diff --git a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/cluster/health/ClusterHealthResponse.java b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/cluster/health/ClusterHealthResponse.java
index 88251fb15a5..636de3bac20 100644
--- a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/cluster/health/ClusterHealthResponse.java
+++ b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/cluster/health/ClusterHealthResponse.java
@@ -42,6 +42,8 @@ public class ClusterHealthResponse implements ActionResponse, Iterable<ClusterIn
 
     int numberOfNodes = 0;
 
+    int numberOfDataNodes = 0;
+
     int activeShards = 0;
 
     int relocatingShards = 0;
@@ -157,6 +159,14 @@ public class ClusterHealthResponse implements ActionResponse, Iterable<ClusterIn
         return numberOfNodes();
     }
 
+    public int numberOfDataNodes() {
+        return this.numberOfDataNodes;
+    }
+
+    public int getNumberOfDataNodes() {
+        return numberOfDataNodes();
+    }
+
     /**
      * <tt>true</tt> if the waitForXXX has timeout out and did not match.
      */
@@ -196,6 +206,7 @@ public class ClusterHealthResponse implements ActionResponse, Iterable<ClusterIn
         initializingShards = in.readVInt();
         unassignedShards = in.readVInt();
         numberOfNodes = in.readVInt();
+        numberOfDataNodes = in.readVInt();
         status = ClusterHealthStatus.fromValue(in.readByte());
         int size = in.readVInt();
         for (int i = 0; i < size; i++) {
@@ -221,6 +232,7 @@ public class ClusterHealthResponse implements ActionResponse, Iterable<ClusterIn
         out.writeVInt(initializingShards);
         out.writeVInt(unassignedShards);
         out.writeVInt(numberOfNodes);
+        out.writeVInt(numberOfDataNodes);
         out.writeByte(status.value());
         out.writeVInt(indices.size());
         for (ClusterIndexHealth indexHealth : this) {
diff --git a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/cluster/health/TransportClusterHealthAction.java b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/cluster/health/TransportClusterHealthAction.java
index f86eba13b2c..364c9d4ae81 100644
--- a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/cluster/health/TransportClusterHealthAction.java
+++ b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/cluster/health/TransportClusterHealthAction.java
@@ -165,6 +165,7 @@ public class TransportClusterHealthAction extends TransportMasterNodeOperationAc
         RoutingTableValidation validation = clusterState.routingTable().validate(clusterState.metaData());
         ClusterHealthResponse response = new ClusterHealthResponse(clusterName.value(), validation.failures());
         response.numberOfNodes = clusterState.nodes().size();
+        response.numberOfDataNodes = clusterState.nodes().dataNodes().size();
         request.indices(clusterState.metaData().concreteIndices(request.indices()));
 
         for (String index : request.indices()) {
diff --git a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/rest/action/admin/cluster/health/RestClusterHealthAction.java b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/rest/action/admin/cluster/health/RestClusterHealthAction.java
index cbde2b21026..3131a94a8cd 100644
--- a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/rest/action/admin/cluster/health/RestClusterHealthAction.java
+++ b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/rest/action/admin/cluster/health/RestClusterHealthAction.java
@@ -89,6 +89,7 @@ public class RestClusterHealthAction extends BaseRestHandler {
                     builder.field(Fields.STATUS, response.status().name().toLowerCase());
                     builder.field(Fields.TIMED_OUT, response.timedOut());
                     builder.field(Fields.NUMBER_OF_NODES, response.numberOfNodes());
+                    builder.field(Fields.NUMBER_OF_DATA_NODES, response.numberOfDataNodes());
                     builder.field(Fields.ACTIVE_PRIMARY_SHARDS, response.activePrimaryShards());
                     builder.field(Fields.ACTIVE_SHARDS, response.activeShards());
                     builder.field(Fields.RELOCATING_SHARDS, response.relocatingShards());
@@ -191,6 +192,7 @@ public class RestClusterHealthAction extends BaseRestHandler {
         static final XContentBuilderString NUMBER_OF_SHARDS = new XContentBuilderString("number_of_shards");
         static final XContentBuilderString NUMBER_OF_REPLICAS = new XContentBuilderString("number_of_replicas");
         static final XContentBuilderString NUMBER_OF_NODES = new XContentBuilderString("number_of_nodes");
+        static final XContentBuilderString NUMBER_OF_DATA_NODES = new XContentBuilderString("number_of_data_nodes");
         static final XContentBuilderString ACTIVE_PRIMARY_SHARDS = new XContentBuilderString("active_primary_shards");
         static final XContentBuilderString ACTIVE_SHARDS = new XContentBuilderString("active_shards");
         static final XContentBuilderString RELOCATING_SHARDS = new XContentBuilderString("relocating_shards");