diff --git a/plugin/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/test/license/20_put_license.yml b/plugin/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/test/license/20_put_license.yml
index 46e6501ccac..4bc2127468a 100644
--- a/plugin/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/test/license/20_put_license.yml
+++ b/plugin/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/test/license/20_put_license.yml
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ teardown:
 "Should fail gracefully when body content is not provided":
 
   - do:
-      catch: request
+      catch: bad_request
       xpack.license.post:
         acknowledge: true
 
diff --git a/plugin/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/test/ml/delete_model_snapshot.yml b/plugin/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/test/ml/delete_model_snapshot.yml
index e212531d172..ea545da5f63 100644
--- a/plugin/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/test/ml/delete_model_snapshot.yml
+++ b/plugin/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/test/ml/delete_model_snapshot.yml
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ setup:
 "Test delete with in-use model":
 
   - do:
-      catch: request
+      catch: bad_request
       xpack.ml.delete_model_snapshot:
         job_id: "delete-model-snapshot"
         snapshot_id: "active-snapshot"
diff --git a/plugin/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/test/ml/filter_crud.yml b/plugin/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/test/ml/filter_crud.yml
index 8557f67ffc9..a8667487d0a 100644
--- a/plugin/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/test/ml/filter_crud.yml
+++ b/plugin/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/test/ml/filter_crud.yml
@@ -89,19 +89,19 @@ setup:
 "Test invalid param combinations":
 
   - do:
-      catch: request
+      catch: bad_request
       xpack.ml.get_filters:
         filter_id: "filter-foo"
         from: 0
 
   - do:
-      catch: request
+      catch: bad_request
       xpack.ml.get_filters:
         filter_id: "filter-foo"
         size: 1
 
   - do:
-      catch: request
+      catch: bad_request
       xpack.ml.get_filters:
         filter_id: "filter-foo"
         from: 0
diff --git a/plugin/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/test/ml/jobs_crud.yml b/plugin/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/test/ml/jobs_crud.yml
index 2537635b56a..d0aee1b0a27 100644
--- a/plugin/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/test/ml/jobs_crud.yml
+++ b/plugin/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/test/ml/jobs_crud.yml
@@ -348,7 +348,7 @@
           }
 
   - do:
-      catch: request
+      catch: bad_request
       xpack.ml.update_job:
         job_id: _all
         body:  >
diff --git a/plugin/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/test/ml/jobs_get_result_buckets.yml b/plugin/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/test/ml/jobs_get_result_buckets.yml
index 6dffb1f5247..02bebcf33a5 100644
--- a/plugin/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/test/ml/jobs_get_result_buckets.yml
+++ b/plugin/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/test/ml/jobs_get_result_buckets.yml
@@ -173,35 +173,35 @@ setup:
 ---
 "Test mutually-exclusive params":
   - do:
-      catch: request
+      catch: bad_request
       xpack.ml.get_buckets:
         job_id: "jobs-get-result-buckets"
         timestamp: "2016-06-01T00:00:00Z"
         start: "2016-05-01T00:00:00Z"
 
   - do:
-      catch: request
+      catch: bad_request
       xpack.ml.get_buckets:
         job_id: "jobs-get-result-buckets"
         timestamp: "2016-06-01T00:00:00Z"
         end: "2016-05-01T00:00:00Z"
 
   - do:
-      catch: request
+      catch: bad_request
       xpack.ml.get_buckets:
         job_id: "jobs-get-result-buckets"
         timestamp: "2016-06-01T00:00:00Z"
         from: "2016-05-01T00:00:00Z"
 
   - do:
-      catch: request
+      catch: bad_request
       xpack.ml.get_buckets:
         job_id: "jobs-get-result-buckets"
         timestamp: "2016-06-01T00:00:00Z"
         end: "2016-05-01T00:00:00Z"
 
   - do:
-      catch: request
+      catch: bad_request
       xpack.ml.get_buckets:
         job_id: "jobs-get-result-buckets"
         timestamp: "2016-06-01T00:00:00Z"
@@ -210,7 +210,7 @@ setup:
 ---
 "Test mutually-exclusive params via body":
   - do:
-      catch: request
+      catch: bad_request
       xpack.ml.get_buckets:
         job_id: "jobs-get-result-buckets"
         body:
@@ -218,7 +218,7 @@ setup:
           start: "2016-05-01T00:00:00Z"
 
