diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/ml/action/StopDatafeedAction.java b/x-pack/plugin/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/ml/action/StopDatafeedAction.java
index c802f0bccca..55b9312f70b 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/ml/action/StopDatafeedAction.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/ml/action/StopDatafeedAction.java
@@ -73,14 +73,13 @@ public class StopDatafeedAction extends Action<StopDatafeedAction.Response> {
         }
 
         private String datafeedId;
-        private String[] resolvedStartedDatafeedIds;
+        private String[] resolvedStartedDatafeedIds = new String[] {};
         private TimeValue stopTimeout = DEFAULT_TIMEOUT;
         private boolean force = false;
         private boolean allowNoDatafeeds = true;
 
         public Request(String datafeedId) {
             this.datafeedId = ExceptionsHelper.requireNonNull(datafeedId, DatafeedConfig.ID.getPreferredName());
-            this.resolvedStartedDatafeedIds = new String[] { datafeedId };
         }
 
         public Request() {
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/ml/action/StopDatafeedActionRequestTests.java b/x-pack/plugin/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/ml/action/StopDatafeedActionRequestTests.java
index 1983b314b44..94fb84d7f64 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/ml/action/StopDatafeedActionRequestTests.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/ml/action/StopDatafeedActionRequestTests.java
@@ -24,6 +24,9 @@ public class StopDatafeedActionRequestTests extends AbstractStreamableXContentTe
         if (randomBoolean()) {
             request.setAllowNoDatafeeds(randomBoolean());
         }
+        if (randomBoolean()) {
+            request.setResolvedStartedDatafeedIds(generateRandomStringArray(4, 8, false));
+        }
         return request;
     }