diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/support/IndicesOptions.java b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/support/IndicesOptions.java
index 2352fadab79..676112c2eb8 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/support/IndicesOptions.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/support/IndicesOptions.java
@@ -19,15 +19,18 @@
 package org.elasticsearch.action.support;
 
 import org.elasticsearch.Version;
+import org.elasticsearch.ElasticsearchParseException;
+import org.elasticsearch.common.ParseField;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.io.stream.StreamInput;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.io.stream.StreamOutput;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.xcontent.ToXContent;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.xcontent.ToXContentFragment;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.xcontent.XContentBuilder;
+import org.elasticsearch.common.xcontent.XContentParser;
+import org.elasticsearch.common.xcontent.XContentParser.Token;
 import org.elasticsearch.rest.RestRequest;
 
 import java.io.IOException;
-import java.util.Collection;
 import java.util.EnumSet;
 import java.util.Locale;
 import java.util.Map;
@@ -59,25 +62,7 @@ public class IndicesOptions implements ToXContentFragment {
             // TODO why do we let patterns like "none,all" or "open,none,closed" get used. The location of 'none' in the array changes the
             // meaning of the resulting value
             for (String wildcard : wildcards) {
-                switch (wildcard) {
-                    case "open":
-                        states.add(OPEN);
-                        break;
-                    case "closed":
-                        states.add(CLOSED);
-                        break;
-                    case "hidden":
-                        states.add(HIDDEN);
-                        break;
-                    case "none":
-                        states.clear();
-                        break;
-                    case "all":
-                        states = EnumSet.allOf(WildcardStates.class);
-                        break;
-                    default:
-                        throw new IllegalArgumentException("No valid expand wildcard value [" + wildcard + "]");
-                }
+                updateSetForValue(states, wildcard);
             }
 
             return states;
@@ -94,6 +79,28 @@ public class IndicesOptions implements ToXContentFragment {
             }
             return builder;
         }
+
+        private static void updateSetForValue(EnumSet<WildcardStates> states, String wildcard) {
+            switch (wildcard) {
+                case "open":
+                    states.add(OPEN);
+                    break;
+                case "closed":
+                    states.add(CLOSED);
+                    break;
+                case "hidden":
+                    states.add(HIDDEN);
+                    break;
+                case "none":
+                    states.clear();
+                    break;
+                case "all":
+                    states.addAll(EnumSet.allOf(WildcardStates.class));
+                    break;
+                default:
+                    throw new IllegalArgumentException("No valid expand wildcard value [" + wildcard + "]");
+            }
+        }
     }
 
     public enum Option {
@@ -148,11 +155,6 @@ public class IndicesOptions implements ToXContentFragment {
         this.expandWildcards = expandWildcards;
     }
 
-    private IndicesOptions(Collection<Option> options, Collection<WildcardStates> expandWildcards) {
-        this(options.isEmpty() ? Option.NONE : EnumSet.copyOf(options),
-            expandWildcards.isEmpty() ? WildcardStates.NONE : EnumSet.copyOf(expandWildcards));
-    }
-
     /**
      * @return Whether specified concrete indices should be ignored when unavailable (missing or closed)
      */
@@ -380,6 +382,84 @@ public class IndicesOptions implements ToXContentFragment {
         return builder;
     }
 
+    private static final ParseField EXPAND_WILDCARDS_FIELD = new ParseField("expand_wildcards");
+    private static final ParseField IGNORE_UNAVAILABLE_FIELD = new ParseField("ignore_unavailable");
+    private static final ParseField IGNORE_THROTTLED_FIELD = new ParseField("ignore_throttled");
+    private static final ParseField ALLOW_NO_INDICES_FIELD = new ParseField("allow_no_indices");
+
+    public static IndicesOptions fromXContent(XContentParser parser) throws IOException {
