diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/query/EmptyQueryBuilder.java b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/query/EmptyQueryBuilder.java
index 22493688254..3d09bb41b0a 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/query/EmptyQueryBuilder.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/query/EmptyQueryBuilder.java
@@ -34,7 +34,6 @@ import java.io.IOException;
 public final class EmptyQueryBuilder extends AbstractQueryBuilder<EmptyQueryBuilder> {
 
     public static final String NAME = "empty_query";
-    public static final EmptyQueryBuilder PROTOTYPE = new EmptyQueryBuilder();
 
     /**
      * Construct an empty query. This query can *technically* be named and given a boost.
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/query/GeoBoundingBoxQueryBuilder.java b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/query/GeoBoundingBoxQueryBuilder.java
index fab49cb2ed9..e8533478198 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/query/GeoBoundingBoxQueryBuilder.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/query/GeoBoundingBoxQueryBuilder.java
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ public class GeoBoundingBoxQueryBuilder extends AbstractQueryBuilder<GeoBounding
         fieldName = in.readString();
         topLeft = in.readGeoPoint();
         bottomRight = in.readGeoPoint();
-        type = GeoExecType.readTypeFrom(in);
+        type = GeoExecType.readFromStream(in);
         validationMethod = GeoValidationMethod.readFromStream(in);
     }
 
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/query/GeoExecType.java b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/query/GeoExecType.java
index 11b9941117b..afc1ef5eebb 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/query/GeoExecType.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/query/GeoExecType.java
@@ -33,14 +33,11 @@ public enum GeoExecType implements Writeable<GeoExecType> {
 
     private final int ordinal;
 
-    private static final GeoExecType PROTOTYPE = MEMORY;
-
     GeoExecType(int ordinal) {
         this.ordinal = ordinal;
     }
 
-    @Override
-    public GeoExecType readFrom(StreamInput in) throws IOException {
+    public static GeoExecType readFromStream(StreamInput in) throws IOException {
         int ord = in.readVInt();
         switch(ord) {
             case(0): return MEMORY;
@@ -49,10 +46,6 @@ public enum GeoExecType implements Writeable<GeoExecType> {
         throw new ElasticsearchException("unknown serialized type [" + ord + "]");
     }
 
-    public static GeoExecType readTypeFrom(StreamInput in) throws IOException {
-        return PROTOTYPE.readFrom(in);
-    }
-
     @Override
     public void writeTo(StreamOutput out) throws IOException {
         out.writeVInt(this.ordinal);
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/query/SpanTermQueryBuilder.java b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/query/SpanTermQueryBuilder.java
index 8205a80b4da..ac90148ef53 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/query/SpanTermQueryBuilder.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/query/SpanTermQueryBuilder.java
@@ -40,7 +40,6 @@ public class SpanTermQueryBuilder extends BaseTermQueryBuilder<SpanTermQueryBuil
 
     public static final String NAME = "span_term";
     public static final ParseField QUERY_NAME_FIELD = new ParseField(NAME);
-    public static final SpanTermQueryBuilder PROTOTYPE = new SpanTermQueryBuilder("name", "value");
 
     private static final ParseField TERM_FIELD = new ParseField("term");
 
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/search/aggregations/bucket/filter/FilterAggregatorBuilder.java b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/search/aggregations/bucket/filter/FilterAggregatorBuilder.java
index 7b414fbcb9c..fdf94f1529b 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/search/aggregations/bucket/filter/FilterAggregatorBuilder.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/search/aggregations/bucket/filter/FilterAggregatorBuilder.java
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ import java.util.Objects;
 
 public class FilterAggregatorBuilder extends AggregatorBuilder<FilterAggregatorBuilder> {
 
-    static final FilterAggregatorBuilder PROTOTYPE = new FilterAggregatorBuilder("", EmptyQueryBuilder.PROTOTYPE);
+    static final FilterAggregatorBuilder PROTOTYPE = new FilterAggregatorBuilder("", new MatchAllQueryBuilder());
 
     private final QueryBuilder<?> filter;
 
