diff --git a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/get/MultiGetRequest.java b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/get/MultiGetRequest.java
index 9706fa37380..f6263e6a40f 100644
--- a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/get/MultiGetRequest.java
+++ b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/get/MultiGetRequest.java
@@ -67,6 +67,11 @@ public class MultiGetRequest implements ActionRequest {
             return this.index;
         }
 
+        public Item index(String index) {
+            this.index = index;
+            return this;
+        }
+
         public String type() {
             return this.type;
         }
diff --git a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/get/TransportMultiGetAction.java b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/get/TransportMultiGetAction.java
index 9571a26715a..3ef21ca6216 100644
--- a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/get/TransportMultiGetAction.java
+++ b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/get/TransportMultiGetAction.java
@@ -56,6 +56,7 @@ public class TransportMultiGetAction extends BaseAction<MultiGetRequest, MultiGe
         Map<ShardId, MultiGetShardRequest> shardRequests = new HashMap<ShardId, MultiGetShardRequest>();
         for (int i = 0; i < request.items.size(); i++) {
             MultiGetRequest.Item item = request.items.get(i);
+            item.index(clusterState.metaData().concreteIndex(item.index()));
             ShardId shardId = clusterService.operationRouting()
                     .getShards(clusterState, item.index(), item.type(), item.id(), item.routing(), null).shardId();
             MultiGetShardRequest shardRequest = shardRequests.get(shardId);