diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/indices/validate/query/TransportValidateQueryAction.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/indices/validate/query/TransportValidateQueryAction.java
index c918119f45d..0dda3687bb3 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/indices/validate/query/TransportValidateQueryAction.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/indices/validate/query/TransportValidateQueryAction.java
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ public class TransportValidateQueryAction extends TransportBroadcastOperationAct
     protected GroupShardsIterator shards(ClusterState clusterState, ValidateQueryRequest request, String[] concreteIndices) {
         // Hard-code routing to limit request to a single shard, but still, randomize it...
         Map<String, Set<String>> routingMap = clusterState.metaData().resolveSearchRouting(Integer.toString(ThreadLocalRandom.current().nextInt(1000)), request.indices());
-        return clusterService.operationRouting().searchShards(clusterState, request.indices(), concreteIndices, null, routingMap, "_local");
+        return clusterService.operationRouting().searchShards(clusterState, request.indices(), concreteIndices, routingMap, "_local");
     }
 
     @Override
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/count/CountRequest.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/count/CountRequest.java
index e47545f746e..c85ef0612c3 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/count/CountRequest.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/count/CountRequest.java
@@ -59,8 +59,6 @@ public class CountRequest extends BroadcastOperationRequest<CountRequest> {
 
     private float minScore = DEFAULT_MIN_SCORE;
 
-    @Nullable
-    protected String queryHint;
     @Nullable
     protected String routing;
 
@@ -78,7 +76,6 @@ public class CountRequest extends BroadcastOperationRequest<CountRequest> {
      */
     public CountRequest(String... indices) {
         super(indices);
-        this.queryHint = null;
     }
 
     @Override
@@ -87,10 +84,6 @@ public class CountRequest extends BroadcastOperationRequest<CountRequest> {
         return validationException;
     }
 
-    public String queryHint() {
-        return queryHint;
-    }
-
     @Override
     protected void beforeStart() {
         if (querySourceUnsafe) {
@@ -99,14 +92,6 @@ public class CountRequest extends BroadcastOperationRequest<CountRequest> {
         }
     }
 
-    /**
-     * A query hint to optionally later be used when routing the request.
-     */
-    public CountRequest queryHint(String queryHint) {
-        this.queryHint = queryHint;
-        return this;
-    }
-
     /**
      * The minimum score of the documents to include in the count.
      */
@@ -239,50 +224,19 @@ public class CountRequest extends BroadcastOperationRequest<CountRequest> {
     public void readFrom(StreamInput in) throws IOException {
         super.readFrom(in);
         minScore = in.readFloat();
-
-        if (in.readBoolean()) {
-            queryHint = in.readUTF();
-        }
-        if (in.readBoolean()) {
-            routing = in.readUTF();
-        }
-
+        routing = in.readOptionalString();
         querySourceUnsafe = false;
         querySource = in.readBytesReference();
-
-        int typesSize = in.readVInt();
-        if (typesSize > 0) {
-            types = new String[typesSize];
-            for (int i = 0; i < typesSize; i++) {
-                types[i] = in.readUTF();
-            }
-        }
+        types = in.readStringArray();
     }
 
     @Override
     public void writeTo(StreamOutput out) throws IOException {
         super.writeTo(out);
         out.writeFloat(minScore);
-
-        if (queryHint == null) {
-            out.writeBoolean(false);
-        } else {
-            out.writeBoolean(true);
-            out.writeUTF(queryHint);
-        }
-        if (routing == null) {
-            out.writeBoolean(false);
-        } else {
-            out.writeBoolean(true);
-            out.writeUTF(routing);
-        }
-
+        out.writeOptionalString(routing);
         out.writeBytesReference(querySource);
-
-        out.writeVInt(types.length);
-        for (String type : types) {
-            out.writeUTF(type);
-        }
+        out.writeStringArray(types);
     }
 
     @Override
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/count/CountRequestBuilder.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/count/CountRequestBuilder.java
index 3a4f45f533e..83271b1177b 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/count/CountRequestBuilder.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/count/CountRequestBuilder.java
@@ -52,14 +52,6 @@ public class CountRequestBuilder extends BroadcastOperationRequestBuilder<CountR
         return this;
     }
 
