diff --git a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/metadata/MetaDataCreateIndexService.java b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/metadata/MetaDataCreateIndexService.java
index d548c177110..fa85b7c5694 100644
--- a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/metadata/MetaDataCreateIndexService.java
+++ b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/metadata/MetaDataCreateIndexService.java
@@ -186,7 +186,19 @@ public class MetaDataCreateIndexService extends AbstractComponent {
                     // now add the mappings
                     IndexService indexService = indicesService.indexServiceSafe(request.index);
                     MapperService mapperService = indexService.mapperService();
+                    // first, add the default mapping
+                    if (mappings.containsKey(MapperService.DEFAULT_MAPPING)) {
+                        try {
+                            mapperService.add(MapperService.DEFAULT_MAPPING, XContentFactory.jsonBuilder().map(mappings.get(MapperService.DEFAULT_MAPPING)).string());
+                        } catch (Exception e) {
+                            indicesService.deleteIndex(request.index);
+                            throw new MapperParsingException("mapping [" + MapperService.DEFAULT_MAPPING + "]", e);
+                        }
+                    }
                     for (Map.Entry<String, Map<String, Object>> entry : mappings.entrySet()) {
+                        if (entry.getKey().equals(MapperService.DEFAULT_MAPPING)) {
+                            continue;
+                        }
                         try {
                             mapperService.add(entry.getKey(), XContentFactory.jsonBuilder().map(entry.getValue()).string());
                         } catch (Exception e) {
diff --git a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/mapper/MapperService.java b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/mapper/MapperService.java
index a2a74824858..2134e544fd8 100644
--- a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/mapper/MapperService.java
+++ b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/mapper/MapperService.java
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ public class MapperService extends AbstractIndexComponent implements Iterable<Do
     public static final String DEFAULT_MAPPING = "_default_";
 
     /**
-     * Will create types automatically if they do not exists in the repo yet
+     * Will create types automatically if they do not exists in the mapping definition yet
      */
     private final boolean dynamic;
 
@@ -151,7 +151,12 @@ public class MapperService extends AbstractIndexComponent implements Iterable<Do
     public void add(String type, String mappingSource) {
         if (DEFAULT_MAPPING.equals(type)) {
             // verify we can parse it
-            documentParser.parse(type, mappingSource);
+            DocumentMapper mapper = documentParser.parse(type, mappingSource);
+            // still add it as a document mapper so we have it registered and, for example, persisted back into
+            // the cluster meta data if needed, or checked for existence
+            synchronized (mutex) {
+                mappers = newMapBuilder(mappers).put(type, mapper).immutableMap();
+            }
             defaultMappingSource = mappingSource;
         } else {
             add(parse(type, mappingSource));
diff --git a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/indices/cluster/IndicesClusterStateService.java b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/indices/cluster/IndicesClusterStateService.java
index 3c05192931c..069a1c74d6a 100644
--- a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/indices/cluster/IndicesClusterStateService.java
+++ b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/indices/cluster/IndicesClusterStateService.java
@@ -218,35 +218,19 @@ public class IndicesClusterStateService extends AbstractLifecycleComponent<Indic
             String index = indexMetaData.index();
             IndexService indexService = indicesService.indexServiceSafe(index);
             MapperService mapperService = indexService.mapperService();
+            // first, go over and update the _default_ mapping (if exists)
+            if (indexMetaData.mappings().containsKey(MapperService.DEFAULT_MAPPING)) {
+                processMapping(event, index, mapperService, MapperService.DEFAULT_MAPPING, indexMetaData.mapping(MapperService.DEFAULT_MAPPING).source());
+            }
+
             // go over and add the relevant mappings (or update them)
             for (MappingMetaData mappingMd : indexMetaData.mappings().values()) {
                 String mappingType = mappingMd.type();
                 CompressedString mappingSource = mappingMd.source();
-                if (!seenMappings.containsKey(new Tuple<String, String>(index, mappingType))) {
-                    seenMappings.put(new Tuple<String, String>(index, mappingType), true);
-                }
-
-                try {
-                    if (!mapperService.hasMapping(mappingType)) {
-                        if (logger.isDebugEnabled()) {
-                            logger.debug("[{}] adding mapping [{}], source [{}]", index, mappingType, mappingSource.string());
-                        }
-                        mapperService.add(mappingType, mappingSource.string());
-                        nodeMappingCreatedAction.nodeMappingCreated(new NodeMappingCreatedAction.NodeMappingCreatedResponse(index, mappingType, event.state().nodes().localNodeId()));
-                    } else {
-                        DocumentMapper existingMapper = mapperService.documentMapper(mappingType);
-                        if (!mappingSource.equals(existingMapper.mappingSource())) {
-                            // mapping changed, update it
-                            if (logger.isDebugEnabled()) {
-                                logger.debug("[{}] updating mapping [{}], source [{}]", index, mappingType, mappingSource.string());
-                            }
-                            mapperService.add(mappingType, mappingSource.string());
-                            nodeMappingCreatedAction.nodeMappingCreated(new NodeMappingCreatedAction.NodeMappingCreatedResponse(index, mappingType, event.state().nodes().localNodeId()));
-                        }
-                    }
-                } catch (Exception e) {
-                    logger.warn("[{}] failed to add mapping [{}], source [{}]", e, index, mappingType, mappingSource);
+                if (mappingType.equals(MapperService.DEFAULT_MAPPING)) { // we processed _default_ first
+                    continue;
                 }
+                processMapping(event, index, mapperService, mappingType, mappingSource);
             }
             // go over and remove mappings
             for (DocumentMapper documentMapper : mapperService) {
@@ -259,6 +243,34 @@ public class IndicesClusterStateService extends AbstractLifecycleComponent<Indic
         }
     }
 
+    private void processMapping(ClusterChangedEvent event, String index, MapperService mapperService, String mappingType, CompressedString mappingSource) {
+        if (!seenMappings.containsKey(new Tuple<String, String>(index, mappingType))) {
+            seenMappings.put(new Tuple<String, String>(index, mappingType), true);
+        }
+
+        try {
+            if (!mapperService.hasMapping(mappingType)) {
+                if (logger.isDebugEnabled()) {
+                    logger.debug("[{}] adding mapping [{}], source [{}]", index, mappingType, mappingSource.string());
+                }
+                mapperService.add(mappingType, mappingSource.string());
+                nodeMappingCreatedAction.nodeMappingCreated(new NodeMappingCreatedAction.NodeMappingCreatedResponse(index, mappingType, event.state().nodes().localNodeId()));
+            } else {
+                DocumentMapper existingMapper = mapperService.documentMapper(mappingType);
+                if (!mappingSource.equals(existingMapper.mappingSource())) {
+                    // mapping changed, update it
+                    if (logger.isDebugEnabled()) {
+                        logger.debug("[{}] updating mapping [{}], source [{}]", index, mappingType, mappingSource.string());
+                    }
+                    mapperService.add(mappingType, mappingSource.string());
+                    nodeMappingCreatedAction.nodeMappingCreated(new NodeMappingCreatedAction.NodeMappingCreatedResponse(index, mappingType, event.state().nodes().localNodeId()));
+                }
+            }
+        } catch (Exception e) {
+            logger.warn("[{}] failed to add mapping [{}], source [{}]", e, index, mappingType, mappingSource);
+        }
+    }
+
     private void applyNewOrUpdatedShards(final ClusterChangedEvent event) throws ElasticSearchException {
         if (!indicesService.changesAllowed())
             return;