diff --git a/docs/reference/docs/update.asciidoc b/docs/reference/docs/update.asciidoc
index 64731cf81bc..7cfdae2ec4d 100644
--- a/docs/reference/docs/update.asciidoc
+++ b/docs/reference/docs/update.asciidoc
@@ -200,8 +200,6 @@ including:
 `routing`::     Sets the routing that will be used to route the 
                 document to the relevant shard.
 
-`parent`::      Simply sets the routing.
-
 `timeout`::     Timeout waiting for a shard to become available.
 
 `replication`:: The replication type for the delete/index operation
diff --git a/docs/reference/migration/migrate_2_0.asciidoc b/docs/reference/migration/migrate_2_0.asciidoc
index e48a6527228..63eba254847 100644
--- a/docs/reference/migration/migrate_2_0.asciidoc
+++ b/docs/reference/migration/migrate_2_0.asciidoc
@@ -110,3 +110,8 @@ large, it is recommended to make it replicated to all nodes by setting
 `index.auto_expand_replicas: 0-all` in order to remove the network overhead as
 well.
 
+=== Parent parameter on update request
+
+The `parent` parameter has been removed from the update request. Before 2.x it just set the routing parameter. The
+`routing` setting should be used instead. The `parent` setting was confusing, because it had the impression that the parent
+a child documents points to can be changed but this is not true.
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/rest-api-spec/api/update.json b/rest-api-spec/api/update.json
index 6196067f63c..6612781796a 100644
--- a/rest-api-spec/api/update.json
+++ b/rest-api-spec/api/update.json
@@ -36,10 +36,6 @@
           "type": "string",
           "description": "The script language (default: groovy)"
         },
-        "parent": {
-          "type": "string",
-          "description": "ID of the parent document"
-        },
         "refresh": {
           "type": "boolean",
           "description": "Refresh the index after performing the operation"
diff --git a/rest-api-spec/test/update/50_parent.yaml b/rest-api-spec/test/update/50_parent.yaml
index 3d15ea9f2a8..4b0bffd0ca8 100644
--- a/rest-api-spec/test/update/50_parent.yaml
+++ b/rest-api-spec/test/update/50_parent.yaml
@@ -29,10 +29,10 @@ setup:
           index:   test_1
           type:    test
           id:      1
-          parent:  5
+          routing:  5
           body:
             doc:        { foo: baz }
-            upsert:     { foo: bar }
+            upsert:     { foo: bar, _parent: 5 }
 
  - do:
       get:
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ setup:
           index:   test_1
           type:    test
           id:      1
-          parent:  5
+          routing:  5
           fields:  foo
           body:
             doc:        { foo: baz }
diff --git a/rest-api-spec/test/update/55_parent_with_routing.yaml b/rest-api-spec/test/update/55_parent_with_routing.yaml
index 51dd91af3ba..85d59599bc3 100644
--- a/rest-api-spec/test/update/55_parent_with_routing.yaml
+++ b/rest-api-spec/test/update/55_parent_with_routing.yaml
@@ -21,11 +21,10 @@
           index:   test_1
           type:    test
           id:      1
-          parent:  5
           routing: 4
           body:
             doc:        { foo: baz }
-            upsert:     { foo: bar }
+            upsert:     { foo: bar, _parent: 5 }
 
  - do:
       get:
@@ -45,7 +44,7 @@
           index:   test_1
           type:    test
           id:      1
-          parent:  5
+          routing:  5
           body:
             doc:        { foo: baz }
 
@@ -54,7 +53,6 @@
           index:   test_1
           type:    test
           id:      1
-          parent:  5
           routing: 4
           fields:  foo
           body:
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/bulk/BulkRequest.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/bulk/BulkRequest.java
index da4ef6effde..f4e2ea555d1 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/bulk/BulkRequest.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/bulk/BulkRequest.java
@@ -353,14 +353,13 @@ public class BulkRequest extends ActionRequest<BulkRequest> implements Composite
                                 .create(true)
                                 .source(data.slice(from, nextMarker - from), contentUnsafe), payload);
                     } else if ("update".equals(action)) {
-                        UpdateRequest updateRequest = new UpdateRequest(index, type, id).routing(routing).parent(parent).retryOnConflict(retryOnConflict)
+                        UpdateRequest updateRequest = new UpdateRequest(index, type, id).routing(routing).retryOnConflict(retryOnConflict)
                                 .version(version).versionType(versionType)
                                 .source(data.slice(from, nextMarker - from));
 
                         IndexRequest upsertRequest = updateRequest.upsertRequest();
                         if (upsertRequest != null) {
                             upsertRequest.routing(routing);
-                            upsertRequest.parent(parent); // order is important, set it after routing, so it will set the routing
                             upsertRequest.timestamp(timestamp);
                             upsertRequest.ttl(ttl);
                             upsertRequest.version(version);
@@ -369,7 +368,6 @@ public class BulkRequest extends ActionRequest<BulkRequest> implements Composite
                         IndexRequest doc = updateRequest.doc();
                         if (doc != null) {
                             doc.routing(routing);
-                            doc.parent(parent); // order is important, set it after routing, so it will set the routing
                             doc.timestamp(timestamp);
                             doc.ttl(ttl);
                             doc.version(version);
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/update/UpdateRequest.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/update/UpdateRequest.java
index 5b3d329152d..a2617d96338 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/update/UpdateRequest.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/update/UpdateRequest.java
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@
 package org.elasticsearch.action.update;
 
 import com.google.common.collect.Maps;
-import org.elasticsearch.Version;
 import org.elasticsearch.action.ActionRequestValidationException;
 import org.elasticsearch.action.DocumentRequest;
 import org.elasticsearch.action.WriteConsistencyLevel;
@@ -174,17 +173,6 @@ public class UpdateRequest extends InstanceShardOperationRequest<UpdateRequest>
         return this;
     }
 
