diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/test/data_frame/transforms_start_stop.yml b/x-pack/plugin/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/test/data_frame/transforms_start_stop.yml
index 044f5212a99..199146a8f0d 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/test/data_frame/transforms_start_stop.yml
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/test/data_frame/transforms_start_stop.yml
@@ -5,6 +5,9 @@ setup:
         body:
           mappings:
             properties:
+              time_alias:
+                type: alias
+                path: time
               time:
                 type: date
               airline:
@@ -322,3 +325,27 @@ teardown:
   - do:
       data_frame.delete_data_frame_transform:
         transform_id: "airline-transform-stop-all"
+---
+"Test start/stop with field alias":
+  - do:
+      data_frame.put_data_frame_transform:
+        transform_id: "airline_via_field_alias"
+        body: >
+          {
+            "source": {"index": "airline-data"},
+            "dest": {"index": "airline-data-time-alias"},
+            "pivot": {
+              "group_by": {"time": {"date_histogram": {"field": "time_alias", "calendar_interval": "1m"}}},
+              "aggs": {"avg_response": {"avg": {"field": "responsetime"}}}
+            }
+          }
+  - do:
+      data_frame.start_data_frame_transform:
+        transform_id: "airline_via_field_alias"
+  - match: { acknowledged: true }
+
+  - do:
+      indices.get_mapping:
+        index: airline-data-time-alias
+  - match: { airline-data-time-alias.mappings.properties.time.type: date }
+  - match: { airline-data-time-alias.mappings.properties.avg_response.type: double }
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/transform/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/transform/transforms/pivot/SchemaUtil.java b/x-pack/plugin/transform/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/transform/transforms/pivot/SchemaUtil.java
index 26bec18ea59..bc24ed10c07 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/transform/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/transform/transforms/pivot/SchemaUtil.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/transform/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/transform/transforms/pivot/SchemaUtil.java
@@ -9,9 +9,9 @@ package org.elasticsearch.xpack.transform.transforms.pivot;
 import org.apache.logging.log4j.LogManager;
 import org.apache.logging.log4j.Logger;
 import org.elasticsearch.action.ActionListener;
-import org.elasticsearch.action.admin.indices.mapping.get.GetFieldMappingsAction;
-import org.elasticsearch.action.admin.indices.mapping.get.GetFieldMappingsRequest;
-import org.elasticsearch.action.admin.indices.mapping.get.GetFieldMappingsResponse.FieldMappingMetaData;
+import org.elasticsearch.action.fieldcaps.FieldCapabilitiesAction;
+import org.elasticsearch.action.fieldcaps.FieldCapabilitiesRequest;
+import org.elasticsearch.action.fieldcaps.FieldCapabilitiesResponse;
 import org.elasticsearch.action.support.IndicesOptions;
 import org.elasticsearch.client.Client;
 import org.elasticsearch.index.mapper.NumberFieldMapper;
@@ -99,12 +99,12 @@ public final class SchemaUtil {
         allFieldNames.putAll(fieldNamesForGrouping);
 
         getSourceFieldMappings(client, source, allFieldNames.values().toArray(new String[0]),
-                ActionListener.wrap(
-                    sourceMappings -> listener.onResponse(resolveMappings(aggregationSourceFieldNames,
-                        aggregationTypes,
-                        fieldNamesForGrouping,
-                        sourceMappings)),
-                    listener::onFailure));
+            ActionListener.wrap(
+                sourceMappings -> listener.onResponse(resolveMappings(aggregationSourceFieldNames,
+                    aggregationTypes,
+                    fieldNamesForGrouping,
+                    sourceMappings)),
+                listener::onFailure));
     }
 