-    /**
-     * A query hint to optionally later be used when routing the request.
-     */
-    public CountRequestBuilder setQueryHint(String queryHint) {
-        request.queryHint(queryHint);
-        return this;
-    }
-
     /**
      * A comma separated list of routing values to control the shards the search will be executed on.
      */
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/count/TransportCountAction.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/count/TransportCountAction.java
index a222d480436..cc932ec43a8 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/count/TransportCountAction.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/count/TransportCountAction.java
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ public class TransportCountAction extends TransportBroadcastOperationAction<Coun
     @Override
     protected GroupShardsIterator shards(ClusterState clusterState, CountRequest request, String[] concreteIndices) {
         Map<String, Set<String>> routingMap = clusterState.metaData().resolveSearchRouting(request.routing(), request.indices());
-        return clusterService.operationRouting().searchShards(clusterState, request.indices(), concreteIndices, request.queryHint(), routingMap, null);
+        return clusterService.operationRouting().searchShards(clusterState, request.indices(), concreteIndices, routingMap, null);
     }
 
     @Override
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/MultiSearchRequest.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/MultiSearchRequest.java
index 60ead9040b9..78dceea660e 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/MultiSearchRequest.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/MultiSearchRequest.java
@@ -121,8 +121,6 @@ public class MultiSearchRequest extends ActionRequest<MultiSearchRequest> {
                                     searchRequest.preference(parser.text());
                                 } else if ("routing".equals(currentFieldName)) {
                                     searchRequest.routing(parser.text());
-                                } else if ("query_hint".equals(currentFieldName) || "queryHint".equals(currentFieldName)) {
-                                    searchRequest.queryHint(parser.text());
                                 } else if ("ignore_indices".equals(currentFieldName) || "ignoreIndices".equals(currentFieldName)) {
                                     searchRequest.ignoreIndices(IgnoreIndices.fromString(parser.text()));
                                 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/SearchRequest.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/SearchRequest.java
index 2ac914b8121..9306c56cab4 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/SearchRequest.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/SearchRequest.java
@@ -64,8 +64,6 @@ public class SearchRequest extends ActionRequest<SearchRequest> {
 
     private String[] indices;
 
-    @Nullable
-    private String queryHint;
     @Nullable
     private String routing;
     @Nullable
@@ -409,21 +407,6 @@ public class SearchRequest extends ActionRequest<SearchRequest> {
         return indices;
     }
 
-    /**
-     * A query hint to optionally later be used when routing the request.
-     */
-    public SearchRequest queryHint(String queryHint) {
-        this.queryHint = queryHint;
-        return this;
-    }
-
-    /**
-     * A query hint to optionally later be used when routing the request.
-     */
-    public String queryHint() {
-        return queryHint;
-    }
-
     /**
      * If set, will enable scrolling of the search request.
      */
@@ -464,7 +447,6 @@ public class SearchRequest extends ActionRequest<SearchRequest> {
             indices[i] = in.readString();
         }
 
-        queryHint = in.readOptionalString();
         routing = in.readOptionalString();
         preference = in.readOptionalString();
 
@@ -493,7 +475,6 @@ public class SearchRequest extends ActionRequest<SearchRequest> {
             out.writeString(index);
         }
 
-        out.writeOptionalString(queryHint);
         out.writeOptionalString(routing);
         out.writeOptionalString(preference);
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/SearchRequestBuilder.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/SearchRequestBuilder.java
index 922a21af6ee..6673f5e811c 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/SearchRequestBuilder.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/SearchRequestBuilder.java
@@ -126,14 +126,6 @@ public class SearchRequestBuilder extends ActionRequestBuilder<SearchRequest, Se
         return this;
     }
 
-    /**
-     * A query hint to optionally later be used when routing the request.
-     */
-    public SearchRequestBuilder setQueryHint(String queryHint) {
-        request.queryHint(queryHint);
-        return this;
-    }
-
     /**
      * A comma separated list of routing values to control the shards the search will be executed on.
      */
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/TransportSearchAction.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/TransportSearchAction.java
index b997c058bd6..95ccb989855 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/TransportSearchAction.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/TransportSearchAction.java
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@ package org.elasticsearch.action.search;
 
 import org.elasticsearch.action.ActionListener;
 import org.elasticsearch.action.search.type.*;
-import org.elasticsearch.action.support.IgnoreIndices;
 import org.elasticsearch.action.support.TransportAction;
 import org.elasticsearch.cluster.ClusterService;
 import org.elasticsearch.cluster.ClusterState;
@@ -90,7 +89,7 @@ public class TransportSearchAction extends TransportAction<SearchRequest, Search
                 ClusterState clusterState = clusterService.state();
                 String[] concreteIndices = clusterState.metaData().concreteIndices(searchRequest.indices(), searchRequest.ignoreIndices(), true);
                 Map<String, Set<String>> routingMap = clusterState.metaData().resolveSearchRouting(searchRequest.routing(), searchRequest.indices());
-                int shardCount = clusterService.operationRouting().searchShardsCount(clusterState, searchRequest.indices(), concreteIndices, searchRequest.queryHint(), routingMap, searchRequest.preference());
+                int shardCount = clusterService.operationRouting().searchShardsCount(clusterState, searchRequest.indices(), concreteIndices, routingMap, searchRequest.preference());
                 if (shardCount == 1) {
                     // if we only have one group, then we always want Q_A_F, no need for DFS, and no need to do THEN since we hit one shard
                     searchRequest.searchType(QUERY_AND_FETCH);
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/type/TransportSearchTypeAction.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/type/TransportSearchTypeAction.java
index 38db8dc2a85..26934f71674 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/type/TransportSearchTypeAction.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/type/TransportSearchTypeAction.java
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ public abstract class TransportSearchTypeAction extends TransportAction<SearchRe
 