-    /**
-     * Sets the parent id of this document. Will simply set the routing to this value, as it is only
-     * used for routing with delete requests.
-     */
-    public UpdateRequest parent(String parent) {
-        if (routing == null) {
-            routing = parent;
-        }
-        return this;
-    }
-
     /**
      * Controls the shard routing of the request. Using this value to hash the shard
      * and not the id.
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/update/UpdateRequestBuilder.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/update/UpdateRequestBuilder.java
index 640369288ea..8318ce75657 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/update/UpdateRequestBuilder.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/update/UpdateRequestBuilder.java
@@ -70,11 +70,6 @@ public class UpdateRequestBuilder extends InstanceShardOperationRequestBuilder<U
         return this;
     }
 
-    public UpdateRequestBuilder setParent(String parent) {
-        request.parent(parent);
-        return this;
-    }
-
     /**
      * The script to execute. Note, make sure not to send different script each times and instead
      * use script params if possible with the same (automatically compiled) script.
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/rest/action/update/RestUpdateAction.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/rest/action/update/RestUpdateAction.java
index e441ba5bffe..c60a2e001cb 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/rest/action/update/RestUpdateAction.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/rest/action/update/RestUpdateAction.java
@@ -58,7 +58,6 @@ public class RestUpdateAction extends BaseRestHandler {
         UpdateRequest updateRequest = new UpdateRequest(request.param("index"), request.param("type"), request.param("id"));
         updateRequest.listenerThreaded(false);
         updateRequest.routing(request.param("routing"));
-        updateRequest.parent(request.param("parent")); // order is important, set it after routing, so it will set the routing
         updateRequest.timeout(request.paramAsTime("timeout", updateRequest.timeout()));
         updateRequest.refresh(request.paramAsBoolean("refresh", updateRequest.refresh()));
         String replicationType = request.param("replication");
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/document/BulkTests.java b/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/document/BulkTests.java
index 265d8c01afb..3b4d3e9755f 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/document/BulkTests.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/document/BulkTests.java
@@ -425,8 +425,8 @@ public class BulkTests extends ElasticsearchIntegrationTest {
         byte[] addParent = new BytesArray("{\"index\" : { \"_index\" : \"test\", \"_type\" : \"parent\", \"_id\" : \"parent1\"}}\n" +
                 "{\"field1\" : \"value1\"}\n").array();
 
-        byte[] addChild = new BytesArray("{ \"update\" : { \"_index\" : \"test\", \"_type\" : \"child\", \"_id\" : \"child1\", \"parent\" : \"parent1\"}}\n" +
-                "{\"doc\" : { \"field1\" : \"value1\"}, \"doc_as_upsert\" : \"true\"}\n").array();
+        byte[] addChild = new BytesArray("{ \"update\" : { \"_index\" : \"test\", \"_type\" : \"child\", \"_id\" : \"child1\", \"routing\" : \"parent1\"}}\n" +
+                "{\"doc\" : { \"field1\" : \"value1\", \"_parent\" : \"parent1\"}, \"doc_as_upsert\" : \"true\"}\n").array();
 
         builder.add(addParent, 0, addParent.length, false);
         builder.add(addChild, 0, addChild.length, false);
@@ -462,8 +462,8 @@ public class BulkTests extends ElasticsearchIntegrationTest {
         byte[] addParent = new BytesArray("{\"index\" : { \"_index\" : \"test\", \"_type\" : \"parent\", \"_id\" : \"parent1\"}}\n" +
                 "{\"field1\" : \"value1\"}\n").array();
 
-        byte[] addChild = new BytesArray("{\"update\" : { \"_id\" : \"child1\", \"_type\" : \"child\", \"_index\" : \"test\", \"parent\" : \"parent1\"} }\n" +
-                "{ \"script\" : \"ctx._source.field2 = 'value2'\", \"upsert\" : {\"field1\" : \"value1\"}}\n").array();
+        byte[] addChild = new BytesArray("{\"update\" : { \"_id\" : \"child1\", \"_type\" : \"child\", \"_index\" : \"test\", \"routing\" : \"parent1\"} }\n" +
+                "{ \"script\" : \"ctx._source.field2 = 'value2'\", \"upsert\" : {\"field1\" : \"value1\", \"_parent\" : \"parent1\"}}\n").array();
 
         builder.add(addParent, 0, addParent.length, false);
         builder.add(addChild, 0, addChild.length, false);
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/search/aggregations/bucket/ChildrenTests.java b/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/search/aggregations/bucket/ChildrenTests.java
index e57f72bf621..59443ee82a0 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/search/aggregations/bucket/ChildrenTests.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/search/aggregations/bucket/ChildrenTests.java
@@ -248,7 +248,7 @@ public class ChildrenTests extends ElasticsearchIntegrationTest {
 
             String idToUpdate = Integer.toString(randomInt(3));
             UpdateResponse updateResponse = client().prepareUpdate(indexName, "child", idToUpdate)
-                    .setParent("1")
+                    .setRouting("1")
                     .setDoc("count", 1)
                     .get();
             assertThat(updateResponse.getVersion(), greaterThan(1l));