diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/indices/refresh/TransportRefreshAction.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/indices/refresh/TransportRefreshAction.java
index c48b876258f..28976f12f3d 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/indices/refresh/TransportRefreshAction.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/indices/refresh/TransportRefreshAction.java
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ public class TransportRefreshAction extends TransportBroadcastOperationAction<Re
     @Override
     protected ShardRefreshResponse shardOperation(ShardRefreshRequest request) throws ElasticSearchException {
         IndexShard indexShard = indicesService.indexServiceSafe(request.index()).shardSafe(request.shardId());
-        indexShard.refresh(new Engine.Refresh().force(request.force()));
+        indexShard.refresh(new Engine.Refresh().force(request.force()).source("api"));
         logger.trace("{} refresh request executed, force: [{}]", indexShard.shardId(), request.force());
         return new ShardRefreshResponse(request.index(), request.shardId());
     }
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/bulk/TransportShardBulkAction.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/bulk/TransportShardBulkAction.java
index 1d9afa94ace..d4eeadde271 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/bulk/TransportShardBulkAction.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/bulk/TransportShardBulkAction.java
@@ -338,7 +338,7 @@ public class TransportShardBulkAction extends TransportShardReplicationOperation
 
         if (request.refresh()) {
             try {
-                indexShard.refresh(new Engine.Refresh().force(false));
+                indexShard.refresh(new Engine.Refresh().force(false).source("refresh_flag_bulk"));
             } catch (Throwable e) {
                 // ignore
             }
@@ -553,7 +553,7 @@ public class TransportShardBulkAction extends TransportShardReplicationOperation
 
         if (request.refresh()) {
             try {
-                indexShard.refresh(new Engine.Refresh().force(false));
+                indexShard.refresh(new Engine.Refresh().force(false).source("refresh_flag_bulk"));
             } catch (Throwable e) {
                 // ignore
             }
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/delete/TransportDeleteAction.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/delete/TransportDeleteAction.java
index 05689fda8be..728c898f824 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/delete/TransportDeleteAction.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/delete/TransportDeleteAction.java
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ public class TransportDeleteAction extends TransportShardReplicationOperationAct
 
         if (request.refresh()) {
             try {
-                indexShard.refresh(new Engine.Refresh().force(false));
+                indexShard.refresh(new Engine.Refresh().force(false).source("refresh_flag_delete"));
             } catch (Exception e) {
                 // ignore
             }
@@ -208,7 +208,7 @@ public class TransportDeleteAction extends TransportShardReplicationOperationAct
 
         if (request.refresh()) {
             try {
-                indexShard.refresh(new Engine.Refresh().force(false));
+                indexShard.refresh(new Engine.Refresh().force(false).source("refresh_flag_delete"));
             } catch (Exception e) {
                 // ignore
             }
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/delete/index/TransportShardDeleteAction.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/delete/index/TransportShardDeleteAction.java
index 00703e64a1a..25119ae8449 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/delete/index/TransportShardDeleteAction.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/delete/index/TransportShardDeleteAction.java
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ public class TransportShardDeleteAction extends TransportShardReplicationOperati
 
         if (request.refresh()) {
             try {
-                indexShard.refresh(new Engine.Refresh().force(false));
+                indexShard.refresh(new Engine.Refresh().force(false).source("refresh_flag_delete"));
             } catch (Exception e) {
                 // ignore
             }
@@ -121,7 +121,7 @@ public class TransportShardDeleteAction extends TransportShardReplicationOperati
 
         if (request.refresh()) {
             try {
-                indexShard.refresh(new Engine.Refresh().force(false));
+                indexShard.refresh(new Engine.Refresh().force(false).source("refresh_flag_delete"));
             } catch (Exception e) {
                 // ignore
             }
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/get/TransportGetAction.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/get/TransportGetAction.java
index 50c63bd9326..6cb719e9c6b 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/get/TransportGetAction.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/get/TransportGetAction.java
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ public class TransportGetAction extends TransportShardSingleOperationAction<GetR
         IndexShard indexShard = indexService.shardSafe(shardId);
 
         if (request.refresh() && !request.realtime()) {
-            indexShard.refresh(new Engine.Refresh().force(REFRESH_FORCE));
+            indexShard.refresh(new Engine.Refresh().force(REFRESH_FORCE).source("refresh_flag_get"));
         }
 