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/search/aggregations/bucket/filters/FiltersAggregator.java b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/search/aggregations/bucket/filters/FiltersAggregator.java
index 35cc6cd2b49..be31d9f6108 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/search/aggregations/bucket/filters/FiltersAggregator.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/search/aggregations/bucket/filters/FiltersAggregator.java
@@ -59,7 +59,7 @@ public class FiltersAggregator extends BucketsAggregator {
 
     public static class KeyedFilter implements Writeable<KeyedFilter>, ToXContent {
 
-        static final KeyedFilter PROTOTYPE = new KeyedFilter("", EmptyQueryBuilder.PROTOTYPE);
+        static final KeyedFilter PROTOTYPE = new KeyedFilter("", new MatchAllQueryBuilder());
         private final String key;
         private final QueryBuilder<?> filter;
 
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/search/aggregations/bucket/filters/FiltersAggregatorBuilder.java b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/search/aggregations/bucket/filters/FiltersAggregatorBuilder.java
index b35458aa67d..41e99db44be 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/search/aggregations/bucket/filters/FiltersAggregatorBuilder.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/search/aggregations/bucket/filters/FiltersAggregatorBuilder.java
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ package org.elasticsearch.search.aggregations.bucket.filters;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.io.stream.StreamInput;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.io.stream.StreamOutput;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.xcontent.XContentBuilder;
-import org.elasticsearch.index.query.EmptyQueryBuilder;
+import org.elasticsearch.index.query.MatchAllQueryBuilder;
 import org.elasticsearch.index.query.QueryBuilder;
 import org.elasticsearch.search.aggregations.AggregatorBuilder;
 import org.elasticsearch.search.aggregations.AggregatorFactories.Builder;
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ import java.util.Objects;
 
 public class FiltersAggregatorBuilder extends AggregatorBuilder<FiltersAggregatorBuilder> {
 
-    static final FiltersAggregatorBuilder PROTOTYPE = new FiltersAggregatorBuilder("", EmptyQueryBuilder.PROTOTYPE);
+    static final FiltersAggregatorBuilder PROTOTYPE = new FiltersAggregatorBuilder("", new MatchAllQueryBuilder());
 
     private final List<KeyedFilter> filters;
     private final boolean keyed;
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/index/query/HasParentQueryBuilderTests.java b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/index/query/HasParentQueryBuilderTests.java
index a7182cf25a5..911011e45f2 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/index/query/HasParentQueryBuilderTests.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/index/query/HasParentQueryBuilderTests.java
@@ -167,7 +167,7 @@ public class HasParentQueryBuilderTests extends AbstractQueryTestCase<HasParentQ
         builder.startObject();
         builder.startObject("has_parent");
         builder.field("query");
-        EmptyQueryBuilder.PROTOTYPE.toXContent(builder, ToXContent.EMPTY_PARAMS);
+        new TermQueryBuilder("a", "a").toXContent(builder, ToXContent.EMPTY_PARAMS);
         builder.field("type", "foo"); // deprecated
         builder.endObject();
         builder.endObject();
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ public class HasParentQueryBuilderTests extends AbstractQueryTestCase<HasParentQ
         builder.startObject();
         builder.startObject("has_parent");
         builder.field("query");
-        EmptyQueryBuilder.PROTOTYPE.toXContent(builder, ToXContent.EMPTY_PARAMS);
+        new TermQueryBuilder("a", "a").toXContent(builder, ToXContent.EMPTY_PARAMS);
         builder.field(key, score ? "score": "none");
         builder.field("parent_type", "foo");
         builder.endObject();
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/index/query/IndicesQueryBuilderTests.java b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/index/query/IndicesQueryBuilderTests.java
index 834dce857a6..2cccb3f613a 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/index/query/IndicesQueryBuilderTests.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/index/query/IndicesQueryBuilderTests.java
@@ -67,34 +67,12 @@ public class IndicesQueryBuilderTests extends AbstractQueryTestCase<IndicesQuery
             // expected
         }
 
-        try {
-            new IndicesQueryBuilder(EmptyQueryBuilder.PROTOTYPE, (String[]) null);
-            fail("cannot be null");
-        } catch (IllegalArgumentException e) {
-            // expected
-        }
+        expectThrows(IllegalArgumentException.class, () -> new IndicesQueryBuilder(new MatchAllQueryBuilder(), (String[]) null));
+        expectThrows(IllegalArgumentException.class, () -> new IndicesQueryBuilder(new MatchAllQueryBuilder(), new String[0]));
 
