diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/update/UpdateRequest.java b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/update/UpdateRequest.java
index 9e061d29500..6bc69ed4d9c 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/update/UpdateRequest.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/update/UpdateRequest.java
@@ -639,8 +639,7 @@ public class UpdateRequest extends InstanceShardOperationRequest<UpdateRequest>
         ScriptParameterParser scriptParameterParser = new ScriptParameterParser();
         Map<String, Object> scriptParams = null;
         Script script = null;
-        XContentType xContentType = XContentFactory.xContentType(source);
-        try (XContentParser parser = XContentFactory.xContent(xContentType).createParser(source)) {
+        try (XContentParser parser = XContentFactory.xContent(source).createParser(source)) {
             XContentParser.Token token = parser.nextToken();
             if (token == null) {
                 return this;
@@ -657,10 +656,12 @@ public class UpdateRequest extends InstanceShardOperationRequest<UpdateRequest>
                 } else if ("scripted_upsert".equals(currentFieldName)) {
                     scriptedUpsert = parser.booleanValue();
                 } else if ("upsert".equals(currentFieldName)) {
+                    XContentType xContentType = XContentFactory.xContentType(source);
                     XContentBuilder builder = XContentFactory.contentBuilder(xContentType);
                     builder.copyCurrentStructure(parser);
                     safeUpsertRequest().source(builder);
                 } else if ("doc".equals(currentFieldName)) {
+                    XContentType xContentType = XContentFactory.xContentType(source);
                     XContentBuilder docBuilder = XContentFactory.contentBuilder(xContentType);
                     docBuilder.copyCurrentStructure(parser);
                     safeDoc().source(docBuilder);
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/xcontent/XContentFactory.java b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/xcontent/XContentFactory.java
index 627486548cd..47dd1249d4a 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/xcontent/XContentFactory.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/xcontent/XContentFactory.java
@@ -133,6 +133,9 @@ public class XContentFactory {
      * Returns the {@link org.elasticsearch.common.xcontent.XContent} for the provided content type.
      */
     public static XContent xContent(XContentType type) {
+        if (type == null) {
+            throw new IllegalArgumentException("Cannot get xcontent for unknown type");
+        }
         return type.xContent();
     }
 
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/action/update/UpdateRequestTests.java b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/action/update/UpdateRequestTests.java
index 51053f63a01..55260957105 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/action/update/UpdateRequestTests.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/action/update/UpdateRequestTests.java
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 
 package org.elasticsearch.action.update;
 
+import org.elasticsearch.ElasticsearchParseException;
 import org.elasticsearch.Version;
 import org.elasticsearch.action.index.IndexRequest;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.io.stream.Streamable;
@@ -166,4 +167,15 @@ public class UpdateRequestTests extends ESTestCase {
         indexAction = (IndexRequest) action;
         assertThat(indexAction.ttl(), is(providedTTLValue));
     }
+
+    // Related to issue #15822
+    public void testInvalidBodyThrowsParseException() throws Exception {
+        UpdateRequest request = new UpdateRequest("test", "type", "1");
+        try {
+            request.source(new byte[] { (byte) '"' });
+            fail("Should have thrown a ElasticsearchParseException");
+        } catch (ElasticsearchParseException e) {
+            assertThat(e.getMessage(), equalTo("Failed to derive xcontent"));
+        }
+    }
 }
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/common/xcontent/XContentFactoryTests.java b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/common/xcontent/XContentFactoryTests.java
index 9b1cfb64573..583234461b3 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/common/xcontent/XContentFactoryTests.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/common/xcontent/XContentFactoryTests.java
@@ -97,6 +97,14 @@ public class XContentFactoryTests extends ESTestCase {
         assertNull(XContentFactory.xContentType(is));
     }
 
+    public void testInvalidStream() throws Exception {
+        byte[] bytes = new byte[] { (byte) '"' };
+        assertNull(XContentFactory.xContentType(bytes));
+
+        bytes = new byte[] { (byte) 'x' };
+        assertNull(XContentFactory.xContentType(bytes));
+    }
+
     public void testJsonFromBytesOptionallyPrecededByUtf8Bom() throws Exception {
         byte[] bytes = new byte[] {(byte) '{', (byte) '}'};
         assertThat(XContentFactory.xContentType(bytes), equalTo(XContentType.JSON));