diff --git a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/metadata/IndexMetaData.java b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/metadata/IndexMetaData.java
index 7fec8bf353b..65d73122c18 100644
--- a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/metadata/IndexMetaData.java
+++ b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/metadata/IndexMetaData.java
@@ -281,7 +281,7 @@ public class IndexMetaData {
             for (Map.Entry<String, MappingMetaData> entry : indexMetaData.mappings().entrySet()) {
                 byte[] data = entry.getValue().source().uncompressed();
                 XContentParser parser = XContentFactory.xContent(data).createParser(data);
-                Map<String, Object> mapping = parser.map();
+                Map<String, Object> mapping = parser.mapOrdered();
                 parser.close();
                 builder.map(mapping);
             }
@@ -310,7 +310,7 @@ public class IndexMetaData {
                         builder.settings(settingsBuilder.build());
                     } else if ("mappings".equals(currentFieldName)) {
                         while ((token = parser.nextToken()) != XContentParser.Token.END_ARRAY) {
-                            Map<String, Object> mapping = parser.map();
+                            Map<String, Object> mapping = parser.mapOrdered();
                             if (mapping.size() == 1) {
                                 String mappingType = mapping.keySet().iterator().next();
                                 builder.putMapping(new MappingMetaData(mappingType, mapping));
diff --git a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/xcontent/XContentParser.java b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/xcontent/XContentParser.java
index ffe02be9206..ba31b2795d0 100644
--- a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/xcontent/XContentParser.java
+++ b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/xcontent/XContentParser.java
@@ -108,6 +108,8 @@ public interface XContentParser {
 
     Map<String, Object> map() throws IOException;
 
+    Map<String, Object> mapOrdered() throws IOException;
+
     Map<String, Object> mapAndClose() throws IOException;
 
     String text() throws IOException;
diff --git a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/xcontent/support/AbstractXContentParser.java b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/xcontent/support/AbstractXContentParser.java
index d1dba465f81..43cdf040040 100644
--- a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/xcontent/support/AbstractXContentParser.java
+++ b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/xcontent/support/AbstractXContentParser.java
@@ -103,6 +103,10 @@ public abstract class AbstractXContentParser implements XContentParser {
         return XContentMapConverter.readMap(this);
     }
 
+    @Override public Map<String, Object> mapOrdered() throws IOException {
+        return XContentMapConverter.readOrderedMap(this);
+    }
+
     @Override public Map<String, Object> mapAndClose() throws IOException {
         try {
             return map();
diff --git a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/xcontent/support/XContentMapConverter.java b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/xcontent/support/XContentMapConverter.java
index 5024ec1e8a2..8017eac0021 100644
--- a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/xcontent/support/XContentMapConverter.java
+++ b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/xcontent/support/XContentMapConverter.java
@@ -31,8 +31,32 @@ import java.util.*;
  */
 public class XContentMapConverter {
 
+    public static interface MapFactory {
+        Map<String, Object> newMap();
+    }
+
+    public static final MapFactory SIMPLE_MAP_FACTORY = new MapFactory() {
+        @Override public Map<String, Object> newMap() {
+            return new HashMap<String, Object>();
+        }
+    };
+
+    public static final MapFactory ORDERED_MAP_FACTORY = new MapFactory() {
+        @Override public Map<String, Object> newMap() {
+            return new LinkedHashMap<String, Object>();
+        }
+    };
+
     public static Map<String, Object> readMap(XContentParser parser) throws IOException {
-        Map<String, Object> map = new HashMap<String, Object>();
+        return readMap(parser, SIMPLE_MAP_FACTORY);
+    }
+
+    public static Map<String, Object> readOrderedMap(XContentParser parser) throws IOException {
+        return readMap(parser, ORDERED_MAP_FACTORY);
+    }
+
+    public static Map<String, Object> readMap(XContentParser parser, MapFactory mapFactory) throws IOException {
+        Map<String, Object> map = mapFactory.newMap();
         XContentParser.Token t = parser.currentToken();
         if (t == null) {
             t = parser.nextToken();
@@ -45,21 +69,21 @@ public class XContentMapConverter {
             String fieldName = parser.currentName();
             // And then the value...
             t = parser.nextToken();
-            Object value = readValue(parser, t);
+            Object value = readValue(parser, mapFactory, t);
             map.put(fieldName, value);
         }
         return map;
     }
 
-    private static List<Object> readList(XContentParser parser, XContentParser.Token t) throws IOException {
+    private static List<Object> readList(XContentParser parser, MapFactory mapFactory, XContentParser.Token t) throws IOException {
         ArrayList<Object> list = new ArrayList<Object>();
         while ((t = parser.nextToken()) != XContentParser.Token.END_ARRAY) {
-            list.add(readValue(parser, t));
+            list.add(readValue(parser, mapFactory, t));
         }
         return list;
     }
 
-    private static Object readValue(XContentParser parser, XContentParser.Token t) throws IOException {
+    private static Object readValue(XContentParser parser, MapFactory mapFactory, XContentParser.Token t) throws IOException {
         if (t == XContentParser.Token.VALUE_NULL) {
             return null;
         } else if (t == XContentParser.Token.VALUE_STRING) {
@@ -78,9 +102,9 @@ public class XContentMapConverter {
         } else if (t == XContentParser.Token.VALUE_BOOLEAN) {
             return parser.booleanValue();
         } else if (t == XContentParser.Token.START_OBJECT) {
-            return readMap(parser);
+            return readMap(parser, mapFactory);
         } else if (t == XContentParser.Token.START_ARRAY) {
-            return readList(parser, t);
+            return readList(parser, mapFactory, t);
         }
         return null;
     }