diff --git a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/mapper/xcontent/ParentFieldMapper.java b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/mapper/xcontent/ParentFieldMapper.java
index 3600b775518..91ea808de11 100644
--- a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/mapper/xcontent/ParentFieldMapper.java
+++ b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/mapper/xcontent/ParentFieldMapper.java
@@ -116,6 +116,18 @@ public class ParentFieldMapper extends AbstractFieldMapper<Uid> implements org.e
         return field.stringValue();
     }
 
+    @Override public Object valueForSearch(Fieldable field) {
+        String fieldValue = field.stringValue();
+        if (fieldValue == null) {
+            return null;
+        }
+        int index = fieldValue.indexOf(Uid.DELIMITER);
+        if (index == -1) {
+            return fieldValue;
+        }
+        return fieldValue.substring(index + 1);
+    }
+
     @Override public String indexedValue(String value) {
         if (value.indexOf(Uid.DELIMITER) == -1) {
             return Uid.createUid(type, value);
diff --git a/modules/test/integration/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/integration/search/child/SimpleChildQuerySearchTests.java b/modules/test/integration/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/integration/search/child/SimpleChildQuerySearchTests.java
index 6261d395af7..3453eda93da 100644
--- a/modules/test/integration/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/integration/search/child/SimpleChildQuerySearchTests.java
+++ b/modules/test/integration/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/integration/search/child/SimpleChildQuerySearchTests.java
@@ -80,9 +80,46 @@ public class SimpleChildQuerySearchTests extends AbstractNodesTests {
 
         client.admin().indices().prepareRefresh().execute().actionGet();
 
+        // TEST FETCHING _parent from child
+        SearchResponse searchResponse = client.prepareSearch("test")
+                .setQuery(termQuery("child._id", "c1"))
+                .addFields("_parent")
+                .execute().actionGet();
+        if (searchResponse.failedShards() > 0) {
+            logger.warn("Failed shards:");
+            for (ShardSearchFailure shardSearchFailure : searchResponse.shardFailures()) {
+                logger.warn("-> {}", shardSearchFailure);
+            }
+        }
+        assertThat(searchResponse.failedShards(), equalTo(0));
+        assertThat(searchResponse.hits().totalHits(), equalTo(1l));
+        assertThat(searchResponse.hits().getAt(0).id(), equalTo("c1"));
+        assertThat(searchResponse.hits().getAt(0).field("_parent").value().toString(), equalTo("p1"));
+
+        // TEST matching on parent
+        searchResponse = client.prepareSearch("test")
+                .setQuery(termQuery("child._parent", "p1"))
+                .addFields("_parent")
+                .execute().actionGet();
+        if (searchResponse.failedShards() > 0) {
+            logger.warn("Failed shards:");
+            for (ShardSearchFailure shardSearchFailure : searchResponse.shardFailures()) {
+                logger.warn("-> {}", shardSearchFailure);
+            }
+        }
+        assertThat(searchResponse.failedShards(), equalTo(0));
+        assertThat(searchResponse.hits().totalHits(), equalTo(2l));
+        assertThat(searchResponse.hits().getAt(0).id(), anyOf(equalTo("c1"), equalTo("c2")));
+        assertThat(searchResponse.hits().getAt(0).field("_parent").value().toString(), equalTo("p1"));
+        assertThat(searchResponse.hits().getAt(1).id(), anyOf(equalTo("c1"), equalTo("c2")));
+        assertThat(searchResponse.hits().getAt(1).field("_parent").value().toString(), equalTo("p1"));
+
+
         // TOP CHILDREN QUERY
 
-        SearchResponse searchResponse = client.prepareSearch("test").setQuery(topChildrenQuery("child", termQuery("c_field", "yellow"))).execute().actionGet();
+        searchResponse = client.prepareSearch("test")
+                .setQuery(topChildrenQuery("child", termQuery("c_field", "yellow")))
+                .execute().actionGet();
         if (searchResponse.failedShards() > 0) {
             logger.warn("Failed shards:");
             for (ShardSearchFailure shardSearchFailure : searchResponse.shardFailures()) {