diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/transport/RemoteClusterAwareClient.java b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/transport/RemoteClusterAwareClient.java
index 8e72e6d5768..2ca42ff85ab 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/transport/RemoteClusterAwareClient.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/transport/RemoteClusterAwareClient.java
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ import org.elasticsearch.action.ActionRequest;
 import org.elasticsearch.action.ActionResponse;
 import org.elasticsearch.client.Client;
 import org.elasticsearch.client.support.AbstractClient;
+import org.elasticsearch.cluster.node.DiscoveryNode;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.settings.Settings;
 import org.elasticsearch.threadpool.ThreadPool;
 
@@ -45,14 +46,19 @@ final class RemoteClusterAwareClient extends AbstractClient {
     protected <Request extends ActionRequest, Response extends ActionResponse>
     void doExecute(Action<Response> action, Request request, ActionListener<Response> listener) {
         remoteClusterService.ensureConnected(clusterAlias, ActionListener.wrap(res -> {
-            Transport.Connection connection = remoteClusterService.getConnection(clusterAlias);
+            Transport.Connection connection;
+            if (request instanceof RemoteClusterAwareRequest) {
+                DiscoveryNode preferredTargetNode = ((RemoteClusterAwareRequest) request).getPreferredTargetNode();
+                connection = remoteClusterService.getConnection(preferredTargetNode, clusterAlias);
+            } else {
+                connection = remoteClusterService.getConnection(clusterAlias);
+            }
             service.sendRequest(connection, action.name(), request, TransportRequestOptions.EMPTY,
                 new ActionListenerResponseHandler<>(listener, action.getResponseReader()));
         },
         listener::onFailure));
     }
 
-
     @Override
     public void close() {
         // do nothing
diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/transport/RemoteClusterAwareRequest.java b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/transport/RemoteClusterAwareRequest.java
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..b708240f6da
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/transport/RemoteClusterAwareRequest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+/*
+ * Licensed to Elasticsearch under one or more contributor
+ * license agreements. See the NOTICE file distributed with
+ * this work for additional information regarding copyright
+ * ownership. Elasticsearch licenses this file to you under
+ * the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License"); you may
+ * not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+ * You may obtain a copy of the License at
+ *
+ *    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+ *
+ * Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing,
+ * software distributed under the License is distributed on an
+ * "AS IS" BASIS, WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY
+ * KIND, either express or implied.  See the License for the
+ * specific language governing permissions and limitations
+ * under the License.
+ */
+
+package org.elasticsearch.transport;
+
+import org.elasticsearch.cluster.node.DiscoveryNode;
+
+public interface RemoteClusterAwareRequest {
+
+    /**
+     * Returns the preferred discovery node for this request. The remote cluster client will attempt to send
+     * this request directly to this node. Otherwise, it will send the request as a proxy action that will
+     * be routed by the remote cluster to this node.
+     *
+     * @return preferred discovery node
+     */
+    DiscoveryNode getPreferredTargetNode();
+
+}
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/ccr/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ccr/action/repositories/ClearCcrRestoreSessionAction.java b/x-pack/plugin/ccr/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ccr/action/repositories/ClearCcrRestoreSessionAction.java
index 33b8b415d83..81cde2984f5 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/ccr/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ccr/action/repositories/ClearCcrRestoreSessionAction.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/ccr/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ccr/action/repositories/ClearCcrRestoreSessionAction.java
@@ -7,24 +7,19 @@
 package org.elasticsearch.xpack.ccr.action.repositories;
 
 import org.elasticsearch.action.Action;
-import org.elasticsearch.action.FailedNodeException;
+import org.elasticsearch.action.ActionListener;
+import org.elasticsearch.action.ActionResponse;
 import org.elasticsearch.action.support.ActionFilters;
-import org.elasticsearch.action.support.nodes.BaseNodeResponse;
-import org.elasticsearch.action.support.nodes.BaseNodesResponse;
-import org.elasticsearch.action.support.nodes.TransportNodesAction;
-import org.elasticsearch.cluster.ClusterName;
-import org.elasticsearch.cluster.node.DiscoveryNode;
-import org.elasticsearch.cluster.service.ClusterService;
+import org.elasticsearch.action.support.HandledTransportAction;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.inject.Inject;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.io.stream.StreamInput;
-import org.elasticsearch.common.io.stream.StreamOutput;
+import org.elasticsearch.common.io.stream.Writeable;
+import org.elasticsearch.tasks.Task;
 import org.elasticsearch.threadpool.ThreadPool;
+import org.elasticsearch.transport.TransportActionProxy;
 import org.elasticsearch.transport.TransportService;
 import org.elasticsearch.xpack.ccr.repository.CcrRestoreSourceService;
 