+        EnumSet<WildcardStates> wildcardStates = null;
+        Boolean allowNoIndices = null;
+        Boolean ignoreUnavailable = null;
+        boolean ignoreThrottled = false;
+        Token token = parser.currentToken() == Token.START_OBJECT ? parser.currentToken() : parser.nextToken();
+        String currentFieldName = null;
+        if (token != Token.START_OBJECT) {
+            throw new ElasticsearchParseException("expected START_OBJECT as the token but was " + token);
+        }
+        while ((token = parser.nextToken()) != XContentParser.Token.END_OBJECT) {
+            if (token == XContentParser.Token.FIELD_NAME) {
+                currentFieldName = parser.currentName();
+            } else if (token == Token.START_ARRAY) {
+                if (EXPAND_WILDCARDS_FIELD.match(currentFieldName, parser.getDeprecationHandler())) {
+                    if (wildcardStates == null) {
+                        wildcardStates = EnumSet.noneOf(WildcardStates.class);
+                        while ((token = parser.nextToken()) != Token.END_ARRAY) {
+                            if (token.isValue()) {
+                                WildcardStates.updateSetForValue(wildcardStates, parser.text());
+                            } else {
+                                throw new ElasticsearchParseException("expected values within array for " +
+                                    EXPAND_WILDCARDS_FIELD.getPreferredName());
+                            }
+                        }
+                    } else {
+                        throw new ElasticsearchParseException("already parsed expand_wildcards");
+                    }
+                } else {
+                    throw new ElasticsearchParseException(EXPAND_WILDCARDS_FIELD.getPreferredName() +
+                        " is the only field that is an array in IndicesOptions");
+                }
+            } else if (token.isValue()) {
+                if (EXPAND_WILDCARDS_FIELD.match(currentFieldName, parser.getDeprecationHandler())) {
+                    if (wildcardStates == null) {
+                        wildcardStates = EnumSet.noneOf(WildcardStates.class);
+                        WildcardStates.updateSetForValue(wildcardStates, parser.text());
+                    } else {
+                        throw new ElasticsearchParseException("already parsed expand_wildcards");
+                    }
+                } else if (IGNORE_UNAVAILABLE_FIELD.match(currentFieldName, parser.getDeprecationHandler())) {
+                    ignoreUnavailable = parser.booleanValue();
+                } else if (ALLOW_NO_INDICES_FIELD.match(currentFieldName, parser.getDeprecationHandler())) {
+                    allowNoIndices = parser.booleanValue();
+                } else if (IGNORE_THROTTLED_FIELD.match(currentFieldName, parser.getDeprecationHandler())) {
+                    ignoreThrottled = parser.booleanValue();
+                } else {
+                    throw new ElasticsearchParseException("could not read indices options. unexpected index option [" +
+                        currentFieldName + "]");
+                }
+            } else {
+                throw new ElasticsearchParseException("could not read indices options. unexpected object field [" +
+                    currentFieldName + "]");
+            }
+        }
+
+        if (wildcardStates == null) {
+            throw new ElasticsearchParseException("indices options xcontent did not contain " + EXPAND_WILDCARDS_FIELD.getPreferredName());
+        }
+        if (ignoreUnavailable == null) {
+            throw new ElasticsearchParseException("indices options xcontent did not contain " +
+                IGNORE_UNAVAILABLE_FIELD.getPreferredName());
+        }
+        if (allowNoIndices == null) {
+            throw new ElasticsearchParseException("indices options xcontent did not contain " +
+                ALLOW_NO_INDICES_FIELD.getPreferredName());
+        }
+
+        return IndicesOptions.fromOptions(ignoreUnavailable, allowNoIndices, wildcardStates.contains(WildcardStates.OPEN),
+            wildcardStates.contains(WildcardStates.CLOSED), wildcardStates.contains(WildcardStates.HIDDEN), true, false, false,
+            ignoreThrottled);
+    }
+
     /**
      * @return indices options that requires every specified index to exist, expands wildcards only to open indices and
      *         allows that no indices are resolved from wildcard expressions (not returning an error).
