diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/translog/TranslogService.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/translog/TranslogService.java
index c399681b9a5..78b84a53640 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/translog/TranslogService.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/translog/TranslogService.java
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ public class TranslogService extends AbstractIndexShardComponent {
         this.indexSettingsService = indexSettingsService;
         this.indexShard = indexShard;
         this.translog = translog;
-        this.flushThresholdOperations = componentSettings.getAsInt(FLUSH_THRESHOLD_OPS_KEY, componentSettings.getAsInt("flush_threshold", 5000));
+        this.flushThresholdOperations = componentSettings.getAsInt(FLUSH_THRESHOLD_OPS_KEY, componentSettings.getAsInt("flush_threshold", Integer.MAX_VALUE));
         this.flushThresholdSize = componentSettings.getAsBytesSize(FLUSH_THRESHOLD_SIZE_KEY, new ByteSizeValue(200, ByteSizeUnit.MB));
         this.flushThresholdPeriod = componentSettings.getAsTime(FLUSH_THRESHOLD_PERIOD_KEY, TimeValue.timeValueMinutes(30));
         this.interval = componentSettings.getAsTime(FLUSH_THRESHOLD_INTERVAL_KEY, timeValueMillis(5000));