             Map<String, Set<String>> routingMap = clusterState.metaData().resolveSearchRouting(request.routing(), request.indices());
 
-            shardsIts = clusterService.operationRouting().searchShards(clusterState, request.indices(), concreteIndices, request.queryHint(), routingMap, request.preference());
+            shardsIts = clusterService.operationRouting().searchShards(clusterState, request.indices(), concreteIndices, routingMap, request.preference());
             expectedSuccessfulOps = shardsIts.size();
             // we need to add 1 for non active partition, since we count it in the total!
             expectedTotalOps = shardsIts.totalSizeWith1ForEmpty();
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/routing/operation/OperationRouting.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/routing/operation/OperationRouting.java
index 1c7d375fdbd..349bd22e458 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/routing/operation/OperationRouting.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/routing/operation/OperationRouting.java
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ public interface OperationRouting {
 
     GroupShardsIterator deleteByQueryShards(ClusterState clusterState, String index, @Nullable Set<String> routing) throws IndexMissingException;
 
-    int searchShardsCount(ClusterState clusterState, String[] indices, String[] concreteIndices, @Nullable String queryHint, @Nullable Map<String, Set<String>> routing, @Nullable String preference) throws IndexMissingException;
+    int searchShardsCount(ClusterState clusterState, String[] indices, String[] concreteIndices, @Nullable Map<String, Set<String>> routing, @Nullable String preference) throws IndexMissingException;
 
-    GroupShardsIterator searchShards(ClusterState clusterState, String[] indices, String[] concreteIndices, @Nullable String queryHint, @Nullable Map<String, Set<String>> routing, @Nullable String preference) throws IndexMissingException;
+    GroupShardsIterator searchShards(ClusterState clusterState, String[] indices, String[] concreteIndices, @Nullable Map<String, Set<String>> routing, @Nullable String preference) throws IndexMissingException;
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/routing/operation/plain/PlainOperationRouting.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/routing/operation/plain/PlainOperationRouting.java
index 39f9d3e2d8f..9bf5b7114d9 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/routing/operation/plain/PlainOperationRouting.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/routing/operation/plain/PlainOperationRouting.java
@@ -111,7 +111,7 @@ public class PlainOperationRouting extends AbstractComponent implements Operatio
     }
 
     @Override
-    public int searchShardsCount(ClusterState clusterState, String[] indices, String[] concreteIndices, @Nullable String queryHint, @Nullable Map<String, Set<String>> routing, @Nullable String preference) throws IndexMissingException {
+    public int searchShardsCount(ClusterState clusterState, String[] indices, String[] concreteIndices, @Nullable Map<String, Set<String>> routing, @Nullable String preference) throws IndexMissingException {
         if (concreteIndices == null || concreteIndices.length == 0) {
             concreteIndices = clusterState.metaData().concreteAllOpenIndices();
         }
@@ -145,7 +145,7 @@ public class PlainOperationRouting extends AbstractComponent implements Operatio
     }
 
     @Override
-    public GroupShardsIterator searchShards(ClusterState clusterState, String[] indices, String[] concreteIndices, @Nullable String queryHint, @Nullable Map<String, Set<String>> routing, @Nullable String preference) throws IndexMissingException {
+    public GroupShardsIterator searchShards(ClusterState clusterState, String[] indices, String[] concreteIndices, @Nullable Map<String, Set<String>> routing, @Nullable String preference) throws IndexMissingException {
         if (concreteIndices == null || concreteIndices.length == 0) {
             concreteIndices = clusterState.metaData().concreteAllOpenIndices();
         }
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/rest/action/count/RestCountAction.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/rest/action/count/RestCountAction.java
index 5d3aa8099f5..182837abf8e 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/rest/action/count/RestCountAction.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/rest/action/count/RestCountAction.java
@@ -86,7 +86,6 @@ public class RestCountAction extends BaseRestHandler {
                     }
                 }
             }
-            countRequest.queryHint(request.param("query_hint"));
             countRequest.routing(request.param("routing"));
             countRequest.minScore(request.paramAsFloat("min_score", DEFAULT_MIN_SCORE));
             countRequest.types(splitTypes(request.param("type")));
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/rest/action/search/RestSearchAction.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/rest/action/search/RestSearchAction.java
index ac3aede4a41..18d8dbb4862 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/rest/action/search/RestSearchAction.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/rest/action/search/RestSearchAction.java
@@ -139,7 +139,6 @@ public class RestSearchAction extends BaseRestHandler {
         }
 
