diff --git a/elasticsearch/x-pack/monitoring/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/monitoring/rest/action/RestMonitoringBulkAction.java b/elasticsearch/x-pack/monitoring/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/monitoring/rest/action/RestMonitoringBulkAction.java
index 17784ec8639..9ff72fb2852 100644
--- a/elasticsearch/x-pack/monitoring/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/monitoring/rest/action/RestMonitoringBulkAction.java
+++ b/elasticsearch/x-pack/monitoring/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/monitoring/rest/action/RestMonitoringBulkAction.java
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@
 package org.elasticsearch.xpack.monitoring.rest.action;
 
 import org.elasticsearch.ElasticsearchParseException;
-import org.elasticsearch.client.node.NodeClient;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.Strings;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.inject.Inject;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.settings.Settings;
@@ -30,6 +29,7 @@ public class RestMonitoringBulkAction extends MonitoringRestHandler {
 
     public static final String MONITORING_ID = "system_id";
     public static final String MONITORING_VERSION = "system_api_version";
+    public static final String INTERVAL = "interval";
 
     @Inject
     public RestMonitoringBulkAction(Settings settings, RestController controller) {
@@ -45,12 +45,17 @@ public class RestMonitoringBulkAction extends MonitoringRestHandler {
         String defaultType = request.param("type");
 
         String id = request.param(MONITORING_ID);
-        if (Strings.hasLength(id) == false) {
-            throw new IllegalArgumentException("no monitoring id for monitoring bulk request");
+        if (Strings.isEmpty(id)) {
+            throw new IllegalArgumentException("no [" + MONITORING_ID + "] for monitoring bulk request");
         }
         String version = request.param(MONITORING_VERSION);
-        if (Strings.hasLength(version) == false) {
-            throw new IllegalArgumentException("no monitoring version for monitoring bulk request");
+        if (Strings.isEmpty(version)) {
+            throw new IllegalArgumentException("no [" + MONITORING_VERSION + "] for monitoring bulk request");
+        }
+        // we don't currently use the interval, but in future releases we can incorporate it without breaking BWC since it was here from
+        //  the beginning
+        if (Strings.isEmpty(request.param(INTERVAL))) {
+            throw new IllegalArgumentException("no [" + INTERVAL + "] for monitoring bulk request");
         }
 
         if (!RestActions.hasBodyContent(request)) {
diff --git a/elasticsearch/x-pack/monitoring/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/api/xpack.monitoring.bulk.json b/elasticsearch/x-pack/monitoring/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/api/xpack.monitoring.bulk.json
index 42d7ae43d55..71f1b1fc13b 100644
--- a/elasticsearch/x-pack/monitoring/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/api/xpack.monitoring.bulk.json
+++ b/elasticsearch/x-pack/monitoring/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/api/xpack.monitoring.bulk.json
@@ -19,6 +19,10 @@
         "system_api_version" : {
           "type" : "string",
           "description" : "API Version of the monitored system"
+        },
+        "interval": {
+          "type" : "string",
+          "description" : "Collection interval (e.g., '10s' or '10000ms') of the payload"
         }
       }
     },
diff --git a/elasticsearch/x-pack/monitoring/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/test/monitoring/bulk/10_basic.yaml b/elasticsearch/x-pack/monitoring/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/test/monitoring/bulk/10_basic.yaml
index 6dad7415668..5432cc5e3a4 100644
--- a/elasticsearch/x-pack/monitoring/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/test/monitoring/bulk/10_basic.yaml
+++ b/elasticsearch/x-pack/monitoring/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/test/monitoring/bulk/10_basic.yaml
@@ -17,8 +17,9 @@ setup:
 
   - do:
       xpack.monitoring.bulk:
-        system_id:      "kibana"
+        system_id:          "kibana"
         system_api_version: "2"
+        interval:           "10s"
         body:
           - index:
               _type:  test_type
@@ -51,8 +52,9 @@ setup:
 
   - do:
       xpack.monitoring.bulk:
-        system_id:      "kibana"
+        system_id:          "kibana"
         system_api_version: "2"
+        interval:           "10000ms"
         type: "default_type"
         body:
           - '{"index": {}}'
@@ -89,3 +91,36 @@ setup:
         type:  kibana
 
   - match: { hits.total: 1 }
+
+  # Missing a system_id causes it to fail
+  - do:
+      catch: request
+      xpack.monitoring.bulk:
+        system_api_version: "2"
+        interval:           "10s"
+        type: "default_type"
+        body:
+          - '{"index": {}}'
+          - '{"field_1": "value_1"}'
+
+  # Missing a system_api_version causes it to fail
+  - do:
+      catch: request
+      xpack.monitoring.bulk:
+        system_id:          "kibana"
+        interval:           "10s"
+        type: "default_type"
+        body:
+          - '{"index": {}}'
+          - '{"field_1": "value_1"}'
+
+  # Missing an interval causes it to fail
+  - do:
+      catch: request
+      xpack.monitoring.bulk:
+        system_id:          "kibana"
+        system_api_version: "2"
+        type: "default_type"
+        body:
+          - '{"index": {}}'
+          - '{"field_1": "value_1"}'