-import java.io.IOException;
-import java.util.List;
-
 public class ClearCcrRestoreSessionAction extends Action<ClearCcrRestoreSessionAction.ClearCcrRestoreSessionResponse> {
 
     public static final ClearCcrRestoreSessionAction INSTANCE = new ClearCcrRestoreSessionAction();
@@ -36,86 +31,47 @@ public class ClearCcrRestoreSessionAction extends Action<ClearCcrRestoreSessionA
 
     @Override
     public ClearCcrRestoreSessionResponse newResponse() {
-        return new ClearCcrRestoreSessionResponse();
+        throw new UnsupportedOperationException();
     }
 
-    public static class TransportDeleteCcrRestoreSessionAction extends TransportNodesAction<ClearCcrRestoreSessionRequest,
-        ClearCcrRestoreSessionResponse, ClearCcrRestoreSessionRequest.Request, Response> {
+    @Override
+    public Writeable.Reader<ClearCcrRestoreSessionResponse> getResponseReader() {
+        return ClearCcrRestoreSessionResponse::new;
+    }
+
+    public static class TransportDeleteCcrRestoreSessionAction
+        extends HandledTransportAction<ClearCcrRestoreSessionRequest, ClearCcrRestoreSessionResponse> {
 
         private final CcrRestoreSourceService ccrRestoreService;
+        private final ThreadPool threadPool;
 
         @Inject
-        public TransportDeleteCcrRestoreSessionAction(ThreadPool threadPool, ClusterService clusterService, ActionFilters actionFilters,
-                                                      TransportService transportService, CcrRestoreSourceService ccrRestoreService) {
-            super(NAME, threadPool, clusterService, transportService, actionFilters, ClearCcrRestoreSessionRequest::new,
-                ClearCcrRestoreSessionRequest.Request::new, ThreadPool.Names.GENERIC, Response.class);
+        public TransportDeleteCcrRestoreSessionAction(ActionFilters actionFilters, TransportService transportService,
+                                                      CcrRestoreSourceService ccrRestoreService) {
+            super(NAME, transportService, actionFilters, ClearCcrRestoreSessionRequest::new);
+            TransportActionProxy.registerProxyAction(transportService, NAME, ClearCcrRestoreSessionResponse::new);
             this.ccrRestoreService = ccrRestoreService;
+            this.threadPool = transportService.getThreadPool();
         }
 
         @Override
-        protected ClearCcrRestoreSessionResponse newResponse(ClearCcrRestoreSessionRequest request, List<Response> responses,
-                                                             List<FailedNodeException> failures) {
-            return new ClearCcrRestoreSessionResponse(clusterService.getClusterName(), responses, failures);
-        }
-
-        @Override
-        protected ClearCcrRestoreSessionRequest.Request newNodeRequest(String nodeId, ClearCcrRestoreSessionRequest request) {
-            return request.getRequest();
-        }
-
-        @Override
-        protected Response newNodeResponse() {
-            return new Response();
-        }
-
-        @Override
-        protected Response nodeOperation(ClearCcrRestoreSessionRequest.Request request) {
-            ccrRestoreService.closeSession(request.getSessionUUID());
-            return new Response(clusterService.localNode());
+        protected void doExecute(Task task, ClearCcrRestoreSessionRequest request,
+                                 ActionListener<ClearCcrRestoreSessionResponse> listener) {
+            // TODO: Currently blocking actions might occur in the session closed callbacks. This dispatch
+            //  may be unnecessary when we remove these callbacks.
+            threadPool.generic().execute(() ->  {
+                ccrRestoreService.closeSession(request.getSessionUUID());
+                listener.onResponse(new ClearCcrRestoreSessionResponse());
+            });
         }
     }
 
-    public static class Response extends BaseNodeResponse {
-
-        private Response() {
-        }
-
-        private Response(StreamInput in) throws IOException {
-            readFrom(in);
-        }
-
-        private Response(DiscoveryNode node) {
-            super(node);
-        }
-
-        @Override
-        public void writeTo(StreamOutput out) throws IOException {
-            super.writeTo(out);
-        }
-
-        @Override
-        public void readFrom(StreamInput in) throws IOException {
-            super.readFrom(in);
-        }
-    }
-
-    public static class ClearCcrRestoreSessionResponse extends BaseNodesResponse<Response> {
+    public static class ClearCcrRestoreSessionResponse extends ActionResponse {
 