     /**
@@ -118,15 +118,16 @@ public final class SchemaUtil {
     public static void getDestinationFieldMappings(final Client client,
                                                    final String index,
                                                    final ActionListener<Map<String, String>> listener) {
-        GetFieldMappingsRequest fieldMappingRequest = new GetFieldMappingsRequest();
-        fieldMappingRequest.indices(index);
-        fieldMappingRequest.fields("*");
+        FieldCapabilitiesRequest fieldCapabilitiesRequest = new FieldCapabilitiesRequest()
+            .indices(index)
+            .fields("*")
+            .indicesOptions(IndicesOptions.LENIENT_EXPAND_OPEN);
         ClientHelper.executeAsyncWithOrigin(client,
             ClientHelper.DATA_FRAME_ORIGIN,
-            GetFieldMappingsAction.INSTANCE,
-            fieldMappingRequest,
+            FieldCapabilitiesAction.INSTANCE,
+            fieldCapabilitiesRequest,
             ActionListener.wrap(
-                r -> listener.onResponse(extractFieldMappings(r.mappings())),
+                r -> listener.onResponse(extractFieldMappings(r)),
                 listener::onFailure
             ));
     }
@@ -143,7 +144,7 @@ public final class SchemaUtil {
             String destinationMapping = Aggregations.resolveTargetMapping(aggregationName, sourceMapping);
 
             logger.debug("Deduced mapping for: [{}], agg type [{}] to [{}]",
-                    targetFieldName, aggregationName, destinationMapping);
+                targetFieldName, aggregationName, destinationMapping);
 
             if (Aggregations.isDynamicMapping(destinationMapping)) {
                 logger.debug("Dynamic target mapping set for field [{}] and aggregation [{}]", targetFieldName, aggregationName);
@@ -171,42 +172,25 @@ public final class SchemaUtil {
      * Very "magic" helper method to extract the source mappings
      */
     private static void getSourceFieldMappings(Client client, String[] index, String[] fields,
-            ActionListener<Map<String, String>> listener) {
-        GetFieldMappingsRequest fieldMappingRequest = new GetFieldMappingsRequest();
-        fieldMappingRequest.indices(index);
-        fieldMappingRequest.fields(fields);
-        fieldMappingRequest.indicesOptions(IndicesOptions.LENIENT_EXPAND_OPEN);
-
-        client.execute(GetFieldMappingsAction.INSTANCE, fieldMappingRequest, ActionListener.wrap(
-            response -> listener.onResponse(extractFieldMappings(response.mappings())),
+                                               ActionListener<Map<String, String>> listener) {
+        FieldCapabilitiesRequest fieldCapabilitiesRequest = new FieldCapabilitiesRequest()
+            .indices(index)
+            .fields(fields)
+            .indicesOptions(IndicesOptions.LENIENT_EXPAND_OPEN);
+        client.execute(FieldCapabilitiesAction.INSTANCE, fieldCapabilitiesRequest, ActionListener.wrap(
+            response -> listener.onResponse(extractFieldMappings(response)),
             listener::onFailure));
     }
 
-    private static Map<String, String> extractFieldMappings(Map<String, Map<String, Map<String, FieldMappingMetaData>>> mappings) {
+    private static Map<String, String> extractFieldMappings(FieldCapabilitiesResponse response) {
         Map<String, String> extractedTypes = new HashMap<>();
 
-        mappings.forEach((indexName, docTypeToMapping) -> {
-            // "_doc" ->
-            docTypeToMapping.forEach((docType, fieldNameToMapping) -> {
-                // "my_field" ->
-                fieldNameToMapping.forEach((fieldName, fieldMapping) -> {
-                    // "mapping" -> "my_field" ->
-                    fieldMapping.sourceAsMap().forEach((name, typeMap) -> {
-                        // expected object: { "type": type }
-                        if (typeMap instanceof Map) {
-                            final Map<?, ?> map = (Map<?, ?>) typeMap;
-                            if (map.containsKey("type")) {
-                                String type = map.get("type").toString();
-                                if (logger.isTraceEnabled()) {
-                                    logger.trace("Extracted type for [" + fieldName + "] : [" + type + "] from index [" + indexName + "]");
-                                }
-                                // TODO: overwrites types, requires resolve if
-                                // types are mixed
-                                extractedTypes.put(fieldName, type);
-                            }
-                        }
-                    });
-                });
+        response.get().forEach((fieldName, capabilitiesMap) -> {
+            // TODO: overwrites types, requires resolve if
+            // types are mixed
+            capabilitiesMap.forEach((name, capability) -> {
+                logger.trace("Extracted type for [{}] : [{}]", fieldName, capability.getType());
+                extractedTypes.put(fieldName, capability.getType());
             });
         });
         return extractedTypes;