diff --git a/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/action/support/IndicesOptionsTests.java b/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/action/support/IndicesOptionsTests.java
index d73cf97bd75..d2826a96e3d 100644
--- a/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/action/support/IndicesOptionsTests.java
+++ b/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/action/support/IndicesOptionsTests.java
@@ -324,13 +324,13 @@ public class IndicesOptionsTests extends ESTestCase {
                 options.isEmpty() ? Option.NONE : EnumSet.copyOf(options),
                 wildcardStates.isEmpty() ? WildcardStates.NONE : EnumSet.copyOf(wildcardStates));
 
-        XContentBuilder builder = XContentFactory.jsonBuilder();
-        builder.startObject();
-        indicesOptions.toXContent(builder, new MapParams(Collections.emptyMap()));
-        builder.endObject();
-        XContentParser parser = XContentType.JSON.xContent().createParser(
-            NamedXContentRegistry.EMPTY, null, BytesReference.bytes(builder).streamInput());
-        Map<String, Object> map = parser.mapOrdered();
+        XContentType type = randomFrom(XContentType.values());
+        BytesReference xContentBytes = toXContentBytes(indicesOptions, type);
+        Map<String, Object> map;
+        try (XContentParser parser = type.xContent().createParser(
+            NamedXContentRegistry.EMPTY, null, xContentBytes.streamInput())) {
+            map = parser.mapOrdered();
+        }
 
         boolean open = wildcardStates.contains(WildcardStates.OPEN);
         if (open) {
@@ -349,4 +349,83 @@ public class IndicesOptionsTests extends ESTestCase {
         assertEquals(map.get("allow_no_indices"), options.contains(Option.ALLOW_NO_INDICES));
         assertEquals(map.get("ignore_throttled"), options.contains(Option.IGNORE_THROTTLED));
     }
+
+    public void testFromXContent() throws IOException {
+        Collection<WildcardStates> wildcardStates = randomSubsetOf(Arrays.asList(WildcardStates.values()));
+        Collection<Option> options = randomSubsetOf(Arrays.asList(Option.values()));
+
+        IndicesOptions indicesOptions = new IndicesOptions(
+            options.isEmpty() ? Option.NONE : EnumSet.copyOf(options),
+            wildcardStates.isEmpty() ? WildcardStates.NONE : EnumSet.copyOf(wildcardStates));
+
+        XContentType type = randomFrom(XContentType.values());
+        BytesReference xContentBytes = toXContentBytes(indicesOptions, type);
+        IndicesOptions fromXContentOptions;
+        try (XContentParser parser = type.xContent().createParser(
+            NamedXContentRegistry.EMPTY, null, xContentBytes.streamInput())) {
+            fromXContentOptions = IndicesOptions.fromXContent(parser);
+        }
+
+        assertEquals(indicesOptions.expandWildcardsClosed(), fromXContentOptions.expandWildcardsClosed());
+        assertEquals(indicesOptions.expandWildcardsHidden(), fromXContentOptions.expandWildcardsHidden());
+        assertEquals(indicesOptions.expandWildcardsOpen(), fromXContentOptions.expandWildcardsOpen());
+        assertEquals(indicesOptions.ignoreUnavailable(), fromXContentOptions.ignoreUnavailable());
+        assertEquals(indicesOptions.allowNoIndices(), fromXContentOptions.allowNoIndices());
+        assertEquals(indicesOptions.ignoreThrottled(), fromXContentOptions.ignoreThrottled());
+    }
+
+    public void testFromXContentWithWildcardSpecialValues() throws IOException {
+        XContentType type = randomFrom(XContentType.values());
+        final boolean ignoreUnavailable = randomBoolean();
+        final boolean allowNoIndices = randomBoolean();
+
+        BytesReference xContentBytes;
+        try (XContentBuilder builder = XContentFactory.contentBuilder(type)) {
+            builder.startObject();
+            builder.field("expand_wildcards", "all");
+            builder.field("ignore_unavailable", ignoreUnavailable);
+            builder.field("allow_no_indices", allowNoIndices);
+            builder.endObject();
+            xContentBytes = BytesReference.bytes(builder);
+        }
+
+        IndicesOptions fromXContentOptions;
