diff --git a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/gateway/local/LocalGatewayNodeAllocation.java b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/gateway/local/LocalGatewayNodeAllocation.java
index 33bb5c94aa3..ab6d31fca8f 100644
--- a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/gateway/local/LocalGatewayNodeAllocation.java
+++ b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/gateway/local/LocalGatewayNodeAllocation.java
@@ -56,6 +56,10 @@ import java.util.concurrent.ConcurrentMap;
  */
 public class LocalGatewayNodeAllocation extends NodeAllocation {
 
+    static {
+        IndexMetaData.addDynamicSettings("index.recovery.initial_shards");
+    }
+
     private final TransportNodesListGatewayStartedShards listGatewayStartedShards;
 
     private final TransportNodesListShardStoreMetaData listShardStoreMetaData;
@@ -146,6 +150,7 @@ public class LocalGatewayNodeAllocation extends NodeAllocation {
             int requiredAllocation = 1;
             try {
                 IndexMetaData indexMetaData = routingNodes.metaData().index(shard.index());
+                String initialShards = indexMetaData.settings().get("recovery.initial_shards", this.initialShards);
                 if ("quorum".equals(initialShards)) {
                     if (indexMetaData.numberOfReplicas() > 1) {
                         requiredAllocation = ((1 + indexMetaData.numberOfReplicas()) / 2) + 1;
diff --git a/modules/test/integration/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/integration/gateway/local/QuorumLocalGatewayTests.java b/modules/test/integration/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/integration/gateway/local/QuorumLocalGatewayTests.java
index f0f12bc5089..252aecc37c8 100644
--- a/modules/test/integration/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/integration/gateway/local/QuorumLocalGatewayTests.java
+++ b/modules/test/integration/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/integration/gateway/local/QuorumLocalGatewayTests.java
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ package org.elasticsearch.test.integration.gateway.local;
 
 import org.elasticsearch.action.admin.cluster.health.ClusterHealthResponse;
 import org.elasticsearch.action.admin.cluster.health.ClusterHealthStatus;
+import org.elasticsearch.action.admin.cluster.state.ClusterStateResponse;
 import org.elasticsearch.gateway.Gateway;
 import org.elasticsearch.node.Node;
 import org.elasticsearch.node.internal.InternalNode;
@@ -51,6 +52,62 @@ public class QuorumLocalGatewayTests extends AbstractNodesTests {
         closeAllNodes();
     }
 
+    @Test public void testChangeInitialShardsRecovery() throws Exception {
+        // clean three nodes
+        logger.info("--> cleaning nodes");
+        buildNode("node1", settingsBuilder().put("gateway.type", "local").build());
+        buildNode("node2", settingsBuilder().put("gateway.type", "local").build());
+        buildNode("node3", settingsBuilder().put("gateway.type", "local").build());
+        cleanAndCloseNodes();
+
+
+        logger.info("--> starting 3 nodes");
+        Node node1 = startNode("node1", settingsBuilder().put("gateway.type", "local").put("index.number_of_shards", 2).put("index.number_of_replicas", 2).build());
+        Node node2 = startNode("node2", settingsBuilder().put("gateway.type", "local").put("index.number_of_shards", 2).put("index.number_of_replicas", 2).build());
+        Node node3 = startNode("node3", settingsBuilder().put("gateway.type", "local").put("index.number_of_shards", 2).put("index.number_of_replicas", 2).build());
+
+        logger.info("--> indexing...");
+        node1.client().prepareIndex("test", "type1", "1").setSource(jsonBuilder().startObject().field("field", "value1").endObject()).execute().actionGet();
+        node1.client().admin().indices().prepareFlush().execute().actionGet();
+        node1.client().prepareIndex("test", "type1", "2").setSource(jsonBuilder().startObject().field("field", "value2").endObject()).execute().actionGet();
+        node1.client().admin().indices().prepareRefresh().execute().actionGet();
+
+        logger.info("--> running cluster_health (wait for the shards to startup)");
+        ClusterHealthResponse clusterHealth = client("node1").admin().cluster().health(clusterHealthRequest().waitForGreenStatus().waitForActiveShards(6)).actionGet();
+        logger.info("--> done cluster_health, status " + clusterHealth.status());
+        assertThat(clusterHealth.timedOut(), equalTo(false));
+        assertThat(clusterHealth.status(), equalTo(ClusterHealthStatus.GREEN));
+
+        for (int i = 0; i < 10; i++) {
+            assertThat(node1.client().prepareCount().setQuery(matchAllQuery()).execute().actionGet().count(), equalTo(2l));
+        }
+
+        logger.info("--> closing nodes");
+        closeAllNodes();
+
+        logger.info("--> starting 2 nodes back, should not do any recovery (less than quorum)");
+
+        node1 = startNode("node1", settingsBuilder().put("gateway.type", "local").build());
+        node2 = startNode("node2", settingsBuilder().put("gateway.type", "local").build());
+
+        Thread.sleep(300);
+        ClusterStateResponse clusterStateResponse = client("node1").admin().cluster().prepareState().setMasterNodeTimeout("500ms").execute().actionGet();
+        assertThat(clusterStateResponse.state().routingTable().index("test").allPrimaryShardsActive(), equalTo(false));
+
+        logger.info("--> change the recovery.initial_shards setting, and make sure its recovered");
+        client("node1").admin().indices().prepareUpdateSettings("test").setSettings(settingsBuilder().put("recovery.initial_shards", 1)).execute().actionGet();
+
+        logger.info("--> running cluster_health (wait for the shards to startup), 4 shards since we only have 2 nodes");
+        clusterHealth = client("node1").admin().cluster().health(clusterHealthRequest().waitForYellowStatus().waitForActiveShards(4)).actionGet();
+        logger.info("--> done cluster_health, status " + clusterHealth.status());
+        assertThat(clusterHealth.timedOut(), equalTo(false));
+        assertThat(clusterHealth.status(), equalTo(ClusterHealthStatus.YELLOW));
+
+        for (int i = 0; i < 10; i++) {
+            assertThat(node1.client().prepareCount().setQuery(matchAllQuery()).execute().actionGet().count(), equalTo(2l));
+        }
+    }
+
     @Test public void testQuorumRecovery() throws Exception {
         // clean three nodes
         logger.info("--> cleaning nodes");