diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/io/stream/StreamInput.java b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/io/stream/StreamInput.java
index 0bfbcfa3143..4b30da0b9f5 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/io/stream/StreamInput.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/io/stream/StreamInput.java
@@ -729,6 +729,16 @@ public abstract class StreamInput extends InputStream {
         throw new UnsupportedOperationException("can't read named writeable from StreamInput");
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Reads an optional {@link QueryBuilder}.
+     */
+    public <C extends NamedWriteable<?>> C readOptionalNamedWriteable(Class<C> categoryClass) throws IOException {
+        if (readBoolean()) {
+            return readNamedWriteable(categoryClass);
+        }
+        return null;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Reads a {@link AggregatorBuilder} from the current stream
      */
@@ -750,16 +760,6 @@ public abstract class StreamInput extends InputStream {
         return readNamedWriteable(QueryBuilder.class);
     }
 
-    /**
-     * Reads an optional {@link QueryBuilder}.
-     */
-    public QueryBuilder<?> readOptionalQuery() throws IOException {
-        if (readBoolean()) {
-            return readNamedWriteable(QueryBuilder.class);
-        }
-        return null;
-    }
-
     /**
      * Reads a {@link ShapeBuilder} from the current stream
      */
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/search/sort/FieldSortBuilder.java b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/search/sort/FieldSortBuilder.java
index dfced1d8f57..72a248db393 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/search/sort/FieldSortBuilder.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/search/sort/FieldSortBuilder.java
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ public class FieldSortBuilder extends SortBuilder<FieldSortBuilder> {
      */
     public FieldSortBuilder(StreamInput in) throws IOException {
         fieldName = in.readString();
-        nestedFilter = in.readOptionalQuery();
+        nestedFilter = in.readOptionalNamedWriteable(QueryBuilder.class);
         nestedPath = in.readOptionalString();
         missing = in.readGenericValue();
         order = in.readOptionalWriteable(SortOrder::readFromStream);
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/search/sort/GeoDistanceSortBuilder.java b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/search/sort/GeoDistanceSortBuilder.java
index ef86c45afd8..dbefbb460ba 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/search/sort/GeoDistanceSortBuilder.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/search/sort/GeoDistanceSortBuilder.java
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@ public class GeoDistanceSortBuilder extends SortBuilder<GeoDistanceSortBuilder>
         unit = DistanceUnit.readFromStream(in);
         order = SortOrder.readFromStream(in);
         sortMode = in.readOptionalWriteable(SortMode::readFromStream);
-        nestedFilter = in.readOptionalQuery();
+        nestedFilter = in.readOptionalNamedWriteable(QueryBuilder.class);
         nestedPath = in.readOptionalString();
         coerce = in.readBoolean();
         ignoreMalformed =in.readBoolean();
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/search/sort/ScriptSortBuilder.java b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/search/sort/ScriptSortBuilder.java
index 3e0314bda1b..93b7de74b61 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/search/sort/ScriptSortBuilder.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/search/sort/ScriptSortBuilder.java
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ public class ScriptSortBuilder extends SortBuilder<ScriptSortBuilder> {
         order = SortOrder.readFromStream(in);
         sortMode = in.readOptionalWriteable(SortMode::readFromStream);
         nestedPath = in.readOptionalString();
-        nestedFilter = in.readOptionalQuery();
+        nestedFilter = in.readOptionalNamedWriteable(QueryBuilder.class);
     }
 
     @Override