         GetResult result = indexShard.getService().get(request.type(), request.id(), request.fields(),
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/get/TransportShardMultiGetAction.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/get/TransportShardMultiGetAction.java
index 776a7e8dfc4..37b5513d5db 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/get/TransportShardMultiGetAction.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/get/TransportShardMultiGetAction.java
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ public class TransportShardMultiGetAction extends TransportShardSingleOperationA
         IndexShard indexShard = indexService.shardSafe(shardId);
 
         if (request.refresh() && !request.realtime()) {
-            indexShard.refresh(new Engine.Refresh().force(TransportGetAction.REFRESH_FORCE));
+            indexShard.refresh(new Engine.Refresh().force(TransportGetAction.REFRESH_FORCE).source("refresh_flag_mget"));
         }
 
         MultiGetShardResponse response = new MultiGetShardResponse();
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/index/TransportIndexAction.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/index/TransportIndexAction.java
index 6b9b2141c6b..602d7fca069 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/index/TransportIndexAction.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/index/TransportIndexAction.java
@@ -218,7 +218,7 @@ public class TransportIndexAction extends TransportShardReplicationOperationActi
         }
         if (request.refresh()) {
             try {
-                indexShard.refresh(new Engine.Refresh().force(false));
+                indexShard.refresh(new Engine.Refresh().force(false).source("refresh_flag_index"));
             } catch (Throwable e) {
                 // ignore
             }
@@ -252,7 +252,7 @@ public class TransportIndexAction extends TransportShardReplicationOperationActi
         }
         if (request.refresh()) {
             try {
-                indexShard.refresh(new Engine.Refresh().force(false));
+                indexShard.refresh(new Engine.Refresh().force(false).source("refresh_flag_index"));
             } catch (Exception e) {
                 // ignore
             }
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/engine/Engine.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/engine/Engine.java
index e0c5f2e518a..1010e066606 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/engine/Engine.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/engine/Engine.java
@@ -85,7 +85,7 @@ public interface Engine extends IndexShardComponent, CloseableComponent {
      * Retruns a new searcher instance. The consumer of this
      * API is responsible for releasing the returned seacher in a
      * safe manner, preferrablly in a try/finally block.
-     * 
+     *
      * @see Searcher#release()
      */
     Searcher acquireSearcher() throws EngineException;
@@ -193,6 +193,7 @@ public interface Engine extends IndexShardComponent, CloseableComponent {
     static class Refresh {
 
         private boolean force = false;
+        private String source = "";
 
         /**
          * Forces calling refresh, overriding the check that dirty operations even happened. Defaults
@@ -207,9 +208,18 @@ public interface Engine extends IndexShardComponent, CloseableComponent {
             return this.force;
         }
 
+        public Refresh source(String source) {
+            this.source = source;
+            return this;
+        }
+
+        public String source() {
+            return this.source;
+        }
+
         @Override
         public String toString() {
-            return "force[" + force + "]";
+            return "force[" + force + "], source [" + source + "]";
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/engine/robin/RobinEngine.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/engine/robin/RobinEngine.java
index 28bc620b152..3165ece70d7 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/engine/robin/RobinEngine.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/engine/robin/RobinEngine.java
@@ -686,7 +686,7 @@ public class RobinEngine extends AbstractIndexShardComponent implements Engine {
             throw new EngineException(shardId, ex.getMessage());
         }
     }
-    
+
     protected Searcher newSearcher(IndexSearcher searcher, SearcherManager manager) {
         return new RobinSearcher(searcher, manager);
     }
@@ -909,7 +909,7 @@ public class RobinEngine extends AbstractIndexShardComponent implements Engine {
 
