diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/fielddata/IndexFieldDataService.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/fielddata/IndexFieldDataService.java
index 98d5d038763..815698c4aec 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/fielddata/IndexFieldDataService.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/fielddata/IndexFieldDataService.java
@@ -160,7 +160,9 @@ public class IndexFieldDataService extends AbstractIndexComponent implements Ind
                     }
 
                     IndexFieldDataCache cache;
-                    String cacheType = type.getSettings().get("cache", indexSettings.get("index.fielddata.cache", "resident"));
+                    //  we default to node level cache, which in turn defaults to be unbounded
+                    // this means changing the node level settings is simple, just set the bounds there
+                    String cacheType = type.getSettings().get("cache", indexSettings.get("index.fielddata.cache", "node"));
                     if ("resident".equals(cacheType)) {
                         cache = new IndexFieldDataCache.Resident(index, fieldNames, type, this);
                     } else if ("soft".equals(cacheType)) {
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/indices/fielddata/cache/IndicesFieldDataCache.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/indices/fielddata/cache/IndicesFieldDataCache.java
index d610abd9797..18a930eb578 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/indices/fielddata/cache/IndicesFieldDataCache.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/indices/fielddata/cache/IndicesFieldDataCache.java
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ public class IndicesFieldDataCache extends AbstractComponent implements RemovalL
     @Inject
     public IndicesFieldDataCache(Settings settings) {
         super(settings);
-        this.size = componentSettings.get("size", "40%");
+        this.size = componentSettings.get("size", "-1");
         this.expire = componentSettings.getAsTime("expire", null);
         computeSizeInBytes();
         buildCache();
@@ -62,17 +62,22 @@ public class IndicesFieldDataCache extends AbstractComponent implements RemovalL
     private void buildCache() {
         CacheBuilder<Key, AtomicFieldData> cacheBuilder = CacheBuilder.newBuilder()
                 .removalListener(this);
-        cacheBuilder.maximumWeight(sizeInBytes).weigher(new FieldDataWeigher());
+        if (sizeInBytes > 0) {
+            cacheBuilder.maximumWeight(sizeInBytes).weigher(new FieldDataWeigher());
+        }
         // defaults to 4, but this is a busy map for all indices, increase it a bit
         cacheBuilder.concurrencyLevel(16);
-        if (expire != null) {
+        if (expire != null && expire.millis() > 0) {
             cacheBuilder.expireAfterAccess(expire.millis(), TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS);
         }
+        logger.debug("using size [{}] [{}], expire [{}]", size, new ByteSizeValue(sizeInBytes), expire);
         cache = cacheBuilder.build();
     }
 
     private void computeSizeInBytes() {
-        if (size.endsWith("%")) {
+        if (size.equals("-1")) {
+            sizeInBytes = -1;
+        } else if (size.endsWith("%")) {
             double percent = Double.parseDouble(size.substring(0, size.length() - 1));
             sizeInBytes = (long) ((percent / 100) * JvmInfo.jvmInfo().getMem().getHeapMax().bytes());
         } else {