   - do:
-      catch: request
+      catch: bad_request
       xpack.ml.get_buckets:
         job_id: "jobs-get-result-buckets"
         body:
@@ -226,7 +226,7 @@ setup:
           end: "2016-05-01T00:00:00Z"
 
   - do:
-      catch: request
+      catch: bad_request
       xpack.ml.get_buckets:
         job_id: "jobs-get-result-buckets"
         body:
@@ -234,7 +234,7 @@ setup:
           from: "2016-05-01T00:00:00Z"
 
   - do:
-      catch: request
+      catch: bad_request
       xpack.ml.get_buckets:
         job_id: "jobs-get-result-buckets"
         body:
@@ -242,7 +242,7 @@ setup:
           end: "2016-05-01T00:00:00Z"
 
   - do:
-      catch: request
+      catch: bad_request
       xpack.ml.get_buckets:
         job_id: "jobs-get-result-buckets"
         body:
diff --git a/plugin/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/test/ml/jobs_get_result_categories.yml b/plugin/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/test/ml/jobs_get_result_categories.yml
index 112d105638b..565f1612f89 100644
--- a/plugin/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/test/ml/jobs_get_result_categories.yml
+++ b/plugin/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/test/ml/jobs_get_result_categories.yml
@@ -118,21 +118,21 @@ setup:
 ---
 "Test with invalid param combinations":
   - do:
-      catch: request
+      catch: bad_request
       xpack.ml.get_categories:
         job_id: "jobs-get-result-categories"
         category_id: 1
         from: 0
 
   - do:
-      catch: request
+      catch: bad_request
       xpack.ml.get_categories:
         job_id: "jobs-get-result-categories"
         category_id: 1
         size: 1
 
   - do:
-      catch: request
+      catch: bad_request
       xpack.ml.get_categories:
         job_id: "jobs-get-result-categories"
         category_id: 1
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ setup:
 ---
 "Test with invalid param combinations via body":
   - do:
-      catch: request
+      catch: bad_request
       xpack.ml.get_categories:
         job_id: "jobs-get-result-categories"
         category_id: 1
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ setup:
           from: 0
 
   - do:
-      catch: request
+      catch: bad_request
       xpack.ml.get_categories:
         job_id: "jobs-get-result-categories"
         category_id: 1
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ setup:
           size: 1
 
   - do:
-      catch: request
+      catch: bad_request
       xpack.ml.get_categories:
         job_id: "jobs-get-result-categories"
         category_id: 1
diff --git a/plugin/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/test/monitoring/bulk/10_basic.yml b/plugin/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/test/monitoring/bulk/10_basic.yml
index 9f4dae94771..74d3680e0d2 100644
--- a/plugin/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/test/monitoring/bulk/10_basic.yml
+++ b/plugin/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/test/monitoring/bulk/10_basic.yml
@@ -125,7 +125,7 @@
 
   # Missing a system_id causes it to fail
   - do:
-      catch: request
+      catch: bad_request
       xpack.monitoring.bulk:
         system_api_version: "6"
         interval:           "10s"
@@ -136,7 +136,7 @@
 
   # Missing a system_api_version causes it to fail
   - do:
-      catch: request
+      catch: bad_request
       xpack.monitoring.bulk:
         system_id:          "kibana"
         interval:           "10s"
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@
 
   # Missing an interval causes it to fail
   - do:
-      catch: request
+      catch: bad_request
       xpack.monitoring.bulk:
         system_id:          "kibana"
         system_api_version: "6"
diff --git a/plugin/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/test/users/10_basic.yml b/plugin/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/test/users/10_basic.yml
index fda190e590f..5e5138c88fb 100644
--- a/plugin/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/test/users/10_basic.yml
+++ b/plugin/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/test/users/10_basic.yml
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ teardown:
 ---
 "Test put user with different username in body":
   - do:
-      catch: request
+      catch: bad_request
       xpack.security.put_user:
         username: "joe"
         body:  >
diff --git a/plugin/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/test/users/16_update_user.yml b/plugin/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/test/users/16_update_user.yml
index 19c577832fa..abe6f44369a 100644
--- a/plugin/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/test/users/16_update_user.yml
+++ b/plugin/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/test/users/16_update_user.yml
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ teardown:
 ---
 "Test creating a user without password":
   - do:
-      catch: request
+      catch: bad_request
       xpack.security.put_user:
         username: "no_password_user"
         body:  >