diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/cluster/state/TransportClusterStateAction.java b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/cluster/state/TransportClusterStateAction.java
index f4fa0176cb9..9fc35dc7be3 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/cluster/state/TransportClusterStateAction.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/cluster/state/TransportClusterStateAction.java
@@ -155,6 +155,7 @@ public class TransportClusterStateAction extends TransportMasterNodeReadAction<C
 
         if (request.metaData()) {
             if (request.indices().length > 0) {
+                mdBuilder.version(currentState.metaData().version());
                 String[] indices = indexNameExpressionResolver.concreteIndexNames(currentState, request);
                 for (String filteredIndex : indices) {
                     IndexMetaData indexMetaData = currentState.metaData().index(filteredIndex);
diff --git a/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/SimpleClusterStateIT.java b/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/SimpleClusterStateIT.java
index 14919b7e9f0..8025d588820 100644
--- a/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/SimpleClusterStateIT.java
+++ b/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/SimpleClusterStateIT.java
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ import static org.elasticsearch.gateway.GatewayService.STATE_NOT_RECOVERED_BLOCK
 import static org.elasticsearch.test.hamcrest.ElasticsearchAssertions.assertAcked;
 import static org.elasticsearch.test.hamcrest.ElasticsearchAssertions.assertIndexTemplateExists;
 import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.equalTo;
+import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.greaterThan;
 import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.greaterThanOrEqualTo;
 import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.is;
 
@@ -118,6 +119,23 @@ public class SimpleClusterStateIT extends ESIntegTestCase {
         assertThat(clusterStateResponse.getState().metaData().indices().size(), is(0));
     }
 
+    public void testMetadataVersion() {
+        createIndex("index-1");
+        createIndex("index-2");
+        long metadataVersion = client().admin().cluster().prepareState().get().getState().metaData().version();
+        assertThat(metadataVersion, greaterThan(0L));
+        assertThat(client().admin().cluster().prepareState().setIndices("index-1").get().getState().metaData().version(),
+            equalTo(metadataVersion));
+        assertThat(client().admin().cluster().prepareState().setIndices("index-2").get().getState().metaData().version(),
+            equalTo(metadataVersion));
+        assertThat(client().admin().cluster().prepareState().setIndices("*").get().getState().metaData().version(),
+            equalTo(metadataVersion));
+        assertThat(client().admin().cluster().prepareState().setIndices("not-found").get().getState().metaData().version(),
+            equalTo(metadataVersion));
+        assertThat(client().admin().cluster().prepareState().clear().setMetaData(false).get().getState().metaData().version(),
+            equalTo(0L));
+    }
+
     public void testIndexTemplates() throws Exception {
         client().admin().indices().preparePutTemplate("foo_template")
                 .setPatterns(Collections.singletonList("te*"))