diff --git a/libs/x-content/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/xcontent/support/AbstractXContentParser.java b/libs/x-content/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/xcontent/support/AbstractXContentParser.java
index 264af205e48..e1f2baf66ca 100644
--- a/libs/x-content/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/xcontent/support/AbstractXContentParser.java
+++ b/libs/x-content/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/xcontent/support/AbstractXContentParser.java
@@ -263,117 +263,141 @@ public abstract class AbstractXContentParser implements XContentParser {
 
     @Override
     public Map<String, Object> map() throws IOException {
-        return readMap(this);
+        return readMapSafe(this, SIMPLE_MAP_FACTORY);
     }
 
     @Override
     public Map<String, Object> mapOrdered() throws IOException {
-        return readOrderedMap(this);
+        return readMapSafe(this, ORDERED_MAP_FACTORY);
     }
 
     @Override
     public Map<String, String> mapStrings() throws IOException {
-        return readMapStrings(this);
+        return map(HashMap::new, XContentParser::text);
     }
 
     @Override
     public <T> Map<String, T> map(
             Supplier<Map<String, T>> mapFactory, CheckedFunction<XContentParser, T, IOException> mapValueParser) throws IOException {
-        return readGenericMap(this, mapFactory, mapValueParser);
+        final Map<String, T> map = mapFactory.get();
+        if (findNonEmptyMapStart(this) == false) {
+            return map;
+        }
+        assert currentToken() == Token.FIELD_NAME : "Expected field name but saw [" + currentToken() + "]";
+        do {
+            // Must point to field name
+            String fieldName = currentName();
+            // And then the value...
+            nextToken();
+            T value = mapValueParser.apply(this);
+            map.put(fieldName, value);
+        } while (nextToken() == XContentParser.Token.FIELD_NAME);
+        return map;
     }
 
     @Override
     public List<Object> list() throws IOException {
-        return readList(this);
+        skipToListStart(this);
+        return readListUnsafe(this, SIMPLE_MAP_FACTORY);
     }
 
     @Override
     public List<Object> listOrderedMap() throws IOException {
-        return readListOrderedMap(this);
+        skipToListStart(this);
+        return readListUnsafe(this, ORDERED_MAP_FACTORY);
     }
 
-    static final Supplier<Map<String, Object>> SIMPLE_MAP_FACTORY = HashMap::new;
+    private static final Supplier<Map<String, Object>> SIMPLE_MAP_FACTORY = HashMap::new;
 
-    static final Supplier<Map<String, Object>> ORDERED_MAP_FACTORY = LinkedHashMap::new;
+    private static final Supplier<Map<String, Object>> ORDERED_MAP_FACTORY = LinkedHashMap::new;
 
-    static final Supplier<Map<String, String>> SIMPLE_MAP_STRINGS_FACTORY = HashMap::new;
-
-    static Map<String, Object> readMap(XContentParser parser) throws IOException {
-        return readMap(parser, SIMPLE_MAP_FACTORY);
+    private static Map<String, Object> readMapSafe(XContentParser parser, Supplier<Map<String, Object>> mapFactory) throws IOException {
+        final Map<String, Object> map = mapFactory.get();
+        return findNonEmptyMapStart(parser) ? readMapEntries(parser, mapFactory, map) : map;
     }
 
-    static Map<String, Object> readOrderedMap(XContentParser parser) throws IOException {
-        return readMap(parser, ORDERED_MAP_FACTORY);
+    // Read a map without bounds checks from a parser that is assumed to be at the map's first field's name token
+    private static Map<String, Object> readMapEntries(XContentParser parser, Supplier<Map<String, Object>> mapFactory,
+                                                      Map<String, Object> map) throws IOException {
+        assert parser.currentToken() == Token.FIELD_NAME : "Expected field name but saw [" + parser.currentToken() + "]";
+        do {
+            // Must point to field name
+            String fieldName = parser.currentName();
+            // And then the value...
+            Object value = readValueUnsafe(parser.nextToken(), parser, mapFactory);
+            map.put(fieldName, value);
+        } while (parser.nextToken() == Token.FIELD_NAME);
+        return map;
     }
 
