-                    query.setBoost(boostValue);
-                }
+                Query query = parseAndApply(type, fieldName, value, minimumShouldMatch, boostValue);
                 if (query != null) {
                     booleanQuery.add(query, BooleanClause.Occur.SHOULD);
                 }
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/search/query/SimpleQueryTests.java b/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/search/query/SimpleQueryTests.java
index 96bcc9028ca..ccbd33e6a84 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/search/query/SimpleQueryTests.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/search/query/SimpleQueryTests.java
@@ -60,7 +60,6 @@ import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.*;
  */
 public class SimpleQueryTests extends AbstractIntegrationTest {
 
-
     @Test // see https://github.com/elasticsearch/elasticsearch/issues/3177
     public void testIssue3177() {
         run(prepareCreate("test").setSettings(ImmutableSettings.settingsBuilder().put("index.number_of_shards", 1)));
@@ -1794,4 +1793,24 @@ public class SimpleQueryTests extends AbstractIntegrationTest {
 
         assertHitCount(response, 1l);
     }
+
+    @Test // see https://github.com/elasticsearch/elasticsearch/issues/3797
+    public void testMultiMatchLenientIssue3797() {
+        createIndex("test");
+        ensureGreen();
+        client().prepareIndex("test", "type1", "1").setSource("field1", 123, "field2", "value2").get();
+        refresh();
+
+        SearchResponse searchResponse = client().prepareSearch("test")
+                .setQuery(QueryBuilders.multiMatchQuery("value2", "field1^2", "field2").lenient(true).useDisMax(false)).get();
+        assertHitCount(searchResponse, 1l);
+
+        searchResponse = client().prepareSearch("test")
+                .setQuery(QueryBuilders.multiMatchQuery("value2", "field1^2", "field2").lenient(true).useDisMax(true)).get();
+        assertHitCount(searchResponse, 1l);
+
+        searchResponse = client().prepareSearch("test")
+                .setQuery(QueryBuilders.multiMatchQuery("value2", "field2^2").lenient(true)).get();
+        assertHitCount(searchResponse, 1l);
+    }
 }