diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/bulk/BulkRequest.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/bulk/BulkRequest.java
index 3dd8d2f1ed8..a988a57cbd2 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/bulk/BulkRequest.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/bulk/BulkRequest.java
@@ -320,7 +320,7 @@ public class BulkRequest extends ActionRequest<BulkRequest> {
                 }
 
                 if ("delete".equals(action)) {
-                    add(new DeleteRequest(index, type, id).parent(parent).version(version).versionType(versionType).routing(routing), payload);
+                    add(new DeleteRequest(index, type, id).routing(routing).parent(parent).version(version).versionType(versionType), payload);
                 } else {
                     nextMarker = findNextMarker(marker, from, data, length);
                     if (nextMarker == -1) {
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/rest/action/delete/RestDeleteAction.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/rest/action/delete/RestDeleteAction.java
index 12fc50fdaaa..f8812610e18 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/rest/action/delete/RestDeleteAction.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/rest/action/delete/RestDeleteAction.java
@@ -58,8 +58,8 @@ public class RestDeleteAction extends BaseRestHandler {
         deleteRequest.listenerThreaded(false);
         deleteRequest.operationThreaded(true);
 
-        deleteRequest.parent(request.param("parent"));
         deleteRequest.routing(request.param("routing"));
+        deleteRequest.parent(request.param("parent")); // order is important, set it after routing, so it will set the routing
         deleteRequest.timeout(request.paramAsTime("timeout", DeleteRequest.DEFAULT_TIMEOUT));
         deleteRequest.refresh(request.paramAsBoolean("refresh", deleteRequest.refresh()));
         deleteRequest.version(RestActions.parseVersion(request));