diff --git a/docs/reference/indices/optimize.asciidoc b/docs/reference/indices/optimize.asciidoc
index 39f94b3e51b..2d2814bf6df 100644
--- a/docs/reference/indices/optimize.asciidoc
+++ b/docs/reference/indices/optimize.asciidoc
@@ -30,9 +30,6 @@ just marked as deleted. During a merge process of segments, a new
 segment is created that does not have those deletes. This flag allow to
 only merge segments that have deletes. Defaults to `false`.
 
-|refresh |Should a refresh be performed after the optimize. Defaults to
-`true`.
-
 |flush |Should a flush be performed after the optimize. Defaults to
 `true`.
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/indices/optimize/OptimizeRequest.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/indices/optimize/OptimizeRequest.java
index 7f5470eac31..4786b7b18f7 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/indices/optimize/OptimizeRequest.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/indices/optimize/OptimizeRequest.java
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 
 package org.elasticsearch.action.admin.indices.optimize;
 
+import org.elasticsearch.Version;
 import org.elasticsearch.action.support.broadcast.BroadcastOperationRequest;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.io.stream.StreamInput;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.io.stream.StreamOutput;
@@ -46,19 +47,13 @@ public class OptimizeRequest extends BroadcastOperationRequest<OptimizeRequest>
         public static final int MAX_NUM_SEGMENTS = -1;
         public static final boolean ONLY_EXPUNGE_DELETES = false;
         public static final boolean FLUSH = true;
-        public static final boolean REFRESH = true;
     }
 
     private boolean waitForMerge = Defaults.WAIT_FOR_MERGE;
-
     private int maxNumSegments = Defaults.MAX_NUM_SEGMENTS;
-
     private boolean onlyExpungeDeletes = Defaults.ONLY_EXPUNGE_DELETES;
-
     private boolean flush = Defaults.FLUSH;
 
-    private boolean refresh = Defaults.FLUSH;
-
     /**
      * Constructs an optimization request over one or more indices.
      *
@@ -136,28 +131,15 @@ public class OptimizeRequest extends BroadcastOperationRequest<OptimizeRequest>
         return this;
     }
 
-    /**
-     * Should refresh be performed after the optimization. Defaults to <tt>true</tt>.
-     */
-    public boolean refresh() {
-        return refresh;
-    }
-
-    /**
-     * Should refresh be performed after the optimization. Defaults to <tt>true</tt>.
-     */
-    public OptimizeRequest refresh(boolean refresh) {
-        this.refresh = refresh;
-        return this;
-    }
-
     public void readFrom(StreamInput in) throws IOException {
         super.readFrom(in);
         waitForMerge = in.readBoolean();
         maxNumSegments = in.readInt();
         onlyExpungeDeletes = in.readBoolean();
         flush = in.readBoolean();
-        refresh = in.readBoolean();
+        if (in.getVersion().onOrBefore(Version.V_0_90_3)) {
+            in.readBoolean(); // old refresh flag
+        }
     }
 
     public void writeTo(StreamOutput out) throws IOException {
@@ -166,6 +148,8 @@ public class OptimizeRequest extends BroadcastOperationRequest<OptimizeRequest>
         out.writeInt(maxNumSegments);
         out.writeBoolean(onlyExpungeDeletes);
         out.writeBoolean(flush);
-        out.writeBoolean(refresh);
+        if (out.getVersion().onOrBefore(Version.V_0_90_3)) {
+            out.writeBoolean(false); // old refresh flag
+        }
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/indices/optimize/OptimizeRequestBuilder.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/indices/optimize/OptimizeRequestBuilder.java
index e7e6bac4ed5..d12d24a6560 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/indices/optimize/OptimizeRequestBuilder.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/indices/optimize/OptimizeRequestBuilder.java
@@ -74,14 +74,6 @@ public class OptimizeRequestBuilder extends BroadcastOperationRequestBuilder<Opt
         return this;
     }
 