-        try {
-            new IndicesQueryBuilder(EmptyQueryBuilder.PROTOTYPE, new String[0]);
-            fail("cannot be empty");
-        } catch (IllegalArgumentException e) {
-            // expected
-        }
-
-        IndicesQueryBuilder indicesQueryBuilder = new IndicesQueryBuilder(EmptyQueryBuilder.PROTOTYPE, "index");
-        try {
-            indicesQueryBuilder.noMatchQuery((QueryBuilder) null);
-            fail("cannot be null");
-        } catch (IllegalArgumentException e) {
-            // expected
-        }
-
-        try {
-            indicesQueryBuilder.noMatchQuery((String) null);
-            fail("cannot be null");
-        } catch (IllegalArgumentException e) {
-            // expected
-        }
+        IndicesQueryBuilder indicesQueryBuilder = new IndicesQueryBuilder(new MatchAllQueryBuilder(), "index");
+        expectThrows(IllegalArgumentException.class, () -> indicesQueryBuilder.noMatchQuery((QueryBuilder<?>) null));
+        expectThrows(IllegalArgumentException.class, () -> indicesQueryBuilder.noMatchQuery((String) null));
     }
 
     public void testFromJson() throws IOException {
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/index/query/NestedQueryBuilderTests.java b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/index/query/NestedQueryBuilderTests.java
index 0195e20aba1..47f294dc433 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/index/query/NestedQueryBuilderTests.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/index/query/NestedQueryBuilderTests.java
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ public class NestedQueryBuilderTests extends AbstractQueryTestCase<NestedQueryBu
 
     public void testValidate() {
         try {
-            new NestedQueryBuilder(null, EmptyQueryBuilder.PROTOTYPE);
+            new NestedQueryBuilder(null, new MatchAllQueryBuilder());
             fail("cannot be null");
         } catch (IllegalArgumentException e) {
             // expected
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ public class NestedQueryBuilderTests extends AbstractQueryTestCase<NestedQueryBu
             // expected
         }
 
-        NestedQueryBuilder nestedQueryBuilder = new NestedQueryBuilder("path", EmptyQueryBuilder.PROTOTYPE);
+        NestedQueryBuilder nestedQueryBuilder = new NestedQueryBuilder("path", new MatchAllQueryBuilder());
         try {
             nestedQueryBuilder.scoreMode(null);
             fail("cannot be null");
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/index/query/RandomQueryBuilder.java b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/index/query/RandomQueryBuilder.java
index 147d21576c6..33f2bb4532c 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/index/query/RandomQueryBuilder.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/index/query/RandomQueryBuilder.java
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ public class RandomQueryBuilder {
      * @param r random seed
      * @return a random {@link QueryBuilder}
      */
-    public static QueryBuilder createQuery(Random r) {
+    public static QueryBuilder<?> createQuery(Random r) {
         switch (RandomInts.randomIntBetween(r, 0, 4)) {
             case 0:
                 return new MatchAllQueryBuilderTests().createTestQueryBuilder();
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ public class RandomQueryBuilder {
             case 3:
                 return createMultiTermQuery(r);
             case 4:
-                return EmptyQueryBuilder.PROTOTYPE;
+                return new EmptyQueryBuilder();
             default:
                 throw new UnsupportedOperationException();
         }
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/index/query/SpanContainingQueryBuilderTests.java b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/index/query/SpanContainingQueryBuilderTests.java
index f6d18447c94..999d85c6307 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/index/query/SpanContainingQueryBuilderTests.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/index/query/SpanContainingQueryBuilderTests.java
@@ -40,14 +40,14 @@ public class SpanContainingQueryBuilderTests extends AbstractQueryTestCase<SpanC
 
     public void testIllegalArguments() {
         try {
-            new SpanContainingQueryBuilder(null, SpanTermQueryBuilder.PROTOTYPE);
+            new SpanContainingQueryBuilder(null, new SpanTermQueryBuilder("field", "value"));
             fail("cannot be null");
         } catch (IllegalArgumentException e) {
             // expected
         }
 
         try {
-            new SpanContainingQueryBuilder(SpanTermQueryBuilder.PROTOTYPE, null);
+            new SpanContainingQueryBuilder(new SpanTermQueryBuilder("field", "value"), null);
             fail("cannot be null");
         } catch (IllegalArgumentException e) {
             // expected
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/index/query/SpanNearQueryBuilderTests.java b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/index/query/SpanNearQueryBuilderTests.java
index 3885801b335..11ebd431030 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/index/query/SpanNearQueryBuilderTests.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/index/query/SpanNearQueryBuilderTests.java
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ public class SpanNearQueryBuilderTests extends AbstractQueryTestCase<SpanNearQue
         }
 
