diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/search/stats/SearchStats.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/search/stats/SearchStats.java
index 7e2fda307f6..06136ee68fb 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/search/stats/SearchStats.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/search/stats/SearchStats.java
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ import org.elasticsearch.common.unit.TimeValue;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.xcontent.ToXContent;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.xcontent.XContentBuilder;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.xcontent.XContentBuilderString;
+import org.elasticsearch.common.xcontent.XContentFactory;
 
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.util.HashMap;
@@ -264,4 +265,17 @@ public class SearchStats implements Streamable, ToXContent {
             }
         }
     }
+
+    @Override
+    public String toString() {
+        try {
+            XContentBuilder builder = XContentFactory.jsonBuilder().prettyPrint();
+            builder.startObject();
+            toXContent(builder, EMPTY_PARAMS);
+            builder.endObject();
+            return builder.string();
+        } catch (IOException e) {
+            return "{ \"error\" : \"" + e.getMessage() + "\"}";
+        }
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/search/stats/SearchStatsTests.java b/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/search/stats/SearchStatsTests.java
index 6f4235ad38a..75e228cd7fc 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/search/stats/SearchStatsTests.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/search/stats/SearchStatsTests.java
@@ -91,12 +91,13 @@ public class SearchStatsTests extends ElasticsearchIntegrationTest {
         refresh();
         int iters = scaledRandomIntBetween(20, 50);
         for (int i = 0; i < iters; i++) {
-            SearchResponse searchResponse = client().prepareSearch().setQuery(QueryBuilders.termQuery("field", "value")).setStats("group1", "group2").execute().actionGet();
+            SearchResponse searchResponse = cluster().clientNodeClient().prepareSearch().setQuery(QueryBuilders.termQuery("field", "value")).setStats("group1", "group2").execute().actionGet();
             assertHitCount(searchResponse, docsTest1 + docsTest2);
             assertAllSuccessful(searchResponse);
         }
 
         IndicesStatsResponse indicesStats = client().admin().indices().prepareStats().execute().actionGet();
+        logger.debug("###### indices search stats: " + indicesStats.getTotal().getSearch());
         assertThat(indicesStats.getTotal().getSearch().getTotal().getQueryCount(), greaterThan(0l));
         assertThat(indicesStats.getTotal().getSearch().getTotal().getQueryTimeInMillis(), greaterThan(0l));
         assertThat(indicesStats.getTotal().getSearch().getTotal().getFetchCount(), greaterThan(0l));