diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/query/MultiMatchQueryParser.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/query/MultiMatchQueryParser.java
index c0bf856a1c0..d49370349fa 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/query/MultiMatchQueryParser.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/query/MultiMatchQueryParser.java
@@ -21,10 +21,8 @@ package org.elasticsearch.index.query;
 
 import com.google.common.collect.Maps;
 import org.apache.lucene.search.BooleanClause;
-import org.apache.lucene.search.BooleanQuery;
 import org.apache.lucene.search.Query;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.inject.Inject;
-import org.elasticsearch.common.lucene.search.Queries;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.regex.Regex;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.xcontent.XContentParser;
 import org.elasticsearch.index.query.support.QueryParsers;
@@ -172,15 +170,11 @@ public class MultiMatchQueryParser implements QueryParser {
             throw new QueryParsingException(parseContext.index(), "No fields specified for match_all query");
         }
 
-        Query query = multiMatchQuery.parse(type, fieldNameWithBoosts, value);
+        Query query = multiMatchQuery.parse(type, fieldNameWithBoosts, value, minimumShouldMatch);
         if (query == null) {
             return null;
         }
 
-        if (query instanceof BooleanQuery) {
-            Queries.applyMinimumShouldMatch((BooleanQuery) query, minimumShouldMatch);
-        }
-
         query.setBoost(boost);
         return query;
     }
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/search/MultiMatchQuery.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/search/MultiMatchQuery.java
index 76f21f7bd2d..2b56e81c231 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/search/MultiMatchQuery.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/search/MultiMatchQuery.java
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import org.apache.lucene.search.BooleanClause;
 import org.apache.lucene.search.BooleanQuery;
 import org.apache.lucene.search.DisjunctionMaxQuery;
 import org.apache.lucene.search.Query;
+import org.elasticsearch.common.lucene.search.Queries;
 import org.elasticsearch.index.query.QueryParseContext;
 
 import java.io.IOException;
@@ -44,29 +45,36 @@ public class MultiMatchQuery extends MatchQuery {
     public MultiMatchQuery(QueryParseContext parseContext) {
         super(parseContext);
     }
+    
+    private Query parseAndApply(Type type, String fieldName, Object value, String minimumShouldMatch) throws IOException {
+        Query query = parse(type, fieldName, value);
+        if (query instanceof BooleanQuery) {
+            Queries.applyMinimumShouldMatch((BooleanQuery) query, minimumShouldMatch);
+        }
+        return query;
+    }
 
-    public Query parse(Type type, Map<String, Float> fieldNames, Object value) throws IOException {
+    public Query parse(Type type, Map<String, Float> fieldNames, Object value, String minimumShouldMatch) throws IOException {
         if (fieldNames.size() == 1) {
             Map.Entry<String, Float> fieldBoost = fieldNames.entrySet().iterator().next();
             Float boostValue = fieldBoost.getValue();
-            if (boostValue == null) {
-                return parse(type, fieldBoost.getKey(), value);
-            } else {
-                Query query = parse(type, fieldBoost.getKey(), value);
+            final Query query = parseAndApply(type, fieldBoost.getKey(), value, minimumShouldMatch);
+            if (boostValue != null) {
                 query.setBoost(boostValue);
-                return query;
             }
+            return query;
         }
 
         if (useDisMax) {
             DisjunctionMaxQuery disMaxQuery = new DisjunctionMaxQuery(tieBreaker);
             boolean clauseAdded = false;
             for (String fieldName : fieldNames.keySet()) {
-                Query query = parse(type, fieldName, value);
+                Query query = parseAndApply(type, fieldName, value, minimumShouldMatch);
                 Float boostValue = fieldNames.get(fieldName);
                 if (boostValue != null) {
                     query.setBoost(boostValue);
                 }
+               
                 if (query != null) {
                     clauseAdded = true;
                     disMaxQuery.add(query);
@@ -76,7 +84,7 @@ public class MultiMatchQuery extends MatchQuery {
         } else {
             BooleanQuery booleanQuery = new BooleanQuery();
             for (String fieldName : fieldNames.keySet()) {
-                Query query = parse(type, fieldName, value);
+                Query query = parseAndApply(type, fieldName, value, minimumShouldMatch);
                 Float boostValue = fieldNames.get(fieldName);
                 if (boostValue != null) {
                     query.setBoost(boostValue);