diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/TransportMultiSearchAction.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/TransportMultiSearchAction.java
index 32a6627c55e..0a0c5d357d4 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/TransportMultiSearchAction.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/TransportMultiSearchAction.java
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ import org.elasticsearch.cluster.ClusterState;
 import org.elasticsearch.cluster.block.ClusterBlockLevel;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.inject.Inject;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.settings.Settings;
+import org.elasticsearch.common.util.concurrent.AtomicArray;
 import org.elasticsearch.threadpool.ThreadPool;
 import org.elasticsearch.transport.BaseTransportRequestHandler;
 import org.elasticsearch.transport.TransportChannel;
@@ -56,16 +57,14 @@ public class TransportMultiSearchAction extends TransportAction<MultiSearchReque
         ClusterState clusterState = clusterService.state();
         clusterState.blocks().globalBlockedRaiseException(ClusterBlockLevel.READ);
 
-        final MultiSearchResponse.Item[] responses = new MultiSearchResponse.Item[request.requests().size()];
-        final AtomicInteger counter = new AtomicInteger(responses.length);
-        for (int i = 0; i < responses.length; i++) {
+        final AtomicArray<MultiSearchResponse.Item> responses = new AtomicArray<MultiSearchResponse.Item>(request.requests().size());
+        final AtomicInteger counter = new AtomicInteger(responses.length());
+        for (int i = 0; i < responses.length(); i++) {
             final int index = i;
             searchAction.execute(request.requests().get(i), new ActionListener<SearchResponse>() {
                 @Override
                 public void onResponse(SearchResponse searchResponse) {
-                    synchronized (responses) {
-                        responses[index] = new MultiSearchResponse.Item(searchResponse, null);
-                    }
+                    responses.set(index, new MultiSearchResponse.Item(searchResponse, null));
                     if (counter.decrementAndGet() == 0) {
                         finishHim();
                     }
@@ -73,16 +72,14 @@ public class TransportMultiSearchAction extends TransportAction<MultiSearchReque
 
                 @Override
                 public void onFailure(Throwable e) {
-                    synchronized (responses) {
-                        responses[index] = new MultiSearchResponse.Item(null, ExceptionsHelper.detailedMessage(e));
-                    }
+                    responses.set(index, new MultiSearchResponse.Item(null, ExceptionsHelper.detailedMessage(e)));
                     if (counter.decrementAndGet() == 0) {
                         finishHim();
                     }
                 }
 
                 private void finishHim() {
-                    listener.onResponse(new MultiSearchResponse(responses));
+                    listener.onResponse(new MultiSearchResponse(responses.toArray(new MultiSearchResponse.Item[responses.length()])));
                 }
             });
         }