+        try (XContentParser parser = type.xContent().createParser(
+            NamedXContentRegistry.EMPTY, null, xContentBytes.streamInput())) {
+            fromXContentOptions = IndicesOptions.fromXContent(parser);
+        }
+        assertEquals(ignoreUnavailable, fromXContentOptions.ignoreUnavailable());
+        assertEquals(allowNoIndices, fromXContentOptions.allowNoIndices());
+        assertTrue(fromXContentOptions.expandWildcardsClosed());
+        assertTrue(fromXContentOptions.expandWildcardsHidden());
+        assertTrue(fromXContentOptions.expandWildcardsOpen());
+
+        try (XContentBuilder builder = XContentFactory.contentBuilder(type)) {
+            builder.startObject();
+            builder.field("expand_wildcards", "none");
+            builder.field("ignore_unavailable", ignoreUnavailable);
+            builder.field("allow_no_indices", allowNoIndices);
+            builder.endObject();
+            xContentBytes = BytesReference.bytes(builder);
+        }
+
+        try (XContentParser parser = type.xContent().createParser(
+            NamedXContentRegistry.EMPTY, null, xContentBytes.streamInput())) {
+            fromXContentOptions = IndicesOptions.fromXContent(parser);
+        }
+        assertEquals(ignoreUnavailable, fromXContentOptions.ignoreUnavailable());
+        assertEquals(allowNoIndices, fromXContentOptions.allowNoIndices());
+        assertFalse(fromXContentOptions.expandWildcardsClosed());
+        assertFalse(fromXContentOptions.expandWildcardsHidden());
+        assertFalse(fromXContentOptions.expandWildcardsOpen());
+    }
+
+    private BytesReference toXContentBytes(IndicesOptions indicesOptions, XContentType type) throws IOException {
+        try (XContentBuilder builder = XContentFactory.contentBuilder(type)) {
+            builder.startObject();
+            indicesOptions.toXContent(builder, new MapParams(Collections.emptyMap()));
+            builder.endObject();
+            return BytesReference.bytes(builder);
+        }
+    }
 }
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/watcher/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/watcher/support/search/WatcherSearchTemplateRequest.java b/x-pack/plugin/watcher/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/watcher/support/search/WatcherSearchTemplateRequest.java
index cebf6ac646b..07efc45ebd9 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/watcher/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/watcher/support/search/WatcherSearchTemplateRequest.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/watcher/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/watcher/support/search/WatcherSearchTemplateRequest.java
@@ -158,19 +158,7 @@ public class WatcherSearchTemplateRequest implements ToXContentObject {
         }
         if (indicesOptions != DEFAULT_INDICES_OPTIONS) {
             builder.startObject(INDICES_OPTIONS_FIELD.getPreferredName());
-            String value;
-            if (indicesOptions.expandWildcardsClosed() && indicesOptions.expandWildcardsOpen()) {
-                value = "all";
-            } else if (indicesOptions.expandWildcardsOpen()) {
-                value = "open";
-            } else if (indicesOptions.expandWildcardsClosed()) {
-                value = "closed";
-            } else {
-                value = "none";
-            }
-            builder.field(EXPAND_WILDCARDS_FIELD.getPreferredName(), value);
-            builder.field(IGNORE_UNAVAILABLE_FIELD.getPreferredName(), indicesOptions.ignoreUnavailable());
-            builder.field(ALLOW_NO_INDICES_FIELD.getPreferredName(), indicesOptions.allowNoIndices());
+            indicesOptions.toXContent(builder, params);
             builder.endObject();
         }
         if (template != null) {
@@ -228,51 +216,7 @@ public class WatcherSearchTemplateRequest implements ToXContentObject {
                         searchSource = BytesReference.bytes(builder);
                     }
                 } else if (INDICES_OPTIONS_FIELD.match(currentFieldName, parser.getDeprecationHandler())) {
-                    boolean expandOpen = DEFAULT_INDICES_OPTIONS.expandWildcardsOpen();
