diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/io/stream/AdapterStreamInput.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/io/stream/AdapterStreamInput.java
index 530243db922..daa98258335 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/io/stream/AdapterStreamInput.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/io/stream/AdapterStreamInput.java
@@ -89,6 +89,11 @@ public abstract class AdapterStreamInput extends StreamInput {
         return in.readUTF();
     }
 
+    @Override
+    public String readString() throws IOException {
+        return in.readString();
+    }
+
     @Override
     public int read(byte[] b) throws IOException {
         return in.read(b);
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/io/stream/AdapterStreamOutput.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/io/stream/AdapterStreamOutput.java
index 81ae68faad6..a981af70d56 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/io/stream/AdapterStreamOutput.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/io/stream/AdapterStreamOutput.java
@@ -107,6 +107,11 @@ public class AdapterStreamOutput extends StreamOutput {
         out.writeUTF(str);
     }
 
+    @Override
+    public void writeString(String str) throws IOException {
+        out.writeString(str);
+    }
+
     @Override
     public void writeFloat(float v) throws IOException {
         out.writeFloat(v);
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/io/stream/HandlesStreamInput.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/io/stream/HandlesStreamInput.java
index 8551dedd70f..3a7537c70b0 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/io/stream/HandlesStreamInput.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/io/stream/HandlesStreamInput.java
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ public class HandlesStreamInput extends AdapterStreamInput {
     }
 
     @Override
+    @Deprecated
     public String readUTF() throws IOException {
         byte b = in.readByte();
         if (b == 0) {
@@ -64,6 +65,30 @@ public class HandlesStreamInput extends AdapterStreamInput {
         }
     }
 
+    @Override
+    public String readString() throws IOException {
+        byte b = in.readByte();
+        if (b == 0) {
+            // full string with handle
+            int handle = in.readVInt();
+            String s = in.readString();
+            handles.put(handle, s);
+            return s;
+        } else if (b == 1) {
+            return handles.get(in.readVInt());
+        } else if (b == 2) {
+            // full string with handle
+            int handle = in.readVInt();
+            String s = in.readString();
+            identityHandles.put(handle, s);
+            return s;
+        } else if (b == 3) {
+            return identityHandles.get(in.readVInt());
+        } else {
+            throw new IOException("Expected handle header, got [" + b + "]");
+        }
+    }
+
     @Override
     public void reset() throws IOException {
         super.reset();
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/io/stream/HandlesStreamOutput.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/io/stream/HandlesStreamOutput.java
index c99817b9c08..b4a364e0b33 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/io/stream/HandlesStreamOutput.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/io/stream/HandlesStreamOutput.java
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ public class HandlesStreamOutput extends AdapterStreamOutput {
     }
 
     @Override
+    @Deprecated
     public void writeUTF(String s) throws IOException {
         if (s.length() < identityThreshold) {
             int handle = handles.get(s);
@@ -76,6 +77,34 @@ public class HandlesStreamOutput extends AdapterStreamOutput {
         }
     }
 
+    @Override
+    public void writeString(String s) throws IOException {
+        if (s.length() < identityThreshold) {
+            int handle = handles.get(s);
+            if (handle == -1) {
+                handle = handles.size();
+                handles.put(s, handle);
+                out.writeByte((byte) 0);
+                out.writeVInt(handle);
+                out.writeUTF(s);
+            } else {
+                out.writeByte((byte) 1);
+                out.writeVInt(handle);
+            }
+        } else {
+            int handle = identityHandles.lookup(s);
+            if (handle == -1) {
+                handle = identityHandles.assign(s);
+                out.writeByte((byte) 2);
+                out.writeVInt(handle);
+                out.writeUTF(s);
+            } else {
+                out.writeByte((byte) 3);
+                out.writeVInt(handle);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
     @Override
     public void reset() throws IOException {
         handles.clear();
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/io/stream/StreamInput.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/io/stream/StreamInput.java
index f867bbd34f3..fc65865ef65 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/io/stream/StreamInput.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/io/stream/StreamInput.java
@@ -143,7 +143,11 @@ public abstract class StreamInput extends InputStream {
         return i | ((b & 0x7FL) << 56);
     }
 
