diff --git a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/indices/segments/TransportIndicesSegmentsAction.java b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/indices/segments/TransportIndicesSegmentsAction.java
index f47a785c3b2..1f9082b0c98 100644
--- a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/indices/segments/TransportIndicesSegmentsAction.java
+++ b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/indices/segments/TransportIndicesSegmentsAction.java
@@ -94,6 +94,13 @@ public class TransportIndicesSegmentsAction extends TransportBroadcastOperationA
         return shardIt.nextAssignedOrNull();
     }
 
+    /**
+     * We want to go over all assigned nodes (to get recovery status) and not just active ones.
+     */
+    @Override protected ShardRouting firstShardOrNull(ShardIterator shardIt) {
+        return shardIt.firstAssignedOrNull();
+    }
+
     /**
      * We want to go over all assigned nodes (to get recovery status) and not just active ones.
      */
diff --git a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/indices/status/TransportIndicesStatusAction.java b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/indices/status/TransportIndicesStatusAction.java
index dd58219287e..aae3e98b536 100644
--- a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/indices/status/TransportIndicesStatusAction.java
+++ b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/indices/status/TransportIndicesStatusAction.java
@@ -103,6 +103,13 @@ public class TransportIndicesStatusAction extends TransportBroadcastOperationAct
         return shardIt.nextAssignedOrNull();
     }
 
+    /**
+     * We want to go over all assigned nodes (to get recovery status) and not just active ones.
+     */
+    @Override protected ShardRouting firstShardOrNull(ShardIterator shardIt) {
+        return shardIt.firstAssignedOrNull();
+    }
+
     /**
      * We want to go over all assigned nodes (to get recovery status) and not just active ones.
      */
diff --git a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/type/TransportSearchTypeAction.java b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/type/TransportSearchTypeAction.java
index 9d7b89df047..ce273bd4469 100644
--- a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/type/TransportSearchTypeAction.java
+++ b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/type/TransportSearchTypeAction.java
@@ -133,13 +133,13 @@ public abstract class TransportSearchTypeAction extends BaseAction<SearchRequest
             // count the local operations, and perform the non local ones
             int localOperations = 0;
             for (final ShardIterator shardIt : shardsIts) {
-                final ShardRouting shard = shardIt.nextActiveOrNull();
+                final ShardRouting shard = shardIt.firstActiveOrNull();
                 if (shard != null) {
                     if (shard.currentNodeId().equals(nodes.localNodeId())) {
                         localOperations++;
                     } else {
                         // do the remote operation here, the localAsync flag is not relevant
-                        performFirstPhase(shardIt.reset());
+                        performFirstPhase(shardIt);
                     }
                 } else {
                     // really, no shards active in this group
@@ -153,10 +153,10 @@ public abstract class TransportSearchTypeAction extends BaseAction<SearchRequest
                     threadPool.executor(ThreadPool.Names.SEARCH).execute(new Runnable() {
                         @Override public void run() {
                             for (final ShardIterator shardIt : shardsIts) {
-                                final ShardRouting shard = shardIt.reset().nextActiveOrNull();
+                                final ShardRouting shard = shardIt.firstActiveOrNull();
                                 if (shard != null) {
                                     if (shard.currentNodeId().equals(nodes.localNodeId())) {
-                                        performFirstPhase(shardIt.reset());
+                                        performFirstPhase(shardIt);
                                     }
                                 }
                             }
@@ -168,17 +168,17 @@ public abstract class TransportSearchTypeAction extends BaseAction<SearchRequest
                         request.beforeLocalFork();
                     }
                     for (final ShardIterator shardIt : shardsIts) {
-                        final ShardRouting shard = shardIt.reset().nextActiveOrNull();
+                        final ShardRouting shard = shardIt.firstActiveOrNull();
                         if (shard != null) {
                             if (shard.currentNodeId().equals(nodes.localNodeId())) {
                                 if (localAsync) {
                                     threadPool.executor(ThreadPool.Names.SEARCH).execute(new Runnable() {
                                         @Override public void run() {
-                                            performFirstPhase(shardIt.reset());
+                                            performFirstPhase(shardIt);
                                         }
                                     });
                                 } else {
-                                    performFirstPhase(shardIt.reset());
+                                    performFirstPhase(shardIt);
                                 }
                             }
                         }
diff --git a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/support/broadcast/TransportBroadcastOperationAction.java b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/support/broadcast/TransportBroadcastOperationAction.java
index 6542fe58d23..9fb8009ef37 100644
--- a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/support/broadcast/TransportBroadcastOperationAction.java
+++ b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/support/broadcast/TransportBroadcastOperationAction.java
@@ -99,12 +99,17 @@ public abstract class TransportBroadcastOperationAction<Request extends Broadcas
      * Allows to override how shard routing is iterated over. Default implementation uses
      * {@link org.elasticsearch.cluster.routing.ShardIterator#nextActiveOrNull()}.
      *
-     * <p>Note, if overriding this method, make sure to also override {@link #hasNextShard(org.elasticsearch.cluster.routing.ShardIterator)}.
+     * <p>Note, if overriding this method, make sure to also override {@link #hasNextShard(org.elasticsearch.cluster.routing.ShardIterator)},
+     * and {@link #firstShardOrNull(org.elasticsearch.cluster.routing.ShardIterator)}.
      */
     protected ShardRouting nextShardOrNull(ShardIterator shardIt) {
         return shardIt.nextActiveOrNull();
     }
 