         try {
-            SpanNearQueryBuilder spanNearQueryBuilder = new SpanNearQueryBuilder(SpanTermQueryBuilder.PROTOTYPE, 1);
+            SpanNearQueryBuilder spanNearQueryBuilder = new SpanNearQueryBuilder(new SpanTermQueryBuilder("field", "value"), 1);
             spanNearQueryBuilder.clause(null);
             fail("cannot be null");
         } catch (IllegalArgumentException e) {
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/index/query/SpanNotQueryBuilderTests.java b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/index/query/SpanNotQueryBuilderTests.java
index 4687f5eacc1..527b7e5e83a 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/index/query/SpanNotQueryBuilderTests.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/index/query/SpanNotQueryBuilderTests.java
@@ -62,13 +62,13 @@ public class SpanNotQueryBuilderTests extends AbstractQueryTestCase<SpanNotQuery
 
     public void testIllegalArgument() {
         try {
-            new SpanNotQueryBuilder(null, SpanTermQueryBuilder.PROTOTYPE);
+            new SpanNotQueryBuilder(null, new SpanTermQueryBuilder("field", "value"));
             fail("cannot be null");
         } catch (IllegalArgumentException e) {
             // expected
         }
         try {
-            new SpanNotQueryBuilder(SpanTermQueryBuilder.PROTOTYPE, null);
+            new SpanNotQueryBuilder(new SpanTermQueryBuilder("field", "value"), null);
             fail("cannot be null");
         } catch (IllegalArgumentException e) {
             // expected
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/index/query/SpanOrQueryBuilderTests.java b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/index/query/SpanOrQueryBuilderTests.java
index ca8dba8517d..b7533fe4605 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/index/query/SpanOrQueryBuilderTests.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/index/query/SpanOrQueryBuilderTests.java
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ public class SpanOrQueryBuilderTests extends AbstractQueryTestCase<SpanOrQueryBu
         expectThrows(IllegalArgumentException.class, () -> new SpanOrQueryBuilder((SpanQueryBuilder<?>) null));
 
         try {
-            SpanOrQueryBuilder spanOrBuilder = new SpanOrQueryBuilder(SpanTermQueryBuilder.PROTOTYPE);
+            SpanOrQueryBuilder spanOrBuilder = new SpanOrQueryBuilder(new SpanTermQueryBuilder("field", "value"));
             spanOrBuilder.clause(null);
             fail("cannot be null");
         } catch (IllegalArgumentException e) {
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/index/query/SpanWithinQueryBuilderTests.java b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/index/query/SpanWithinQueryBuilderTests.java
index 217625516f7..3b7723be000 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/index/query/SpanWithinQueryBuilderTests.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/index/query/SpanWithinQueryBuilderTests.java
@@ -40,14 +40,14 @@ public class SpanWithinQueryBuilderTests extends AbstractQueryTestCase<SpanWithi
 
     public void testIllegalArguments() {
         try {
-            new SpanWithinQueryBuilder(null, SpanTermQueryBuilder.PROTOTYPE);
+            new SpanWithinQueryBuilder(null, new SpanTermQueryBuilder("field", "value"));
             fail("cannot be null");
         } catch (IllegalArgumentException e) {
             // expected
         }
 
         try {
-            new SpanWithinQueryBuilder(SpanTermQueryBuilder.PROTOTYPE, null);
+            new SpanWithinQueryBuilder(new SpanTermQueryBuilder("field", "value"), null);
             fail("cannot be null");
         } catch (IllegalArgumentException e) {
             // expected
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/search/builder/SearchSourceBuilderTests.java b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/search/builder/SearchSourceBuilderTests.java
index ae231f92520..2d00010eb8b 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/search/builder/SearchSourceBuilderTests.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/search/builder/SearchSourceBuilderTests.java
@@ -573,7 +573,7 @@ public class SearchSourceBuilderTests extends ESTestCase {
 
     public void testEmptyPostFilter() throws IOException {
         SearchSourceBuilder builder = new SearchSourceBuilder();
-        builder.postFilter(EmptyQueryBuilder.PROTOTYPE);
+        builder.postFilter(new EmptyQueryBuilder());
         String query = "{ \"post_filter\": {} }";
         assertParseSearchSource(builder, new BytesArray(query));
     }