diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/query/QueryRewriteContext.java b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/query/QueryRewriteContext.java
index c3d27b5d615..55ba778d012 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/query/QueryRewriteContext.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/query/QueryRewriteContext.java
@@ -137,6 +137,10 @@ public class QueryRewriteContext implements ParseFieldMatcherSupplier {
         this.executionMode.set(Boolean.TRUE);
     }
 
+    /**
+     * This method fails if {@link #setExecutionMode()} is called before on this context.
+     * This is used to <i>seal</i>
+     */
     protected void failIfExecutionMode() {
         this.cachable = false;
         if (executionMode.get() == Boolean.TRUE) {
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/query/QueryShardContext.java b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/query/QueryShardContext.java
index 3869ecfd2c1..d15c69e088e 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/query/QueryShardContext.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/query/QueryShardContext.java
@@ -335,11 +335,17 @@ public class QueryShardContext extends QueryRewriteContext {
         return indexSettings.getIndex();
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Compiles (or retrieves from cache) and executes the provided script
+     */
     public SearchScript getSearchScript(Script script, ScriptContext context, Map<String, String> params) {
         failIfExecutionMode();
         return scriptService.search(lookup(), script, context, params);
     }
-
+    /**
+     * Returns a lazily created {@link SearchScript} that is compiled immediately but can be pulled later once all
+     * parameters are available.
+     */
     public Function<Map<String, Object>, SearchScript> getLazySearchScript(Script script, ScriptContext context,
             Map<String, String> params) {
         failIfExecutionMode();
@@ -347,11 +353,18 @@ public class QueryShardContext extends QueryRewriteContext {
         return (p) -> scriptService.search(lookup(), compile, p);
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Compiles (or retrieves from cache) and executes the provided script
+     */
     public ExecutableScript getExecutableScript(Script script, ScriptContext context, Map<String, String> params) {
         failIfExecutionMode();
         return scriptService.executable(script, context, params);
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Returns a lazily created {@link ExecutableScript} that is compiled immediately but can be pulled later once all
+     * parameters are available.
+     */
     public Function<Map<String, Object>, ExecutableScript> getLazyExecutableScript(Script script, ScriptContext context,
             Map<String, String> params) {
         failIfExecutionMode();
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/search/DefaultSearchContext.java b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/search/DefaultSearchContext.java
index 26af6d85d06..f8299693dcf 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/search/DefaultSearchContext.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/search/DefaultSearchContext.java
@@ -172,6 +172,13 @@ final class DefaultSearchContext extends SearchContext {
         queryShardContext.setTypes(request.types());
     }
 
+    DefaultSearchContext(DefaultSearchContext source) {
+        this(source.id(), source.request(), source.shardTarget(), source.engineSearcher, source.indexService, source.indexShard(),
+            source.bigArrays(), source.timeEstimateCounter(), source.parseFieldMatcher(), source.timeout(), source.fetchPhase());
+    }
+
+
+
     @Override
     public void doClose() {
         // clear and scope phase we  have
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/search/SearchService.java b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/search/SearchService.java
index 186ea231847..ff6a359f0b0 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/search/SearchService.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/search/SearchService.java
@@ -517,11 +517,18 @@ public class SearchService extends AbstractLifecycleComponent implements IndexEv
     }
 
     final SearchContext createContext(ShardSearchRequest request, @Nullable Engine.Searcher searcher) throws IOException {
-
-        DefaultSearchContext context = createSearchContext(request, defaultSearchTimeout, searcher);
-        SearchContext.setCurrent(context);
+        final DefaultSearchContext context = createSearchContext(request, defaultSearchTimeout, searcher);
         try {
-            request.rewrite(new QueryShardContext(context.getQueryShardContext()));
+            // we clone the search context here just for rewriting otherwise we
+            // might end up with incorrect state since we are using now() or script services
+            // during rewrite and normalized / evaluate templates etc.
+            // NOTE this context doesn't need to be closed - the outer context will
+            // take care of this.
+            DefaultSearchContext rewriteContext = new DefaultSearchContext(context);
+            SearchContext.setCurrent(rewriteContext);
+            request.rewrite(rewriteContext.getQueryShardContext());
+            SearchContext.setCurrent(context);
+            assert context.getQueryShardContext().isCachable();
             if (request.scroll() != null) {
                 context.scrollContext(new ScrollContext());
                 context.scrollContext().scroll = request.scroll();