diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/update/TransportUpdateAction.java b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/update/TransportUpdateAction.java
index 1f3a97a25a2..ee33594ebb6 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/update/TransportUpdateAction.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/update/TransportUpdateAction.java
@@ -100,14 +100,6 @@ public class TransportUpdateAction extends TransportWriteAction<UpdateRequest, U
         request.setShardId(shardId);
     }
 
-    public static void resolveAndValidateRouting(MetaData metaData, String concreteIndex, UpdateRequest request) {
-        request.routing((metaData.resolveIndexRouting(request.parent(), request.routing(), request.index())));
-        // Fail fast on the node that received the request, rather than failing when translating on the index or delete request.
-        if (request.routing() == null && metaData.routingRequired(concreteIndex, request.type())) {
-            throw new RoutingMissingException(concreteIndex, request.type(), request.id());
-        }
-    }
-
     @Override
     protected void doExecute(Task task, UpdateRequest request, ActionListener<UpdateResponse> listener) {
         // if we don't have a master, we don't have metadata, that's fine, let it find a master using create index API