         ClearCcrRestoreSessionResponse() {
         }
 
-        ClearCcrRestoreSessionResponse(ClusterName clusterName, List<Response> chunkResponses, List<FailedNodeException> failures) {
-            super(clusterName, chunkResponses, failures);
-        }
-
-        @Override
-        protected List<Response> readNodesFrom(StreamInput in) throws IOException {
-            return in.readList(Response::new);
-        }
-
-        @Override
-        protected void writeNodesTo(StreamOutput out, List<Response> nodes) throws IOException {
-            out.writeList(nodes);
+        ClearCcrRestoreSessionResponse(StreamInput in) {
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/ccr/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ccr/action/repositories/ClearCcrRestoreSessionRequest.java b/x-pack/plugin/ccr/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ccr/action/repositories/ClearCcrRestoreSessionRequest.java
index 11605970736..b9d277ca1b4 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/ccr/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ccr/action/repositories/ClearCcrRestoreSessionRequest.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/ccr/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ccr/action/repositories/ClearCcrRestoreSessionRequest.java
@@ -6,68 +6,52 @@
 
 package org.elasticsearch.xpack.ccr.action.repositories;
 
-import org.elasticsearch.action.support.nodes.BaseNodeRequest;
-import org.elasticsearch.action.support.nodes.BaseNodesRequest;
+import org.elasticsearch.action.ActionRequest;
+import org.elasticsearch.action.ActionRequestValidationException;
+import org.elasticsearch.transport.RemoteClusterAwareRequest;
+import org.elasticsearch.cluster.node.DiscoveryNode;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.io.stream.StreamInput;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.io.stream.StreamOutput;
 
 import java.io.IOException;
 
-public class ClearCcrRestoreSessionRequest extends BaseNodesRequest<ClearCcrRestoreSessionRequest> {
+public class ClearCcrRestoreSessionRequest extends ActionRequest implements RemoteClusterAwareRequest {
 
-    private Request request;
+    private DiscoveryNode node;
+    private String sessionUUID;
 
-    ClearCcrRestoreSessionRequest() {
+    ClearCcrRestoreSessionRequest(StreamInput in) throws IOException {
+        super.readFrom(in);
+        sessionUUID = in.readString();
     }
 
-    public ClearCcrRestoreSessionRequest(String nodeId, Request request) {
-        super(nodeId);
-        this.request = request;
+    public ClearCcrRestoreSessionRequest(String sessionUUID, DiscoveryNode node) {
+        this.sessionUUID = sessionUUID;
+        this.node = node;
     }
 
     @Override
-    public void readFrom(StreamInput streamInput) throws IOException {
-        super.readFrom(streamInput);
-        request = new Request();
-        request.readFrom(streamInput);
+    public ActionRequestValidationException validate() {
+        return null;
     }
 
     @Override
-    public void writeTo(StreamOutput streamOutput) throws IOException {
-        super.writeTo(streamOutput);
-        request.writeTo(streamOutput);
+    public void readFrom(StreamInput in) throws IOException {
+        throw new UnsupportedOperationException();
     }
 
-    public Request getRequest() {
-        return request;
+    @Override
+    public void writeTo(StreamOutput out) throws IOException {
+        super.writeTo(out);
+        out.writeString(sessionUUID);
     }
 
-    public static class Request extends BaseNodeRequest {
+    String getSessionUUID() {
+        return sessionUUID;
+    }
 
