diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/bulk/TransportShardBulkAction.java b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/bulk/TransportShardBulkAction.java
index 01528c7d228..12e0b2a72ac 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/bulk/TransportShardBulkAction.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/bulk/TransportShardBulkAction.java
@@ -142,10 +142,18 @@ public class TransportShardBulkAction extends TransportWriteAction<BulkShardRequ
                 case INDEX:
                     final IndexRequest indexRequest = (IndexRequest) itemRequest;
                     Engine.IndexResult indexResult = executeIndexRequestOnPrimary(indexRequest, primary, mappingUpdatedAction);
-                    operationResult = indexResult;
-                    response = indexResult.hasFailure() ? null
-                            : new IndexResponse(primary.shardId(), indexRequest.type(), indexRequest.id(),
+                    if (indexResult.hasFailure()) {
+                        response = null;
+                    } else {
+                        // update the version on request so it will happen on the replicas
+                        final long version = indexResult.getVersion();
+                        indexRequest.version(version);
+                        indexRequest.versionType(indexRequest.versionType().versionTypeForReplicationAndRecovery());
+                        assert indexRequest.versionType().validateVersionForWrites(indexRequest.version());
+                        response = new IndexResponse(primary.shardId(), indexRequest.type(), indexRequest.id(),
                                 indexResult.getVersion(), indexResult.isCreated());
+                    }
+                    operationResult = indexResult;
                     replicaRequest = request.items()[requestIndex];
                     break;
                 case UPDATE:
@@ -158,10 +166,17 @@ public class TransportShardBulkAction extends TransportWriteAction<BulkShardRequ
                 case DELETE:
                     final DeleteRequest deleteRequest = (DeleteRequest) itemRequest;
                     Engine.DeleteResult deleteResult = executeDeleteRequestOnPrimary(deleteRequest, primary);
-                    operationResult = deleteResult;
-                    response = deleteResult.hasFailure() ? null :
-                            new DeleteResponse(request.shardId(), deleteRequest.type(), deleteRequest.id(),
+                    if (deleteResult.hasFailure()) {
+                        response = null;
+                    } else {
+                        // update the request with the version so it will go to the replicas
+                        deleteRequest.versionType(deleteRequest.versionType().versionTypeForReplicationAndRecovery());
+                        deleteRequest.version(deleteResult.getVersion());
+                        assert deleteRequest.versionType().validateVersionForWrites(deleteRequest.version());
+                        response = new DeleteResponse(request.shardId(), deleteRequest.type(), deleteRequest.id(),
                                 deleteResult.getVersion(), deleteResult.isFound());
+                    }
+                    operationResult = deleteResult;
                     replicaRequest = request.items()[requestIndex];
                     break;
                 default: throw new IllegalStateException("unexpected opType [" + itemRequest.opType() + "] found");
@@ -261,9 +276,23 @@ public class TransportShardBulkAction extends TransportWriteAction<BulkShardRequ
                     MappingMetaData mappingMd = metaData.mappingOrDefault(indexRequest.type());
                     indexRequest.process(mappingMd, allowIdGeneration, request.index());
                     updateOperationResult = executeIndexRequestOnPrimary(indexRequest, primary, mappingUpdatedAction);
+                    if (updateOperationResult.hasFailure() == false) {
+                        // update the version on request so it will happen on the replicas
+                        final long version = updateOperationResult.getVersion();
+                        indexRequest.version(version);
+                        indexRequest.versionType(indexRequest.versionType().versionTypeForReplicationAndRecovery());
+                        assert indexRequest.versionType().validateVersionForWrites(indexRequest.version());
+                    }
                     break;
                 case DELETED:
-                    updateOperationResult = executeDeleteRequestOnPrimary(translate.action(), primary);
+                    DeleteRequest deleteRequest = translate.action();
+                    updateOperationResult = executeDeleteRequestOnPrimary(deleteRequest, primary);
+                    if (updateOperationResult.hasFailure() == false) {
+                        // update the request with the version so it will go to the replicas
+                        deleteRequest.versionType(deleteRequest.versionType().versionTypeForReplicationAndRecovery());
+                        deleteRequest.version(updateOperationResult.getVersion());
+                        assert deleteRequest.versionType().validateVersionForWrites(deleteRequest.version());
+                    }
                     break;
                 case NOOP:
                     primary.noopUpdate(updateRequest.type());
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/delete/TransportDeleteAction.java b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/delete/TransportDeleteAction.java
index e017bb9a75d..0b2cc92dc95 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/delete/TransportDeleteAction.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/delete/TransportDeleteAction.java
@@ -124,8 +124,16 @@ public class TransportDeleteAction extends TransportWriteAction<DeleteRequest, D
     @Override
     protected WritePrimaryResult shardOperationOnPrimary(DeleteRequest request, IndexShard primary) throws Exception {
         final Engine.DeleteResult result = executeDeleteRequestOnPrimary(request, primary);
-        final DeleteResponse response = result.hasFailure() ? null :
-                new DeleteResponse(primary.shardId(), request.type(), request.id(), result.getVersion(), result.isFound());
+        final DeleteResponse response;
+        if (result.hasFailure() == false) {
+            // update the request with the version so it will go to the replicas
+            request.versionType(request.versionType().versionTypeForReplicationAndRecovery());
+            request.version(result.getVersion());
+            assert request.versionType().validateVersionForWrites(request.version());
+            response = new DeleteResponse(primary.shardId(), request.type(), request.id(), result.getVersion(), result.isFound());
+        } else {
+            response = null;
+        }
         return new WritePrimaryResult(request, response, result.getTranslogLocation(), result.getFailure(), primary);
     }
 
