diff --git a/docs/reference/index-modules/translog.asciidoc b/docs/reference/index-modules/translog.asciidoc
index e5215fe3f59..03490937638 100644
--- a/docs/reference/index-modules/translog.asciidoc
+++ b/docs/reference/index-modules/translog.asciidoc
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ parameters:
 |=======================================================================
 |Setting |Description
 |index.translog.flush_threshold_ops |After how many operations to flush.
-Defaults to `5000`.
+Defaults to `unlimited`.
 
 |index.translog.flush_threshold_size |Once the translog hits this size,
 a flush will happen. Defaults to `200mb`.
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/translog/TranslogService.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/translog/TranslogService.java
index d4bec95703d..7647869b0ab 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/translog/TranslogService.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/translog/TranslogService.java
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ public class TranslogService extends AbstractIndexShardComponent {
         this.indexShard = indexShard;
         this.translog = translog;
 
-        this.flushThresholdOperations = componentSettings.getAsInt("flush_threshold_ops", componentSettings.getAsInt("flush_threshold", 5000));
+        this.flushThresholdOperations = componentSettings.getAsInt("flush_threshold_ops", componentSettings.getAsInt("flush_threshold", Integer.MAX_VALUE));
         this.flushThresholdSize = componentSettings.getAsBytesSize("flush_threshold_size", new ByteSizeValue(200, ByteSizeUnit.MB));
         this.flushThresholdPeriod = componentSettings.getAsTime("flush_threshold_period", TimeValue.timeValueMinutes(30));
         this.interval = componentSettings.getAsTime("interval", timeValueMillis(5000));