diff --git a/plugins/delete-by-query/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/rest/action/deletebyquery/RestDeleteByQueryAction.java b/plugins/delete-by-query/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/rest/action/deletebyquery/RestDeleteByQueryAction.java
index 2d8b950ebc2..19443e58904 100644
--- a/plugins/delete-by-query/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/rest/action/deletebyquery/RestDeleteByQueryAction.java
+++ b/plugins/delete-by-query/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/rest/action/deletebyquery/RestDeleteByQueryAction.java
@@ -26,7 +26,11 @@ import org.elasticsearch.client.Client;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.Strings;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.inject.Inject;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.settings.Settings;
+import org.elasticsearch.common.xcontent.XContentFactory;
+import org.elasticsearch.common.xcontent.XContentParser;
 import org.elasticsearch.index.query.QueryBuilder;
+import org.elasticsearch.index.query.QueryParseContext;
+import org.elasticsearch.indices.query.IndicesQueriesRegistry;
 import org.elasticsearch.rest.BaseRestHandler;
 import org.elasticsearch.rest.RestChannel;
 import org.elasticsearch.rest.RestController;
@@ -34,6 +38,8 @@ import org.elasticsearch.rest.RestRequest;
 import org.elasticsearch.rest.action.support.RestActions;
 import org.elasticsearch.rest.action.support.RestToXContentListener;
 
+import java.io.IOException;
+
 import static org.elasticsearch.action.deletebyquery.DeleteByQueryAction.INSTANCE;
 import static org.elasticsearch.rest.RestRequest.Method.DELETE;
 
@@ -42,15 +48,19 @@ import static org.elasticsearch.rest.RestRequest.Method.DELETE;
  */
 public class RestDeleteByQueryAction extends BaseRestHandler {
 
+    private IndicesQueriesRegistry indicesQueriesRegistry;
+
     @Inject
-    public RestDeleteByQueryAction(Settings settings, RestController controller, Client client) {
+    public RestDeleteByQueryAction(Settings settings, RestController controller, Client client,
+            IndicesQueriesRegistry indicesQueriesRegistry) {
         super(settings, controller, client);
+        this.indicesQueriesRegistry = indicesQueriesRegistry;
         controller.registerHandler(DELETE, "/{index}/_query", this);
         controller.registerHandler(DELETE, "/{index}/{type}/_query", this);
     }
 
     @Override
-    public void handleRequest(final RestRequest request, final RestChannel channel, final Client client) {
+    public void handleRequest(final RestRequest request, final RestChannel channel, final Client client) throws IOException {
         DeleteByQueryRequest delete = new DeleteByQueryRequest(Strings.splitStringByCommaToArray(request.param("index")));
         delete.indicesOptions(IndicesOptions.fromRequest(request, delete.indicesOptions()));
         delete.routing(request.param("routing"));
@@ -58,11 +68,19 @@ public class RestDeleteByQueryAction extends BaseRestHandler {
             delete.timeout(request.paramAsTime("timeout", null));
         }
         if (request.hasContent()) {
-//            delete.source(request.content()); NORELEASE parse request.content() into a queryBuilder
+            XContentParser requestParser = XContentFactory.xContent(request.content()).createParser(request.content());
+            QueryParseContext context = new QueryParseContext(indicesQueriesRegistry);
+            context.reset(requestParser);
+            final QueryBuilder<?> builder = context.parseInnerQueryBuilder();
+            delete.query(builder);
         } else {
             String source = request.param("source");
             if (source != null) {
-                // delete.source(source); NORELEASE parse source into a queryBuilder
+                XContentParser requestParser = XContentFactory.xContent(source).createParser(source);
+                QueryParseContext context = new QueryParseContext(indicesQueriesRegistry);
+                context.reset(requestParser);
+                final QueryBuilder<?> builder = context.parseInnerQueryBuilder();
+                delete.query(builder);
             } else {
                 QueryBuilder<?> queryBuilder = RestActions.parseQuerySource(request);
                 if (queryBuilder != null) {