diff --git a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/gateway/IndexShardGateway.java b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/gateway/IndexShardGateway.java
index 37b787f2e9f..24998fa2eef 100644
--- a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/gateway/IndexShardGateway.java
+++ b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/gateway/IndexShardGateway.java
@@ -58,6 +58,11 @@ public interface IndexShardGateway extends IndexShardComponent, CloseableIndexCo
      */
     SnapshotStatus snapshot(Snapshot snapshot) throws IndexShardGatewaySnapshotFailedException;
 
+    /**
+     * Returns <tt>true</tt> if snapshot is even required on this gateway (i.e. mainly handles recovery).
+     */
+    boolean requiresSnapshot();
+
     /**
      * Returns <tt>true</tt> if this gateway requires scheduling management for snapshot
      * operations.
diff --git a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/gateway/IndexShardGatewayService.java b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/gateway/IndexShardGatewayService.java
index 99f10659da1..24deff57215 100644
--- a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/gateway/IndexShardGatewayService.java
+++ b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/gateway/IndexShardGatewayService.java
@@ -270,7 +270,7 @@ public class IndexShardGatewayService extends AbstractIndexShardComponent implem
     }
 
     public void snapshotOnClose() {
-        if (snapshotOnClose) {
+        if (shardGateway.requiresSnapshot() && snapshotOnClose) {
             try {
                 snapshot("shutdown");
             } catch (Exception e) {
@@ -296,6 +296,9 @@ public class IndexShardGatewayService extends AbstractIndexShardComponent implem
     }
 
     private synchronized void scheduleSnapshotIfNeeded() {
+        if (!shardGateway.requiresSnapshot()) {
+            return;
+        }
         if (!shardGateway.requiresSnapshotScheduling()) {
             return;
         }
diff --git a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/gateway/blobstore/BlobStoreIndexShardGateway.java b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/gateway/blobstore/BlobStoreIndexShardGateway.java
index eb8e2b861b4..b1499862ef8 100644
--- a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/gateway/blobstore/BlobStoreIndexShardGateway.java
+++ b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/gateway/blobstore/BlobStoreIndexShardGateway.java
@@ -109,6 +109,10 @@ public abstract class BlobStoreIndexShardGateway extends AbstractIndexShardCompo
         return type() + "://" + blobStore + "/" + shardPath;
     }
 
+    @Override public boolean requiresSnapshot() {
+        return true;
+    }
+
     @Override public boolean requiresSnapshotScheduling() {
         return true;
     }
diff --git a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/gateway/local/LocalIndexShardGateway.java b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/gateway/local/LocalIndexShardGateway.java
index 4760ae197b2..891056957d7 100644
--- a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/gateway/local/LocalIndexShardGateway.java
+++ b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/gateway/local/LocalIndexShardGateway.java
@@ -177,6 +177,10 @@ public class LocalIndexShardGateway extends AbstractIndexShardComponent implemen
         return null;
     }
 
+    @Override public boolean requiresSnapshot() {
+        return false;
+    }
+
     @Override public boolean requiresSnapshotScheduling() {
         return false;
     }
diff --git a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/gateway/none/NoneIndexShardGateway.java b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/gateway/none/NoneIndexShardGateway.java
index 4f8e3d81fe4..f34a4ff4a56 100644
--- a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/gateway/none/NoneIndexShardGateway.java
+++ b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/gateway/none/NoneIndexShardGateway.java
@@ -87,6 +87,10 @@ public class NoneIndexShardGateway extends AbstractIndexShardComponent implement
         return null;
     }
 
+    @Override public boolean requiresSnapshot() {
+        return false;
+    }
+
     @Override public boolean requiresSnapshotScheduling() {
         return false;
     }