diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/bulk/BulkRequest.java b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/bulk/BulkRequest.java
index fc2ae139205d4..dda28fb7da2f6 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/bulk/BulkRequest.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/bulk/BulkRequest.java
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 
 import org.apache.lucene.util.Accountable;
 import org.apache.lucene.util.RamUsageEstimator;
+import org.elasticsearch.TransportVersions;
 import org.elasticsearch.action.ActionRequest;
 import org.elasticsearch.action.ActionRequestValidationException;
 import org.elasticsearch.action.CompositeIndicesRequest;
@@ -94,6 +95,11 @@ public BulkRequest(StreamInput in) throws IOException {
         for (DocWriteRequest<?> request : requests) {
             indices.add(Objects.requireNonNull(request.index(), "request index must not be null"));
         }
+        if (in.getTransportVersion().onOrAfter(TransportVersions.BULK_INCREMENTAL_STATE)) {
+            incrementalState = new BulkRequest.IncrementalState(in);
+        } else {
+            incrementalState = BulkRequest.IncrementalState.EMPTY;
+        }
     }
 
     public BulkRequest(@Nullable String globalIndex) {
@@ -445,6 +451,9 @@ public void writeTo(StreamOutput out) throws IOException {
         out.writeCollection(requests, DocWriteRequest::writeDocumentRequest);
         refreshPolicy.writeTo(out);
         out.writeTimeValue(timeout);
+        if (out.getTransportVersion().onOrAfter(TransportVersions.BULK_INCREMENTAL_STATE)) {
+            incrementalState.writeTo(out);
+        }
     }
 
     @Override