diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/query/HasParentQueryBuilder.java b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/query/HasParentQueryBuilder.java
index 281bc061170..da26fa90b35 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/query/HasParentQueryBuilder.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/query/HasParentQueryBuilder.java
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ public class HasParentQueryBuilder extends AbstractQueryBuilder<HasParentQueryBu
         }
         DocumentMapper parentDocMapper = context.getMapperService().documentMapper(type);
         if (parentDocMapper == null) {
-            throw new QueryShardException(context, "[has_parent] query configured 'parent_type' [" + type
+            throw new QueryShardException(context, "[" + NAME + "] query configured 'parent_type' [" + type
                     + "] is not a valid type");
         }
 
@@ -152,49 +152,36 @@ public class HasParentQueryBuilder extends AbstractQueryBuilder<HasParentQueryBu
             }
         }
 
-        Set<String> parentTypes = new HashSet<>(5);
-        parentTypes.add(parentDocMapper.type());
+        Set<String> childTypes = new HashSet<>();
         ParentChildIndexFieldData parentChildIndexFieldData = null;
         for (DocumentMapper documentMapper : context.getMapperService().docMappers(false)) {
             ParentFieldMapper parentFieldMapper = documentMapper.parentFieldMapper();
-            if (parentFieldMapper.active()) {
-                DocumentMapper parentTypeDocumentMapper = context.getMapperService().documentMapper(parentFieldMapper.type());
+            if (parentFieldMapper.active() && type.equals(parentFieldMapper.type())) {
+                childTypes.add(documentMapper.type());
                 parentChildIndexFieldData = context.getForField(parentFieldMapper.fieldType());
-                if (parentTypeDocumentMapper == null) {
-                    // Only add this, if this parentFieldMapper (also a parent)  isn't a child of another parent.
-                    parentTypes.add(parentFieldMapper.type());
-                }
             }
         }
-        if (parentChildIndexFieldData == null) {
-            throw new QueryShardException(context, "[has_parent] no _parent field configured");
-        }
 
-        Query parentTypeQuery = null;
-        if (parentTypes.size() == 1) {
-            DocumentMapper documentMapper = context.getMapperService().documentMapper(parentTypes.iterator().next());
-            if (documentMapper != null) {
-                parentTypeQuery = documentMapper.typeFilter();
-            }
+        if (childTypes.isEmpty()) {
+            throw new QueryShardException(context, "[" + NAME + "] no child types found for type [" + type + "]");
+        }
+
+        Query childrenQuery;
+        if (childTypes.size() == 1) {
+            DocumentMapper documentMapper = context.getMapperService().documentMapper(childTypes.iterator().next());
+            childrenQuery = documentMapper.typeFilter();
         } else {
-            BooleanQuery.Builder parentsFilter = new BooleanQuery.Builder();
-            for (String parentTypeStr : parentTypes) {
-                DocumentMapper documentMapper = context.getMapperService().documentMapper(parentTypeStr);
-                if (documentMapper != null) {
-                    parentsFilter.add(documentMapper.typeFilter(), BooleanClause.Occur.SHOULD);
-                }
+            BooleanQuery.Builder childrenFilter = new BooleanQuery.Builder();
+            for (String childrenTypeStr : childTypes) {
+                DocumentMapper documentMapper = context.getMapperService().documentMapper(childrenTypeStr);
+                childrenFilter.add(documentMapper.typeFilter(), BooleanClause.Occur.SHOULD);
             }
-            parentTypeQuery = parentsFilter.build();
-        }
-
-        if (parentTypeQuery == null) {
-            return null;
+            childrenQuery = childrenFilter.build();
         }
 