-    static Map<String, String> readMapStrings(XContentParser parser) throws IOException {
-        return readGenericMap(parser, SIMPLE_MAP_STRINGS_FACTORY, XContentParser::text);
-    }
-
-    static List<Object> readList(XContentParser parser) throws IOException {
-        return readList(parser, SIMPLE_MAP_FACTORY);
-    }
-
-    static List<Object> readListOrderedMap(XContentParser parser) throws IOException {
-        return readList(parser, ORDERED_MAP_FACTORY);
-    }
-
-    static Map<String, Object> readMap(XContentParser parser, Supplier<Map<String, Object>> mapFactory) throws IOException {
-        return readGenericMap(parser, mapFactory, p -> readValue(p, mapFactory));
-    }
-
-    static <T> Map<String, T> readGenericMap(
-            XContentParser parser,
-            Supplier<Map<String, T>> mapFactory,
-            CheckedFunction<XContentParser, T, IOException> mapValueParser) throws IOException {
-        Map<String, T> map = mapFactory.get();
-        XContentParser.Token token = parser.currentToken();
+    /**
+     * Checks if the next current token in the supplied parser is a map start for a non-empty map.
+     * Skips to the next token if the parser does not yet have a current token (i.e. {@link #currentToken()} returns {@code null}) and then
+     * checks it.
+     *
+     * @return true if a map start for a non-empty map is found
+     */
+    private static boolean findNonEmptyMapStart(XContentParser parser) throws IOException {
+        Token token = parser.currentToken();
         if (token == null) {
             token = parser.nextToken();
         }
         if (token == XContentParser.Token.START_OBJECT) {
             token = parser.nextToken();
         }
-        for (; token == XContentParser.Token.FIELD_NAME; token = parser.nextToken()) {
-            // Must point to field name
-            String fieldName = parser.currentName();
-            // And then the value...
-            parser.nextToken();
-            T value = mapValueParser.apply(parser);
-            map.put(fieldName, value);
-        }
-        return map;
+        return token == Token.FIELD_NAME;
     }
 
-    static List<Object> readList(XContentParser parser, Supplier<Map<String, Object>> mapFactory) throws IOException {
-        XContentParser.Token token = parser.currentToken();
+    // Skips the current parser to the next array start. Assumes that the parser is either positioned before an array field's name token or
+    // on the start array token.
+    private static void skipToListStart(XContentParser parser) throws IOException {
+        Token token = parser.currentToken();
         if (token == null) {
             token = parser.nextToken();
         }
         if (token == XContentParser.Token.FIELD_NAME) {
             token = parser.nextToken();
         }
-        if (token == XContentParser.Token.START_ARRAY) {
-            token = parser.nextToken();
-        } else {
+        if (token != XContentParser.Token.START_ARRAY) {
             throw new XContentParseException(parser.getTokenLocation(), "Failed to parse list:  expecting "
                     + XContentParser.Token.START_ARRAY + " but got " + token);
         }
+    }
 
+    // read a list without bounds checks, assuming the the current parser is always on an array start
+    private static List<Object> readListUnsafe(XContentParser parser, Supplier<Map<String, Object>> mapFactory) throws IOException {
+        assert parser.currentToken() == Token.START_ARRAY;
         ArrayList<Object> list = new ArrayList<>();
-        for (; token != null && token != XContentParser.Token.END_ARRAY; token = parser.nextToken()) {
-            list.add(readValue(parser, mapFactory));
+        for (Token token = parser.nextToken(); token != null && token != XContentParser.Token.END_ARRAY; token = parser.nextToken()) {
+            list.add(readValueUnsafe(token, parser, mapFactory));
         }
         return list;
     }
 
     public static Object readValue(XContentParser parser, Supplier<Map<String, Object>> mapFactory) throws IOException {
-        switch (parser.currentToken()) {
+        return readValueUnsafe(parser.currentToken(), parser, mapFactory);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Reads next value from the parser that is assumed to be at the given current token without any additional checks.
+     *
+     * @param currentToken current token that the parser is at
+     * @param parser       parser to read from
+     * @param mapFactory   map factory to use for reading objects
+     */
+    private static Object readValueUnsafe(Token currentToken, XContentParser parser,
+                                          Supplier<Map<String, Object>> mapFactory) throws IOException {
+        assert currentToken == parser.currentToken() : "Supplied current token [" + currentToken +
+                "] is different from actual parser current token [" + parser.currentToken() + "]";
+        switch (currentToken) {
             case VALUE_STRING: return parser.text();
             case VALUE_NUMBER: return parser.numberValue();
             case VALUE_BOOLEAN: return parser.booleanValue();
-            case START_OBJECT: return readMap(parser, mapFactory);
-            case START_ARRAY: return readList(parser, mapFactory);
+            case START_OBJECT: {
+                final Map<String, Object> map = mapFactory.get();
+                return parser.nextToken() != Token.FIELD_NAME ? map : readMapEntries(parser, mapFactory, map);
+            }
+            case START_ARRAY: return readListUnsafe(parser, mapFactory);
             case VALUE_EMBEDDED_OBJECT: return parser.binaryValue();
             case VALUE_NULL:
             default: return null;