diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/update/TransportUpdateAction.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/update/TransportUpdateAction.java
index 45eca14c9f2..1be27f45dbd 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/update/TransportUpdateAction.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/update/TransportUpdateAction.java
@@ -214,7 +214,8 @@ public class TransportUpdateAction extends TransportInstanceSingleOperationActio
                     .source(source, sourceAndContent.v1())
                     .version(getResult.version()).replicationType(request.replicationType()).consistencyLevel(request.consistencyLevel())
                     .timestamp(timestamp).ttl(ttl)
-                    .percolate(request.percolate());
+                    .percolate(request.percolate())
+                    .refresh(request.refresh());
             indexRequest.operationThreaded(false);
             indexAction.execute(indexRequest, new ActionListener<IndexResponse>() {
                 @Override
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/update/UpdateRequest.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/update/UpdateRequest.java
index 2dfe33cb435..d7e823b7ad3 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/update/UpdateRequest.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/update/UpdateRequest.java
@@ -53,6 +53,8 @@ public class UpdateRequest extends InstanceShardOperationRequest {
 
     private String percolate;
 
+    private boolean refresh = false;
+
     private ReplicationType replicationType = ReplicationType.DEFAULT;
     private WriteConsistencyLevel consistencyLevel = WriteConsistencyLevel.DEFAULT;
 
@@ -270,6 +272,20 @@ public class UpdateRequest extends InstanceShardOperationRequest {
         return timeout(TimeValue.parseTimeValue(timeout, null));
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Should a refresh be executed post this update operation causing the operation to
+     * be searchable. Note, heavy indexing should not set this to <tt>true</tt>. Defaults
+     * to <tt>false</tt>.
+     */
+    public UpdateRequest refresh(boolean refresh) {
+        this.refresh = refresh;
+        return this;
+    }
+
+    public boolean refresh() {
+        return this.refresh;
+    }
+
     /**
      * The replication type.
      */
@@ -316,6 +332,7 @@ public class UpdateRequest extends InstanceShardOperationRequest {
         if (in.readBoolean()) {
             percolate = in.readUTF();
         }
+        refresh = in.readBoolean();
     }
 
     @Override
@@ -346,5 +363,6 @@ public class UpdateRequest extends InstanceShardOperationRequest {
             out.writeBoolean(true);
             out.writeUTF(percolate);
         }
+        out.writeBoolean(refresh);
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/update/UpdateRequestBuilder.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/update/UpdateRequestBuilder.java
index e65d2bdc55c..9ddbf28f74e 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/update/UpdateRequestBuilder.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/update/UpdateRequestBuilder.java
@@ -136,6 +136,16 @@ public class UpdateRequestBuilder extends BaseRequestBuilder<UpdateRequest, Upda
         return this;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Should a refresh be executed post this update operation causing the operation to
+     * be searchable. Note, heavy indexing should not set this to <tt>true</tt>. Defaults
+     * to <tt>false</tt>.
+     */
+    public UpdateRequestBuilder setRefresh(boolean refresh) {
+        request.refresh(refresh);
+        return this;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Sets the replication type.
      */
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/rest/action/update/RestUpdateAction.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/rest/action/update/RestUpdateAction.java
index 3e3eb366927..bf8bb01935c 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/rest/action/update/RestUpdateAction.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/rest/action/update/RestUpdateAction.java
@@ -57,6 +57,7 @@ public class RestUpdateAction extends BaseRestHandler {
         updateRequest.routing(request.param("routing"));
         updateRequest.parent(request.param("parent")); // order is important, set it after routing, so it will set the routing
         updateRequest.timeout(request.paramAsTime("timeout", updateRequest.timeout()));
+        updateRequest.refresh(request.paramAsBoolean("refresh", updateRequest.refresh()));
         String replicationType = request.param("replication");
         if (replicationType != null) {
             updateRequest.replicationType(ReplicationType.fromString(replicationType));