-    /**
-     * Should refresh be performed after the optimization. Defaults to <tt>true</tt>.
-     */
-    public OptimizeRequestBuilder setRefresh(boolean refresh) {
-        request.refresh(refresh);
-        return this;
-    }
-
     @Override
     protected void doExecute(ActionListener<OptimizeResponse> listener) {
         ((IndicesAdminClient) client).optimize(request, listener);
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/indices/optimize/ShardOptimizeRequest.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/indices/optimize/ShardOptimizeRequest.java
index 6f4ab36ff99..f61e92a98f6 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/indices/optimize/ShardOptimizeRequest.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/indices/optimize/ShardOptimizeRequest.java
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 
 package org.elasticsearch.action.admin.indices.optimize;
 
+import org.elasticsearch.Version;
 import org.elasticsearch.action.support.broadcast.BroadcastShardOperationRequest;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.io.stream.StreamInput;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.io.stream.StreamOutput;
@@ -34,7 +35,6 @@ class ShardOptimizeRequest extends BroadcastShardOperationRequest {
     private int maxNumSegments = OptimizeRequest.Defaults.MAX_NUM_SEGMENTS;
     private boolean onlyExpungeDeletes = OptimizeRequest.Defaults.ONLY_EXPUNGE_DELETES;
     private boolean flush = OptimizeRequest.Defaults.FLUSH;
-    private boolean refresh = OptimizeRequest.Defaults.REFRESH;
 
     ShardOptimizeRequest() {
     }
@@ -45,7 +45,6 @@ class ShardOptimizeRequest extends BroadcastShardOperationRequest {
         maxNumSegments = request.maxNumSegments();
         onlyExpungeDeletes = request.onlyExpungeDeletes();
         flush = request.flush();
-        refresh = request.refresh();
     }
 
     boolean waitForMerge() {
@@ -64,10 +63,6 @@ class ShardOptimizeRequest extends BroadcastShardOperationRequest {
         return flush;
     }
 
-    public boolean refresh() {
-        return refresh;
-    }
-
     @Override
     public void readFrom(StreamInput in) throws IOException {
         super.readFrom(in);
@@ -75,7 +70,9 @@ class ShardOptimizeRequest extends BroadcastShardOperationRequest {
         maxNumSegments = in.readInt();
         onlyExpungeDeletes = in.readBoolean();
         flush = in.readBoolean();
-        refresh = in.readBoolean();
+        if (in.getVersion().onOrBefore(Version.V_0_90_3)) {
+            in.readBoolean(); // old refresh flag
+        }
     }
 
     @Override
@@ -85,6 +82,8 @@ class ShardOptimizeRequest extends BroadcastShardOperationRequest {
         out.writeInt(maxNumSegments);
         out.writeBoolean(onlyExpungeDeletes);
         out.writeBoolean(flush);
-        out.writeBoolean(refresh);
+        if (out.getVersion().onOrBefore(Version.V_0_90_3)) {
+            out.writeBoolean(false); // old refresh flag
+        }
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/indices/optimize/TransportOptimizeAction.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/indices/optimize/TransportOptimizeAction.java
index 651d486d9b8..8e836577218 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/indices/optimize/TransportOptimizeAction.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/indices/optimize/TransportOptimizeAction.java
@@ -117,7 +117,6 @@ public class TransportOptimizeAction extends TransportBroadcastOperationAction<O
                 .maxNumSegments(request.maxNumSegments())
                 .onlyExpungeDeletes(request.onlyExpungeDeletes())
                 .flush(request.flush())
-                .refresh(request.refresh())
         );
         return new ShardOptimizeResponse(request.index(), request.shardId());
     }
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/engine/Engine.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/engine/Engine.java
index 0cc698a842d..d15f9aaae87 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/engine/Engine.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/engine/Engine.java
@@ -271,7 +271,6 @@ public interface Engine extends IndexShardComponent, CloseableComponent {
         private int maxNumSegments = -1;
         private boolean onlyExpungeDeletes = false;
         private boolean flush = false;
-        private boolean refresh = false;
 
         public Optimize() {
         }
@@ -312,18 +311,9 @@ public interface Engine extends IndexShardComponent, CloseableComponent {
             return this;
         }
 