-        private String sessionUUID;
-
-        Request() {
-        }
-
-        public Request(String nodeId, String sessionUUID) {
-            super(nodeId);
-            this.sessionUUID = sessionUUID;
-        }
-
-        @Override
-        public void readFrom(StreamInput in) throws IOException {
-            super.readFrom(in);
-            sessionUUID = in.readString();
-        }
-
-        @Override
-        public void writeTo(StreamOutput out) throws IOException {
-            super.writeTo(out);
-            out.writeString(sessionUUID);
-        }
-
-        public String getSessionUUID() {
-            return sessionUUID;
-        }
+    @Override
+    public DiscoveryNode getPreferredTargetNode() {
+        return node;
     }
 }
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/ccr/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ccr/action/repositories/PutCcrRestoreSessionAction.java b/x-pack/plugin/ccr/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ccr/action/repositories/PutCcrRestoreSessionAction.java
index 7f362aa3b76..2a1b354f5d8 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/ccr/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ccr/action/repositories/PutCcrRestoreSessionAction.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/ccr/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ccr/action/repositories/PutCcrRestoreSessionAction.java
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import org.elasticsearch.action.support.ActionFilters;
 import org.elasticsearch.action.support.single.shard.TransportSingleShardAction;
 import org.elasticsearch.cluster.ClusterState;
 import org.elasticsearch.cluster.metadata.IndexNameExpressionResolver;
+import org.elasticsearch.cluster.node.DiscoveryNode;
 import org.elasticsearch.cluster.routing.ShardsIterator;
 import org.elasticsearch.cluster.service.ClusterService;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.inject.Inject;
@@ -70,7 +71,7 @@ public class PutCcrRestoreSessionAction extends Action<PutCcrRestoreSessionActio
                 throw new ShardNotFoundException(shardId);
             }
             ccrRestoreService.openSession(request.getSessionUUID(), indexShard);
-            return new PutCcrRestoreSessionResponse(indexShard.routingEntry().currentNodeId());
+            return new PutCcrRestoreSessionResponse(clusterService.localNode());
         }
 
         @Override
@@ -93,34 +94,34 @@ public class PutCcrRestoreSessionAction extends Action<PutCcrRestoreSessionActio
 
     public static class PutCcrRestoreSessionResponse extends ActionResponse {
 
-        private String nodeId;
+        private DiscoveryNode node;
 
         PutCcrRestoreSessionResponse() {
         }
 
-        PutCcrRestoreSessionResponse(String nodeId) {
-            this.nodeId = nodeId;
+        PutCcrRestoreSessionResponse(DiscoveryNode node) {
+            this.node = node;
         }
 
         PutCcrRestoreSessionResponse(StreamInput in) throws IOException {
             super(in);
-            nodeId = in.readString();
+            node = new DiscoveryNode(in);
         }
 
         @Override
         public void readFrom(StreamInput in) throws IOException {
             super.readFrom(in);
-            nodeId = in.readString();
+            node = new DiscoveryNode(in);
         }
 
         @Override
         public void writeTo(StreamOutput out) throws IOException {
             super.writeTo(out);
-            out.writeString(nodeId);
+            node.writeTo(out);
         }
 
-        public String getNodeId() {
-            return nodeId;
+        public DiscoveryNode getNode() {
+            return node;
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/ccr/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ccr/repository/CcrRepository.java b/x-pack/plugin/ccr/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ccr/repository/CcrRepository.java
index e648264a4ad..934f064d9e0 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/ccr/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ccr/repository/CcrRepository.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/ccr/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ccr/repository/CcrRepository.java
@@ -253,9 +253,9 @@ public class CcrRepository extends AbstractLifecycleComponent implements Reposit
         String sessionUUID = UUIDs.randomBase64UUID();
         PutCcrRestoreSessionAction.PutCcrRestoreSessionResponse response = remoteClient.execute(PutCcrRestoreSessionAction.INSTANCE,
             new PutCcrRestoreSessionRequest(sessionUUID, leaderShardId, recoveryMetadata)).actionGet();
-        String nodeId = response.getNodeId();
+        DiscoveryNode node = response.getNode();
         // TODO: Implement file restore
-        closeSession(remoteClient, nodeId, sessionUUID);
+        closeSession(remoteClient, node, sessionUUID);
         maybeUpdateMappings(client, remoteClient, leaderIndex, indexShard.indexSettings());
     }
 
@@ -278,13 +278,9 @@ public class CcrRepository extends AbstractLifecycleComponent implements Reposit
         }
     }
 
-    private void closeSession(Client remoteClient, String nodeId, String sessionUUID) {
-        ClearCcrRestoreSessionRequest clearRequest = new ClearCcrRestoreSessionRequest(nodeId,
-            new ClearCcrRestoreSessionRequest.Request(nodeId, sessionUUID));
+    private void closeSession(Client remoteClient, DiscoveryNode node, String sessionUUID) {
+        ClearCcrRestoreSessionRequest clearRequest = new ClearCcrRestoreSessionRequest(sessionUUID, node);
         ClearCcrRestoreSessionAction.ClearCcrRestoreSessionResponse response =
             remoteClient.execute(ClearCcrRestoreSessionAction.INSTANCE, clearRequest).actionGet();
-        if (response.hasFailures()) {
-            throw response.failures().get(0);
-        }
     }
 }