         searchRequest.types(RestActions.splitTypes(request.param("type")));
-        searchRequest.queryHint(request.param("query_hint"));
         searchRequest.routing(request.param("routing"));
         searchRequest.preference(request.param("preference"));
         if (request.hasParam("ignore_indices")) {
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/unit/cluster/structure/RoutingIteratorTests.java b/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/unit/cluster/structure/RoutingIteratorTests.java
index a6985b2f7c3..9ccc0c33e58 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/unit/cluster/structure/RoutingIteratorTests.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/unit/cluster/structure/RoutingIteratorTests.java
@@ -333,31 +333,31 @@ public class RoutingIteratorTests {
 
         PlainOperationRouting operationRouting = new PlainOperationRouting(ImmutableSettings.Builder.EMPTY_SETTINGS, new DjbHashFunction(), new AwarenessAllocationDecider());
 
-        GroupShardsIterator shardIterators = operationRouting.searchShards(clusterState, new String[]{"test"}, new String[]{"test"}, null, null, "_shards:0");
+        GroupShardsIterator shardIterators = operationRouting.searchShards(clusterState, new String[]{"test"}, new String[]{"test"}, null, "_shards:0");
         assertThat(shardIterators.size(), equalTo(1));
         assertThat(shardIterators.iterator().next().shardId().id(), equalTo(0));
 
-        shardIterators = operationRouting.searchShards(clusterState, new String[]{"test"}, new String[]{"test"}, null, null, "_shards:1");
+        shardIterators = operationRouting.searchShards(clusterState, new String[]{"test"}, new String[]{"test"}, null, "_shards:1");
         assertThat(shardIterators.size(), equalTo(1));
         assertThat(shardIterators.iterator().next().shardId().id(), equalTo(1));
 
         //check node preference, first without preference to see they switch
-        shardIterators = operationRouting.searchShards(clusterState, new String[]{"test"}, new String[]{"test"}, null, null, "_shards:0;");
+        shardIterators = operationRouting.searchShards(clusterState, new String[]{"test"}, new String[]{"test"}, null, "_shards:0;");
         assertThat(shardIterators.size(), equalTo(1));
         assertThat(shardIterators.iterator().next().shardId().id(), equalTo(0));
         String firstRoundNodeId = shardIterators.iterator().next().nextOrNull().currentNodeId();
 
-        shardIterators = operationRouting.searchShards(clusterState, new String[]{"test"}, new String[]{"test"}, null, null, "_shards:0");
+        shardIterators = operationRouting.searchShards(clusterState, new String[]{"test"}, new String[]{"test"}, null, "_shards:0");
         assertThat(shardIterators.size(), equalTo(1));
         assertThat(shardIterators.iterator().next().shardId().id(), equalTo(0));
         assertThat(shardIterators.iterator().next().nextOrNull().currentNodeId(), not(equalTo(firstRoundNodeId)));
 
-        shardIterators = operationRouting.searchShards(clusterState, new String[]{"test"}, new String[]{"test"}, null, null, "_shards:0;_prefer_node:node1");
+        shardIterators = operationRouting.searchShards(clusterState, new String[]{"test"}, new String[]{"test"}, null, "_shards:0;_prefer_node:node1");
         assertThat(shardIterators.size(), equalTo(1));
         assertThat(shardIterators.iterator().next().shardId().id(), equalTo(0));
         assertThat(shardIterators.iterator().next().nextOrNull().currentNodeId(), equalTo("node1"));
 
-        shardIterators = operationRouting.searchShards(clusterState, new String[]{"test"}, new String[]{"test"}, null, null, "_shards:0;_prefer_node:node1");
+        shardIterators = operationRouting.searchShards(clusterState, new String[]{"test"}, new String[]{"test"}, null, "_shards:0;_prefer_node:node1");
         assertThat(shardIterators.size(), equalTo(1));
         assertThat(shardIterators.iterator().next().shardId().id(), equalTo(0));
         assertThat(shardIterators.iterator().next().nextOrNull().currentNodeId(), equalTo("node1"));