diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/metadata/MetaDataUpdateSettingsService.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/metadata/MetaDataUpdateSettingsService.java
index 7f160817c9e..cae74163632 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/metadata/MetaDataUpdateSettingsService.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/metadata/MetaDataUpdateSettingsService.java
@@ -36,9 +36,7 @@ import org.elasticsearch.common.settings.Settings;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.unit.TimeValue;
 import org.elasticsearch.index.settings.IndexDynamicSettings;
 
-import java.util.Locale;
-import java.util.Map;
-import java.util.Set;
+import java.util.*;
 
 import static org.elasticsearch.cluster.ClusterState.newClusterStateBuilder;
 
@@ -68,6 +66,9 @@ public class MetaDataUpdateSettingsService extends AbstractComponent implements
         if (!event.state().nodes().localNodeMaster()) {
             return;
         }
+
+        Map<Integer, List<String>> nrReplicasChanged = new HashMap<Integer, List<String>>();
+
         // we need to do this each time in case it was changed by update settings
         for (final IndexMetaData indexMetaData : event.state().metaData()) {
             String autoExpandReplicas = indexMetaData.settings().get(IndexMetaData.SETTING_AUTO_EXPAND_REPLICAS);
@@ -101,25 +102,41 @@ public class MetaDataUpdateSettingsService extends AbstractComponent implements
                     }
 
                     if (numberOfReplicas >= min && numberOfReplicas <= max) {
-                        final int fNumberOfReplicas = numberOfReplicas;
-                        Settings settings = ImmutableSettings.settingsBuilder().put(IndexMetaData.SETTING_NUMBER_OF_REPLICAS, fNumberOfReplicas).build();
-                        updateSettings(settings, new String[]{indexMetaData.index()}, TimeValue.timeValueMinutes(10), new Listener() {
-                            @Override
-                            public void onSuccess() {
-                                logger.info("[{}] auto expanded replicas to [{}]", indexMetaData.index(), fNumberOfReplicas);
-                            }
 
-                            @Override
-                            public void onFailure(Throwable t) {
-                                logger.warn("[{}] fail to auto expand replicas to [{}]", indexMetaData.index(), fNumberOfReplicas);
-                            }
-                        });
+                        if (!nrReplicasChanged.containsKey(numberOfReplicas)) {
+                            nrReplicasChanged.put(numberOfReplicas, new ArrayList<String>());
+                        }
+
+                        nrReplicasChanged.get(numberOfReplicas).add(indexMetaData.index());
                     }
                 } catch (Exception e) {
                     logger.warn("[{}] failed to parse auto expand replicas", e, indexMetaData.index());
                 }
             }
         }
+
+        if (nrReplicasChanged.size() > 0) {
+            for (final Integer fNumberOfReplicas : nrReplicasChanged.keySet()) {
+                Settings settings = ImmutableSettings.settingsBuilder().put(IndexMetaData.SETTING_NUMBER_OF_REPLICAS, fNumberOfReplicas).build();
+                final List<String> indices = nrReplicasChanged.get(fNumberOfReplicas);
+
+                updateSettings(settings, indices.toArray(new String[indices.size()]), TimeValue.timeValueMinutes(10), new Listener() {
+                    @Override
+                    public void onSuccess() {
+                        for (String index : indices) {
+                            logger.info("[{}] auto expanded replicas to [{}]", index, fNumberOfReplicas);
+                        }
+                    }
+
+                    @Override
+                    public void onFailure(Throwable t) {
+                        for (String index : indices) {
+                            logger.warn("[{}] fail to auto expand replicas to [{}]", index, fNumberOfReplicas);
+                        }
+                    }
+                });
+            }
+        }
     }
 
     public void updateSettings(final Settings pSettings, final String[] indices, final TimeValue masterTimeout, final Listener listener) {