diff --git a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/transport/ActionNotFoundTransportException.java b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/transport/ActionNotFoundTransportException.java
index bb045b3a96c..a4c2fa0c2f4 100644
--- a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/transport/ActionNotFoundTransportException.java
+++ b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/transport/ActionNotFoundTransportException.java
@@ -20,11 +20,20 @@
 package org.elasticsearch.transport;
 
 /**
- * @author kimchy (Shay Banon)
+ * An exception indicating that a transport action was not found.
+ *
+ * @author kimchy (shay.banon)
  */
 public class ActionNotFoundTransportException extends TransportException {
 
-    public ActionNotFoundTransportException(String message) {
-        super(message);
+    private final String action;
+
+    public ActionNotFoundTransportException(String action) {
+        super("No handler for action [" + action + "]");
+        this.action = action;
+    }
+
+    public String action() {
+        return this.action;
     }
 }
diff --git a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/transport/netty/MessageChannelHandler.java b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/transport/netty/MessageChannelHandler.java
index d1910bd8c6d..3cc3f080f8e 100644
--- a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/transport/netty/MessageChannelHandler.java
+++ b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/transport/netty/MessageChannelHandler.java
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ public class MessageChannelHandler extends SimpleChannelUpstreamHandler {
         try {
             final TransportRequestHandler handler = transportServiceAdapter.handler(action);
             if (handler == null) {
-                logger.warn("No handler found for action [{}]", action);
+                throw new ActionNotFoundTransportException(action);
             }
             final Streamable streamable = handler.newInstance();
             streamable.readFrom(buffer);