-        public boolean refresh() {
-            return refresh;
-        }
-
-        public Optimize refresh(boolean refresh) {
-            this.refresh = refresh;
-            return this;
-        }
-
         @Override
         public String toString() {
-            return "waitForMerge[" + waitForMerge + "], maxNumSegments[" + maxNumSegments + "], onlyExpungeDeletes[" + onlyExpungeDeletes + "], flush[" + flush + "], refresh[" + refresh + "]";
+            return "waitForMerge[" + waitForMerge + "], maxNumSegments[" + maxNumSegments + "], onlyExpungeDeletes[" + onlyExpungeDeletes + "], flush[" + flush + "]";
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/engine/robin/RobinEngine.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/engine/robin/RobinEngine.java
index fd6660d9fa7..a439622b713 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/engine/robin/RobinEngine.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/engine/robin/RobinEngine.java
@@ -995,9 +995,6 @@ public class RobinEngine extends AbstractIndexShardComponent implements Engine {
         if (optimize.flush()) {
             flush(new Flush().force(true));
         }
-        if (optimize.refresh()) {
-            refresh(new Refresh().force(true));
-        }
     }
 
     @Override
@@ -1522,7 +1519,7 @@ public class RobinEngine extends AbstractIndexShardComponent implements Engine {
             return searcher;
         }
     }
-    
+
     private static final class RecoveryCounter {
         private volatile int ongoingRecoveries = 0;
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/rest/action/admin/indices/optimize/RestOptimizeAction.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/rest/action/admin/indices/optimize/RestOptimizeAction.java
index 97829260754..bcabacdd4fe 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/rest/action/admin/indices/optimize/RestOptimizeAction.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/rest/action/admin/indices/optimize/RestOptimizeAction.java
@@ -67,7 +67,6 @@ public class RestOptimizeAction extends BaseRestHandler {
             optimizeRequest.maxNumSegments(request.paramAsInt("max_num_segments", optimizeRequest.maxNumSegments()));
             optimizeRequest.onlyExpungeDeletes(request.paramAsBoolean("only_expunge_deletes", optimizeRequest.onlyExpungeDeletes()));
             optimizeRequest.flush(request.paramAsBoolean("flush", optimizeRequest.flush()));
-            optimizeRequest.refresh(request.paramAsBoolean("refresh", optimizeRequest.refresh()));
 
             BroadcastOperationThreading operationThreading = BroadcastOperationThreading.fromString(request.param("operation_threading"), BroadcastOperationThreading.THREAD_PER_SHARD);
             if (operationThreading == BroadcastOperationThreading.NO_THREADS) {
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/search/suggest/CompletionSuggestSearchTests.java b/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/search/suggest/CompletionSuggestSearchTests.java
index c94eb331c0f..9a092e444a3 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/search/suggest/CompletionSuggestSearchTests.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/search/suggest/CompletionSuggestSearchTests.java
@@ -700,16 +700,18 @@ public class CompletionSuggestSearchTests extends AbstractSharedClusterTest {
                 .field("somefield", "somevalue")
                 .endObject()
         ).get(); // we have 2 docs in a segment...
-        OptimizeResponse actionGet = client().admin().indices().prepareOptimize().setFlush(true).setMaxNumSegments(1).setRefresh(true).execute().actionGet();
+        OptimizeResponse actionGet = client().admin().indices().prepareOptimize().setFlush(true).setMaxNumSegments(1).execute().actionGet();
         assertNoFailures(actionGet);
+        refresh();
         // update the first one and then merge.. the target segment will have no value in FIELD
         client().prepareIndex(INDEX, TYPE, "1").setSource(jsonBuilder()
                 .startObject()
                 .field("somefield", "somevalue")
                 .endObject()
         ).get();
-        actionGet = client().admin().indices().prepareOptimize().setFlush(true).setMaxNumSegments(1).setRefresh(true).execute().actionGet();
+        actionGet = client().admin().indices().prepareOptimize().setFlush(true).setMaxNumSegments(1).execute().actionGet();
         assertNoFailures(actionGet);
+        refresh();
 
         assertSuggestions("b");
         assertThat(2l, equalTo(client().prepareCount(INDEX).get().getCount()));