-                    boolean expandClosed = DEFAULT_INDICES_OPTIONS.expandWildcardsClosed();
-                    boolean allowNoIndices = DEFAULT_INDICES_OPTIONS.allowNoIndices();
-                    boolean ignoreUnavailable = DEFAULT_INDICES_OPTIONS.ignoreUnavailable();
-                    while ((token = parser.nextToken()) != XContentParser.Token.END_OBJECT) {
-                        if (token == XContentParser.Token.FIELD_NAME) {
-                            currentFieldName = parser.currentName();
-                        } else if (token.isValue()) {
-                            if (EXPAND_WILDCARDS_FIELD.match(currentFieldName, parser.getDeprecationHandler())) {
-                                switch (parser.text()) {
-                                    case "all":
-                                        expandOpen = true;
-                                        expandClosed = true;
-                                        break;
-                                    case "open":
-                                        expandOpen = true;
-                                        expandClosed = false;
-                                        break;
-                                    case "closed":
-                                        expandOpen = false;
-                                        expandClosed = true;
-                                        break;
-                                    case "none":
-                                        expandOpen = false;
-                                        expandClosed = false;
-                                        break;
-                                    default:
-                                        throw new ElasticsearchParseException("could not read search request. unknown value [" +
-                                                parser.text() + "] for [" + currentFieldName + "] field ");
-                                }
-                            } else if (IGNORE_UNAVAILABLE_FIELD.match(currentFieldName, parser.getDeprecationHandler())) {
-                                ignoreUnavailable = parser.booleanValue();
-                            } else if (ALLOW_NO_INDICES_FIELD.match(currentFieldName, parser.getDeprecationHandler())) {
-                                allowNoIndices = parser.booleanValue();
-                            } else {
-                                throw new ElasticsearchParseException("could not read search request. unexpected index option [" +
-                                        currentFieldName + "]");
-                            }
-                        } else {
-                            throw new ElasticsearchParseException("could not read search request. unexpected object field [" +
-                                    currentFieldName + "]");
-                        }
-                    }
-                    indicesOptions = IndicesOptions.fromOptions(ignoreUnavailable, allowNoIndices, expandOpen, expandClosed,
-                            DEFAULT_INDICES_OPTIONS);
+                    indicesOptions = IndicesOptions.fromXContent(parser);
                 } else if (TEMPLATE_FIELD.match(currentFieldName, parser.getDeprecationHandler())) {
                     template = Script.parse(parser, Script.DEFAULT_TEMPLATE_LANG);
                 } else {
@@ -343,9 +287,6 @@ public class WatcherSearchTemplateRequest implements ToXContentObject {
     private static final ParseField BODY_FIELD = new ParseField("body");
     private static final ParseField SEARCH_TYPE_FIELD = new ParseField("search_type");
     private static final ParseField INDICES_OPTIONS_FIELD = new ParseField("indices_options");
-    private static final ParseField EXPAND_WILDCARDS_FIELD = new ParseField("expand_wildcards");
-    private static final ParseField IGNORE_UNAVAILABLE_FIELD = new ParseField("ignore_unavailable");
-    private static final ParseField ALLOW_NO_INDICES_FIELD = new ParseField("allow_no_indices");
     private static final ParseField TEMPLATE_FIELD = new ParseField("template");
     private static final ParseField REST_TOTAL_HITS_AS_INT_FIELD = new ParseField("rest_total_hits_as_int");