diff --git a/plugin/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ml/MachineLearningFeatureSet.java b/plugin/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ml/MachineLearningFeatureSet.java
index 11df1d24f0c..4711dd6ed33 100644
--- a/plugin/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ml/MachineLearningFeatureSet.java
+++ b/plugin/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ml/MachineLearningFeatureSet.java
@@ -33,16 +33,19 @@ public class MachineLearningFeatureSet implements XPackFeatureSet {
         this.enabled = XPackSettings.MACHINE_LEARNING_ENABLED.get(settings);
         this.licenseState = licenseState;
         Map<String, Object> nativeCodeInfo = NativeController.UNKNOWN_NATIVE_CODE_INFO;
-        try {
-            NativeController nativeController = NativeControllerHolder.getNativeController(settings);
-            if (nativeController != null) {
-                nativeCodeInfo = nativeController.getNativeCodeInfo();
-            }
-        } catch (IOException | TimeoutException e) {
-            Loggers.getLogger(MachineLearningFeatureSet.class).error("Cannot get native code info for Machine Learning", e);
-            if (enabled) {
-                throw new ElasticsearchException("Cannot communicate with Machine Learning native code "
-                        + "- please check that you are running on a supported platform");
+        // Don't try to get the native code version in the transport client - the controller process won't be running
+        if (XPackPlugin.transportClientMode(settings) == false) {
+            try {
+                NativeController nativeController = NativeControllerHolder.getNativeController(settings);
+                if (nativeController != null) {
+                    nativeCodeInfo = nativeController.getNativeCodeInfo();
+                }
+            } catch (IOException | TimeoutException e) {
+                Loggers.getLogger(MachineLearningFeatureSet.class).error("Cannot get native code info for Machine Learning", e);
+                if (enabled) {
+                    throw new ElasticsearchException("Cannot communicate with Machine Learning native code "
+                            + "- please check that you are running on a supported platform");
+                }
             }
         }
         this.nativeCodeInfo = nativeCodeInfo;