@@ -136,19 +144,12 @@ public class TransportDeleteAction extends TransportWriteAction<DeleteRequest, D
     }
 
     public static Engine.DeleteResult executeDeleteRequestOnPrimary(DeleteRequest request, IndexShard primary) {
-        Engine.Delete delete = primary.prepareDeleteOnPrimary(request.type(), request.id(), request.version(), request.versionType());
-        Engine.DeleteResult result = primary.delete(delete);
-        if (result.hasFailure() == false) {
-            // update the request with the version so it will go to the replicas
-            request.versionType(delete.versionType().versionTypeForReplicationAndRecovery());
-            request.version(result.getVersion());
-            assert request.versionType().validateVersionForWrites(request.version());
-        }
-        return result;
+        final Engine.Delete delete = primary.prepareDeleteOnPrimary(request.type(), request.id(), request.version(), request.versionType());
+        return primary.delete(delete);
     }
 
     public static Engine.DeleteResult executeDeleteRequestOnReplica(DeleteRequest request, IndexShard replica) {
-        Engine.Delete delete = replica.prepareDeleteOnReplica(request.type(), request.id(), request.version(), request.versionType());
+        final Engine.Delete delete = replica.prepareDeleteOnReplica(request.type(), request.id(), request.version(), request.versionType());
         return replica.delete(delete);
     }
 }
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/index/TransportIndexAction.java b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/index/TransportIndexAction.java
index a6adaa12fef..8019bb977ad 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/index/TransportIndexAction.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/index/TransportIndexAction.java
@@ -142,9 +142,18 @@ public class TransportIndexAction extends TransportWriteAction<IndexRequest, Ind
     @Override
     protected WritePrimaryResult shardOperationOnPrimary(IndexRequest request, IndexShard primary) throws Exception {
         final Engine.IndexResult indexResult = executeIndexRequestOnPrimary(request, primary, mappingUpdatedAction);
-        final IndexResponse response = indexResult.hasFailure() ? null :
-                new IndexResponse(primary.shardId(), request.type(), request.id(), indexResult.getVersion(),
-                        indexResult.isCreated());
+        final IndexResponse response;
+        if (indexResult.hasFailure() == false) {
+            // update the version on request so it will happen on the replicas
+            final long version = indexResult.getVersion();
+            request.version(version);
+            request.versionType(request.versionType().versionTypeForReplicationAndRecovery());
+            assert request.versionType().validateVersionForWrites(request.version());
+            response = new IndexResponse(primary.shardId(), request.type(), request.id(), indexResult.getVersion(),
+                    indexResult.isCreated());
+        } else {
+            response = null;
+        }
         return new WritePrimaryResult(request, response, indexResult.getTranslogLocation(), indexResult.getFailure(), primary);
     }
 
@@ -213,15 +222,7 @@ public class TransportIndexAction extends TransportWriteAction<IndexRequest, Ind
                     "Dynamic mappings are not available on the node that holds the primary yet");
             }
         }
-        Engine.IndexResult result = primary.index(operation);
-        if (result.hasFailure() == false) {
-            // update the version on request so it will happen on the replicas
-            final long version = result.getVersion();
-            request.version(version);
-            request.versionType(request.versionType().versionTypeForReplicationAndRecovery());
-            assert request.versionType().validateVersionForWrites(request.version());
-        }
-        return result;
+        return primary.index(operation);
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/index/replication/ESIndexLevelReplicationTestCase.java b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/index/replication/ESIndexLevelReplicationTestCase.java
index cb9eb5a85a4..985116334a5 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/index/replication/ESIndexLevelReplicationTestCase.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/index/replication/ESIndexLevelReplicationTestCase.java
@@ -367,6 +367,13 @@ public abstract class ESIndexLevelReplicationTestCase extends IndexShardTestCase
         protected PrimaryResult performOnPrimary(IndexShard primary, IndexRequest request) throws Exception {
             final Engine.IndexResult indexResult = executeIndexRequestOnPrimary(request, primary,
                     null);
+            if (indexResult.hasFailure() == false) {
+                // update the version on request so it will happen on the replicas
+                final long version = indexResult.getVersion();
+                request.version(version);
+                request.versionType(request.versionType().versionTypeForReplicationAndRecovery());
+                assert request.versionType().validateVersionForWrites(request.version());
+            }
             request.primaryTerm(primary.getPrimaryTerm());
             TransportWriteActionTestHelper.performPostWriteActions(primary, request, indexResult.getTranslogLocation(), logger);
             IndexResponse response = new IndexResponse(primary.shardId(), request.type(), request.id(), indexResult.getVersion(),