diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/support/replication/ReplicationRequest.java b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/support/replication/ReplicationRequest.java
index 3e88575b717..a7a80c0fe00 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/support/replication/ReplicationRequest.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/support/replication/ReplicationRequest.java
@@ -202,8 +202,8 @@ public abstract class ReplicationRequest<Request extends ReplicationRequest<Requ
     }
 
     @Override
-    public Task createTask(long id, String type, String action, TaskId parentTaskId) {
-        return new ReplicationTask(id, type, action, getDescription(), parentTaskId);
+    public Task createTask(long id, String type, String action) {
+        return new ReplicationTask(id, type, action, getDescription(), getParentTask());
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/tasks/CancellableTask.java b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/tasks/CancellableTask.java
index e5673533616..eb084a57e10 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/tasks/CancellableTask.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/tasks/CancellableTask.java
@@ -30,10 +30,6 @@ public class CancellableTask extends Task {
 
     private final AtomicReference<String> reason = new AtomicReference<>();
 
-    public CancellableTask(long id, String type, String action, String description) {
-        super(id, type, action, description);
-    }
-
     public CancellableTask(long id, String type, String action, String description, TaskId parentTaskId) {
         super(id, type, action, description, parentTaskId);
     }
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/tasks/Task.java b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/tasks/Task.java
index b2a756b2efd..ab07874c9c2 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/tasks/Task.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/tasks/Task.java
@@ -44,10 +44,6 @@ public class Task {
 
     private final long startTimeNanos;
 
-    public Task(long id, String type, String action, String description) {
-        this(id, type, action, description, TaskId.EMPTY_TASK_ID);
-    }
-
     public Task(long id, String type, String action, String description, TaskId parentTask) {
         this(id, type, action, description, parentTask, System.currentTimeMillis(), System.nanoTime());
     }
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/transport/TransportRequest.java b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/transport/TransportRequest.java
index 846daae6eeb..4e84a84abd3 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/transport/TransportRequest.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/transport/TransportRequest.java
@@ -49,22 +49,25 @@ public abstract class TransportRequest extends TransportMessage {
     }
 
     /**
-     * Set a reference to task that caused this task to be run.
+     * Set a reference to task that created this request.
      */
     public void setParentTask(TaskId taskId) {
         this.parentTaskId = taskId;
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Get a reference to the task that created this request. Defaults to {@link TaskId#EMPTY_TASK_ID}, meaning "there is no parent".
+     */
+    public TaskId getParentTask() {
+        return parentTaskId;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Returns the task object that should be used to keep track of the processing of the request.
      *
      * A request can override this method and return null to avoid being tracked by the task manager.
      */
     public Task createTask(long id, String type, String action) {
-        return new Task(id, type, action, getDescription());
-    }
-
-    public Task createTask(long id, String type, String action, TaskId parentTaskId) {
         return new Task(id, type, action, getDescription(), parentTaskId);
     }
 
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/cluster/node/tasks/CancellableTasksTests.java b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/cluster/node/tasks/CancellableTasksTests.java
index 1a3c28acc8f..a656b3d78e9 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/cluster/node/tasks/CancellableTasksTests.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/cluster/node/tasks/CancellableTasksTests.java
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ public class CancellableTasksTests extends TaskManagerTestCase {
 
         @Override
         public Task createTask(long id, String type, String action) {
-            return new CancellableTask(id, type, action, getDescription());
+            return new CancellableTask(id, type, action, getDescription(), TaskId.EMPTY_TASK_ID);
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/cluster/node/tasks/TestTaskPlugin.java b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/cluster/node/tasks/TestTaskPlugin.java
index 5ecc14a4b1a..70e540104e3 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/cluster/node/tasks/TestTaskPlugin.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/cluster/node/tasks/TestTaskPlugin.java
@@ -209,7 +209,7 @@ public class TestTaskPlugin extends Plugin {
 
         @Override
         public Task createTask(long id, String type, String action) {
-            return new CancellableTask(id, type, action, getDescription());
+            return new CancellableTask(id, type, action, getDescription(), TaskId.EMPTY_TASK_ID);
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/modules/reindex/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/reindex/BulkByScrollTask.java b/modules/reindex/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/reindex/BulkByScrollTask.java
index 42798d5a34d..13aa7513cf5 100644
--- a/modules/reindex/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/reindex/BulkByScrollTask.java
+++ b/modules/reindex/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/reindex/BulkByScrollTask.java
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ import org.elasticsearch.common.util.concurrent.FutureUtils;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.xcontent.XContentBuilder;
 import org.elasticsearch.tasks.CancellableTask;
 import org.elasticsearch.tasks.Task;
+import org.elasticsearch.tasks.TaskId;
 import org.elasticsearch.threadpool.ThreadPool;
 
 import java.io.IOException;
@@ -70,7 +71,7 @@ public class BulkByScrollTask extends CancellableTask {
     private final AtomicReference<DelayedPrepareBulkRequest> delayedPrepareBulkRequestReference = new AtomicReference<>();
 
     public BulkByScrollTask(long id, String type, String action, String description, float requestsPerSecond) {
-        super(id, type, action, description);
+        super(id, type, action, description, TaskId.EMPTY_TASK_ID);
         setRequestsPerSecond(requestsPerSecond);
     }