+    protected ShardRouting firstShardOrNull(ShardIterator shardIt) {
+        return shardIt.firstActiveOrNull();
+    }
+
     /**
      * Allows to override how shard routing is iterated over. Default implementation uses
      * {@link org.elasticsearch.cluster.routing.ShardIterator#hasNextActive()}.
@@ -175,13 +180,13 @@ public abstract class TransportBroadcastOperationAction<Request extends Broadcas
             // count the local operations, and perform the non local ones
             int localOperations = 0;
             for (final ShardIterator shardIt : shardsIts) {
-                final ShardRouting shard = nextShardOrNull(shardIt);
+                final ShardRouting shard = firstShardOrNull(shardIt);
                 if (shard != null) {
                     if (shard.currentNodeId().equals(nodes.localNodeId())) {
                         localOperations++;
                     } else {
                         // do the remote operation here, the localAsync flag is not relevant
-                        performOperation(shardIt.reset(), true);
+                        performOperation(shardIt, true);
                     }
                 } else {
                     // really, no shards active in this group
@@ -195,10 +200,10 @@ public abstract class TransportBroadcastOperationAction<Request extends Broadcas
                     threadPool.executor(executor).execute(new Runnable() {
                         @Override public void run() {
                             for (final ShardIterator shardIt : shardsIts) {
-                                final ShardRouting shard = nextShardOrNull(shardIt.reset());
+                                final ShardRouting shard = firstShardOrNull(shardIt);
                                 if (shard != null) {
                                     if (shard.currentNodeId().equals(nodes.localNodeId())) {
-                                        performOperation(shardIt.reset(), false);
+                                        performOperation(shardIt, false);
                                     }
                                 }
                             }
@@ -210,10 +215,10 @@ public abstract class TransportBroadcastOperationAction<Request extends Broadcas
                         request.beforeLocalFork();
                     }
                     for (final ShardIterator shardIt : shardsIts) {
-                        final ShardRouting shard = nextShardOrNull(shardIt.reset());
+                        final ShardRouting shard = firstShardOrNull(shardIt);
                         if (shard != null) {
                             if (shard.currentNodeId().equals(nodes.localNodeId())) {
-                                performOperation(shardIt.reset(), localAsync);
+                                performOperation(shardIt, localAsync);
                             }
                         }
                     }
diff --git a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/routing/PlainShardsIterator.java b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/routing/PlainShardsIterator.java
index 29b2301f745..e29c5c43976 100644
--- a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/routing/PlainShardsIterator.java
+++ b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/routing/PlainShardsIterator.java
@@ -125,6 +125,18 @@ public class PlainShardsIterator implements ShardsIterator {
         return null;
     }
 
+    @Override public ShardRouting firstActiveOrNull() {
+        int counter = 0;
+        int index = this.origIndex;
+        while (counter++ < size) {
+            ShardRouting shardRouting = shardModulo(index++);
+            if (shardRouting.active()) {
+                return shardRouting;
+            }
+        }
+        return null;
+    }
+
     @Override public int sizeAssigned() {
         int shardsAssigned = 0;
         for (ShardRouting shardRouting : shards) {
@@ -171,6 +183,18 @@ public class PlainShardsIterator implements ShardsIterator {
         return null;
     }
 
+    @Override public ShardRouting firstAssignedOrNull() {
+        int counter = 0;
+        int index = this.origIndex;
+        while (counter++ < size) {
+            ShardRouting shardRouting = shardModulo(index++);
+            if (shardRouting.assignedToNode()) {
+                return shardRouting;
+            }
+        }
+        return null;
+    }
+
     final ShardRouting shardModulo(int counter) {
         return shards.get((counter % size));
     }
diff --git a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/routing/ShardsIterator.java b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/routing/ShardsIterator.java
index 363feb7ce0d..1d5fc5e2c8d 100644
--- a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/routing/ShardsIterator.java
+++ b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/routing/ShardsIterator.java
@@ -67,6 +67,14 @@ public interface ShardsIterator extends Iterable<ShardRouting>, Iterator<ShardRo
      */
     ShardRouting nextActiveOrNull();
 
+    /**
+     * Returns the first active shard, or <tt>null</tt>, without
+     * incrementing the iterator.
+     *
+     * @see ShardRouting#active()
+     */
+    ShardRouting firstActiveOrNull();
+
     /**
      * The number of assigned shard routing instances.
      *
@@ -95,6 +103,14 @@ public interface ShardsIterator extends Iterable<ShardRouting>, Iterator<ShardRo
      */
     ShardRouting nextAssignedOrNull();
 
+    /**
+     * Returns the first assigned shard, or <tt>null</tt>, wuthout
+     * incrementing the iterator.
+     *
+     * @see ShardRouting#assignedToNode()
+     */
+    ShardRouting firstAssignedOrNull();
+
     int hashCode();
 
     boolean equals(Object other);