     private void refreshVersioningTable(long time) {
         // we need to refresh in order to clear older version values
-        refresh(new Refresh().force(true));
+        refresh(new Refresh().force(true).source("version_table"));
         for (Map.Entry<HashedBytesRef, VersionValue> entry : versionMap.entrySet()) {
             HashedBytesRef uid = entry.getKey();
             synchronized (dirtyLock(uid.bytes)) { // can we do it without this lock on each value? maybe batch to a set and get the lock once per set?
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/gateway/IndexShardGatewayService.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/gateway/IndexShardGatewayService.java
index e8eaaa00396..f45d7afdfae 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/gateway/IndexShardGatewayService.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/gateway/IndexShardGatewayService.java
@@ -183,7 +183,7 @@ public class IndexShardGatewayService extends AbstractIndexShardComponent implem
                         indexShard.start("post recovery from gateway");
                     }
                     // refresh the shard
-                    indexShard.refresh(new Engine.Refresh().force(true));
+                    indexShard.refresh(new Engine.Refresh().force(true).source("post_gateway"));
 
                     recoveryStatus.time(System.currentTimeMillis() - recoveryStatus.startTime());
                     recoveryStatus.updateStage(RecoveryStatus.Stage.DONE);
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/percolator/PercolatorQueriesRegistry.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/percolator/PercolatorQueriesRegistry.java
index c9e5e9fb83c..caeae18f9c4 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/percolator/PercolatorQueriesRegistry.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/percolator/PercolatorQueriesRegistry.java
@@ -226,7 +226,7 @@ public class PercolatorQueriesRegistry extends AbstractIndexShardComponent {
 
         private void loadQueries(IndexShard shard) {
             try {
-                shard.refresh(new Engine.Refresh().force(true));
+                shard.refresh(new Engine.Refresh().force(true).source("percolator_load_queries"));
                 Engine.Searcher searcher = shard.acquireSearcher();
                 try {
                     Query query = new XConstantScoreQuery(
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/shard/service/InternalIndexShard.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/shard/service/InternalIndexShard.java
index de1ad3efa5c..ce999056424 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/shard/service/InternalIndexShard.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/shard/service/InternalIndexShard.java
@@ -256,7 +256,7 @@ public class InternalIndexShard extends AbstractIndexShardComponent implements I
         // make sure we refresh on state change due to cluster state changes
         if (newRouting.state() == ShardRoutingState.STARTED && (currentRouting == null || currentRouting.state() != ShardRoutingState.STARTED)) {
             try {
-                engine.refresh(new Engine.Refresh().force(true));
+                engine.refresh(new Engine.Refresh().force(true).source("cluster_state_started"));
             } catch (Throwable t) {
                 logger.debug("failed to refresh due to move to cluster wide started", t);
             }
@@ -655,7 +655,7 @@ public class InternalIndexShard extends AbstractIndexShardComponent implements I
         }
         // clear unreferenced files
         translog.clearUnreferenced();
-        engine.refresh(new Engine.Refresh().force(true));
+        engine.refresh(new Engine.Refresh().force(true).source("recovery_finalization"));
         synchronized (mutex) {
             logger.debug("state: [{}]->[{}], reason [post recovery]", state, IndexShardState.STARTED);
             state = IndexShardState.STARTED;
@@ -825,7 +825,7 @@ public class InternalIndexShard extends AbstractIndexShardComponent implements I
                 public void run() {
                     try {
                         if (engine.refreshNeeded()) {
-                            refresh(new Engine.Refresh().force(false));
+                            refresh(new Engine.Refresh().force(false).source("scheduled"));
                         }
                     } catch (EngineClosedException e) {
                         // we are being closed, ignore