         // wrap the query with type query
         innerQuery = Queries.filtered(innerQuery, parentDocMapper.typeFilter());
-        Query childrenFilter = Queries.not(parentTypeQuery);
-        return new HasChildQueryBuilder.LateParsingQuery(childrenFilter,
+        return new HasChildQueryBuilder.LateParsingQuery(childrenQuery,
                                                          innerQuery,
                                                          HasChildQueryBuilder.DEFAULT_MIN_CHILDREN,
                                                          HasChildQueryBuilder.DEFAULT_MAX_CHILDREN,
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/index/query/HasParentQueryBuilderTests.java b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/index/query/HasParentQueryBuilderTests.java
index 9b69f1a8d35..b6a288d4590 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/index/query/HasParentQueryBuilderTests.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/index/query/HasParentQueryBuilderTests.java
@@ -73,6 +73,8 @@ public class HasParentQueryBuilderTests extends AbstractQueryTestCase<HasParentQ
                 DATE_FIELD_NAME, "type=date",
                 OBJECT_FIELD_NAME, "type=object"
         ).string()), MapperService.MergeReason.MAPPING_UPDATE, false);
+        mapperService.merge("just_a_type", new CompressedXContent(PutMappingRequest.buildFromSimplifiedDef("just_a_type"
+        ).string()), MapperService.MergeReason.MAPPING_UPDATE, false);
     }
 
     @Override
@@ -132,20 +134,26 @@ public class HasParentQueryBuilderTests extends AbstractQueryTestCase<HasParentQ
         }
     }
 
-    public void testIllegalValues() {
+    public void testIllegalValues() throws IOException {
         QueryBuilder query = RandomQueryBuilder.createQuery(random());
         try {
             new HasParentQueryBuilder(null, query);
             fail("must not be null");
         } catch (IllegalArgumentException ex) {
-
         }
 
         try {
             new HasParentQueryBuilder("foo", null);
             fail("must not be null");
         } catch (IllegalArgumentException ex) {
+        }
 
+        QueryShardContext context = createShardContext();
+        HasParentQueryBuilder queryBuilder = new HasParentQueryBuilder("just_a_type", new MatchAllQueryBuilder());
+        try {
+            queryBuilder.doToQuery(context);
+        } catch (QueryShardException e) {
+            assertThat(e.getMessage(), equalTo("[has_parent] no child types found for type [just_a_type]"));
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/search/child/ChildQuerySearchIT.java b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/search/child/ChildQuerySearchIT.java
index 0e8cf19b8b2..9440a3e91c1 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/search/child/ChildQuerySearchIT.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/search/child/ChildQuerySearchIT.java
@@ -758,11 +758,11 @@ public class ChildQuerySearchIT extends ESIntegTestCase {
         assertNoFailures(response);
         assertThat(response.getHits().totalHits(), equalTo(0L));
 
-        response = client().prepareSearch("test").setQuery(QueryBuilders.hasParentQuery("child", matchQuery("text", "value"))).get();
+        response = client().prepareSearch("test").setQuery(QueryBuilders.hasParentQuery("parent", matchQuery("text", "value"))).get();
         assertNoFailures(response);
         assertThat(response.getHits().totalHits(), equalTo(0L));
 
-        response = client().prepareSearch("test").setQuery(QueryBuilders.hasParentQuery("child", matchQuery("text", "value")).score(true))
+        response = client().prepareSearch("test").setQuery(QueryBuilders.hasParentQuery("parent", matchQuery("text", "value")).score(true))
                 .get();
         assertNoFailures(response);
         assertThat(response.getHits().totalHits(), equalTo(0L));
@@ -1894,11 +1894,6 @@ public class ChildQuerySearchIT extends ESIntegTestCase {
             fail();
         } catch (SearchPhaseExecutionException e) {
         }
-
-        SearchResponse response = client().prepareSearch("test")
-                .setQuery(QueryBuilders.hasParentQuery("parent", matchAllQuery()))
-                .get();
-        assertHitCount(response, 0);
     }
 
     static HasChildQueryBuilder hasChildQuery(String type, QueryBuilder queryBuilder) {