+    /**
+     * @deprecated use {@link #readOptionalString()}
+     */
     @Nullable
+    @Deprecated
     public String readOptionalUTF() throws IOException {
         if (readBoolean()) {
             return readUTF();
@@ -151,7 +155,15 @@ public abstract class StreamInput extends InputStream {
         return null;
     }
 
-    public String readUTF() throws IOException {
+    @Nullable
+    public String readOptionalString() throws IOException {
+        if (readBoolean()) {
+            return readString();
+        }
+        return null;
+    }
+
+    public String readString() throws IOException {
         int charCount = readVInt();
         char[] chars = CachedStreamInput.getCharArray(charCount);
         int c, charIndex = 0;
@@ -180,6 +192,14 @@ public abstract class StreamInput extends InputStream {
         return new String(chars, 0, charCount);
     }
 
+    /**
+     * @deprecated use {@link #readString()}
+     */
+    @Deprecated
+    public String readUTF() throws IOException {
+        return readString();
+    }
+
 
     public final float readFloat() throws IOException {
         return Float.intBitsToFloat(readInt());
@@ -227,7 +247,7 @@ public abstract class StreamInput extends InputStream {
         }
         String[] ret = new String[size];
         for (int i = 0; i < size; i++) {
-            ret[i] = readUTF();
+            ret[i] = readString();
         }
         return ret;
     }
@@ -245,7 +265,7 @@ public abstract class StreamInput extends InputStream {
             case -1:
                 return null;
             case 0:
-                return readUTF();
+                return readString();
             case 1:
                 return readInt();
             case 2:
@@ -279,14 +299,14 @@ public abstract class StreamInput extends InputStream {
                 int size9 = readVInt();
                 Map map9 = new LinkedHashMap(size9);
                 for (int i = 0; i < size9; i++) {
-                    map9.put(readUTF(), readGenericValue());
+                    map9.put(readString(), readGenericValue());
                 }
                 return map9;
             case 10:
                 int size10 = readVInt();
                 Map map10 = new HashMap(size10);
                 for (int i = 0; i < size10; i++) {
-                    map10.put(readUTF(), readGenericValue());
+                    map10.put(readString(), readGenericValue());
                 }
                 return map10;
             case 11:
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/io/stream/StreamOutput.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/io/stream/StreamOutput.java
index 6aa1ea26c97..bb96845dd18 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/io/stream/StreamOutput.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/io/stream/StreamOutput.java
@@ -129,6 +129,7 @@ public abstract class StreamOutput extends OutputStream {
         writeByte((byte) i);
     }
 
+    @Deprecated
     public void writeOptionalUTF(@Nullable String str) throws IOException {
         if (str == null) {
             writeBoolean(false);
@@ -138,10 +139,16 @@ public abstract class StreamOutput extends OutputStream {
         }
     }
 
-    /**
-     * Writes a string.
-     */
-    public void writeUTF(String str) throws IOException {
+    public void writeOptionalString(@Nullable String str) throws IOException {
+        if (str == null) {
+            writeBoolean(false);
+        } else {
+            writeBoolean(true);
+            writeString(str);
+        }
+    }
+
+    public void writeString(String str) throws IOException {
         int charCount = str.length();
         writeVInt(charCount);
         int c;
@@ -160,6 +167,16 @@ public abstract class StreamOutput extends OutputStream {
         }
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Writes a string.
+     *
+     * @deprecated use {@link #writeString(String)}
+     */
+    @Deprecated
+    public void writeUTF(String str) throws IOException {
+        writeString(str);
+    }
+
     public void writeFloat(float v) throws IOException {
         writeInt(Float.floatToIntBits(v));
     }
@@ -204,7 +221,7 @@ public abstract class StreamOutput extends OutputStream {
     public void writeStringArray(String[] array) throws IOException {
         writeVInt(array.length);
         for (String s : array) {
-            writeUTF(s);
+            writeString(s);
         }
     }
 
@@ -220,7 +237,7 @@ public abstract class StreamOutput extends OutputStream {
         Class type = value.getClass();
         if (type == String.class) {
             writeByte((byte) 0);
-            writeUTF((String) value);
+            writeString((String) value);
         } else if (type == Integer.class) {
             writeByte((byte) 1);
             writeInt((Integer) value);