diff --git a/elasticsearch/x-pack/watcher/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/watcher/transport/actions/put/PutWatchRequest.java b/elasticsearch/x-pack/watcher/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/watcher/transport/actions/put/PutWatchRequest.java
index e1766038d82..38318c36715 100644
--- a/elasticsearch/x-pack/watcher/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/watcher/transport/actions/put/PutWatchRequest.java
+++ b/elasticsearch/x-pack/watcher/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/watcher/transport/actions/put/PutWatchRequest.java
@@ -114,6 +114,7 @@ public class PutWatchRequest extends MasterNodeRequest<PutWatchRequest> {
         super.readFrom(in);
         id = in.readString();
         source = in.readBytesReference();
+        active = in.readBoolean();
     }
 
     @Override
@@ -121,6 +122,7 @@ public class PutWatchRequest extends MasterNodeRequest<PutWatchRequest> {
         super.writeTo(out);
         out.writeString(id);
         out.writeBytesReference(source);
+        out.writeBoolean(active);
     }
 
 }
diff --git a/elasticsearch/x-pack/watcher/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/watcher/transport/action/put/PutWatchSerializationTests.java b/elasticsearch/x-pack/watcher/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/watcher/transport/action/put/PutWatchSerializationTests.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..8747949947c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/elasticsearch/x-pack/watcher/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/watcher/transport/action/put/PutWatchSerializationTests.java
@@ -0,0 +1,34 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright Elasticsearch B.V. and/or licensed to Elasticsearch B.V. under one
+ * or more contributor license agreements. Licensed under the Elastic License;
+ * you may not use this file except in compliance with the Elastic License.
+ */
+package org.elasticsearch.xpack.watcher.transport.action.put;
+
+import org.elasticsearch.common.bytes.BytesArray;
+import org.elasticsearch.common.io.stream.BytesStreamOutput;
+import org.elasticsearch.test.ESTestCase;
+import org.elasticsearch.xpack.watcher.transport.actions.put.PutWatchRequest;
+
+import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.is;
+
+public class PutWatchSerializationTests extends ESTestCase {
+
+    // https://github.com/elastic/x-plugins/issues/2490
+    public void testPutWatchSerialization() throws Exception {
+        PutWatchRequest request = new PutWatchRequest();
+        request.setId(randomAsciiOfLength(10));
+        request.setActive(randomBoolean());
+        request.setSource(new BytesArray(randomAsciiOfLength(20)));
+
+        BytesStreamOutput streamOutput = new BytesStreamOutput();
+        request.writeTo(streamOutput);
+
+        PutWatchRequest readRequest = new PutWatchRequest();
+        readRequest.readFrom(streamOutput.bytes().streamInput());
+        assertThat(readRequest.isActive(), is(request.isActive()));
+        assertThat(readRequest.getId(), is(request.getId()));
+        assertThat(readRequest.getSource(), is(request.getSource()));
+    }
+
+}