diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/client/transport/TransportClient.java b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/client/transport/TransportClient.java
index e5538aa9917..f7ce9f929bd 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/client/transport/TransportClient.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/client/transport/TransportClient.java
@@ -124,6 +124,9 @@ public abstract class TransportClient extends AbstractClient {
             List<NamedWriteableRegistry.Entry> entries = new ArrayList<>();
             entries.addAll(networkModule.getNamedWriteables());
             entries.addAll(searchModule.getNamedWriteables());
+            entries.addAll(pluginsService.filterPlugins(Plugin.class).stream()
+                                         .flatMap(p -> p.getNamedWriteables().stream())
+                                         .collect(Collectors.toList()));
             NamedWriteableRegistry namedWriteableRegistry = new NamedWriteableRegistry(entries);
 
             ModulesBuilder modules = new ModulesBuilder();
@@ -167,7 +170,7 @@ public abstract class TransportClient extends AbstractClient {
             transportService.start();
             transportService.acceptIncomingRequests();
 
-            ClientTemplate transportClient = new ClientTemplate(injector, pluginLifecycleComponents, nodesService, proxy);
+            ClientTemplate transportClient = new ClientTemplate(injector, pluginLifecycleComponents, nodesService, proxy, namedWriteableRegistry);
             resourcesToClose.clear();
             return transportClient;
         } finally {
@@ -180,12 +183,15 @@ public abstract class TransportClient extends AbstractClient {
         private final List<LifecycleComponent> pluginLifecycleComponents;
         private final TransportClientNodesService nodesService;
         private final TransportProxyClient proxy;
+        private final NamedWriteableRegistry namedWriteableRegistry;
 
-        private ClientTemplate(Injector injector, List<LifecycleComponent> pluginLifecycleComponents, TransportClientNodesService nodesService, TransportProxyClient proxy) {
+        private ClientTemplate(Injector injector, List<LifecycleComponent> pluginLifecycleComponents,
+                TransportClientNodesService nodesService, TransportProxyClient proxy, NamedWriteableRegistry namedWriteableRegistry) {
             this.injector = injector;
             this.pluginLifecycleComponents = pluginLifecycleComponents;
             this.nodesService = nodesService;
             this.proxy = proxy;
+            this.namedWriteableRegistry = namedWriteableRegistry;
         }
 
         Settings getSettings() {
@@ -200,6 +206,7 @@ public abstract class TransportClient extends AbstractClient {
     public static final String CLIENT_TYPE = "transport";
 
     final Injector injector;
+    final NamedWriteableRegistry namedWriteableRegistry;
 
     private final List<LifecycleComponent> pluginLifecycleComponents;
     private final TransportClientNodesService nodesService;
@@ -228,6 +235,7 @@ public abstract class TransportClient extends AbstractClient {
         this.pluginLifecycleComponents = Collections.unmodifiableList(template.pluginLifecycleComponents);
         this.nodesService = template.nodesService;
         this.proxy = template.proxy;
+        this.namedWriteableRegistry = template.namedWriteableRegistry;
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/client/transport/TransportClientIT.java b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/client/transport/TransportClientIT.java
index 761cc8cf0ae..9b5b764b88e 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/client/transport/TransportClientIT.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/client/transport/TransportClientIT.java
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.startsWith;
 
 @ClusterScope(scope = Scope.TEST, numDataNodes = 0, transportClientRatio = 1.0)
 public class TransportClientIT extends ESIntegTestCase {
+
     public void testPickingUpChangesInDiscoveryNode() {
         String nodeName = internalCluster().startNode(Settings.builder().put(Node.NODE_DATA_SETTING.getKey(), false));
 
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/client/transport/TransportClientTests.java b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/client/transport/TransportClientTests.java
index 2145f66b5e0..c97418bae37 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/client/transport/TransportClientTests.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/client/transport/TransportClientTests.java
@@ -20,10 +20,20 @@
 package org.elasticsearch.client.transport;
 
 import org.elasticsearch.action.admin.cluster.health.ClusterHealthRequest;
+import org.elasticsearch.common.io.stream.NamedWriteable;
+import org.elasticsearch.common.io.stream.NamedWriteableRegistry;
+import org.elasticsearch.common.io.stream.NamedWriteableRegistry.Entry;
+import org.elasticsearch.common.io.stream.StreamInput;
+import org.elasticsearch.common.io.stream.StreamOutput;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.settings.Settings;
+import org.elasticsearch.env.Environment;
+import org.elasticsearch.plugins.Plugin;
 import org.elasticsearch.test.ESTestCase;
 import org.elasticsearch.transport.MockTransportClient;
 
+import java.io.IOException;
+import java.util.Arrays;
+import java.util.List;
 import java.util.concurrent.ExecutionException;
 
 import static org.hamcrest.CoreMatchers.containsString;
@@ -38,4 +48,44 @@ public class TransportClientTests extends ESTestCase {
             expectThrows(IllegalStateException.class, () -> client.admin().cluster().health(new ClusterHealthRequest()).get());
         assertThat(e, hasToString(containsString("transport client is closed")));
     }
+
+    /**
+     * test that when plugins are provided that want to register
+     * {@link NamedWriteable}, those are also made known to the
+     * {@link NamedWriteableRegistry} of the transport client
+     */
+    public void testPluginNamedWriteablesRegistered() {
+        Settings baseSettings = Settings.builder()
+                .put(Environment.PATH_HOME_SETTING.getKey(), createTempDir())
+                .build();
+        try (TransportClient client = new MockTransportClient(baseSettings, Arrays.asList(MockPlugin.class))) {
+            assertNotNull(client.namedWriteableRegistry.getReader(MockPlugin.MockNamedWriteable.class, MockPlugin.MockNamedWriteable.NAME));
+        }
+    }
+
+    public static class MockPlugin extends Plugin {
+
+        @Override
+        public List<Entry> getNamedWriteables() {
+            return Arrays.asList(new Entry[]{ new Entry(MockNamedWriteable.class, MockNamedWriteable.NAME, MockNamedWriteable::new)});
+        }
+
+        public class MockNamedWriteable implements NamedWriteable {
+
+            static final String NAME = "mockNamedWritable";
+
+            MockNamedWriteable(StreamInput in) {
+            }
+
+            @Override
+            public void writeTo(StreamOutput out) throws IOException {
+            }
+
+            @Override
+            public String getWriteableName() {
+                return NAME;
+            }
+
+        }
+    }
 }