diff --git a/qa/smoke-test-http/src/javaRestTest/java/org/elasticsearch/http/IncrementalBulkRestIT.java b/qa/smoke-test-http/src/javaRestTest/java/org/elasticsearch/http/IncrementalBulkRestIT.java
index 94db419f5a7f9..e530080863cc6 100644
--- a/qa/smoke-test-http/src/javaRestTest/java/org/elasticsearch/http/IncrementalBulkRestIT.java
+++ b/qa/smoke-test-http/src/javaRestTest/java/org/elasticsearch/http/IncrementalBulkRestIT.java
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 import org.elasticsearch.xcontent.json.JsonXContent;
 
 import java.io.IOException;
+import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
 
 import static org.elasticsearch.rest.RestStatus.OK;
@@ -24,6 +25,7 @@
 @ESIntegTestCase.ClusterScope(scope = ESIntegTestCase.Scope.SUITE, supportsDedicatedMasters = false, numDataNodes = 2, numClientNodes = 0)
 public class IncrementalBulkRestIT extends HttpSmokeTestCase {
 
+    @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
     public void testIncrementalBulk() throws IOException {
         Request createRequest = new Request("PUT", "/index_name");
         createRequest.setJsonEntity("""
@@ -58,6 +60,9 @@ public void testIncrementalBulk() throws IOException {
             indexSuccessFul.getEntity().getContent(),
             true
         );
+
+        assertFalse((Boolean) responseMap.get("errors"));
+        assertThat(((List<Object>) responseMap.get("items")).size(), equalTo(1000));
     }
 
     public void testIncrementalMalformed() throws IOException {
@@ -86,6 +91,6 @@ public void testIncrementalMalformed() throws IOException {
 
         bulkRequest.setJsonEntity(bulk.toString());
 
-        ResponseException responseException = expectThrows(ResponseException.class, () -> getRestClient().performRequest(bulkRequest));
+        expectThrows(ResponseException.class, () -> getRestClient().performRequest(bulkRequest));
     }
 }
diff --git a/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/rest/action/document/RestBulkActionTests.java b/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/rest/action/document/RestBulkActionTests.java
index f12a9d461cd4b..c6140cadfd375 100644
--- a/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/rest/action/document/RestBulkActionTests.java
+++ b/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/rest/action/document/RestBulkActionTests.java
@@ -195,6 +195,8 @@ public void bulk(BulkRequest request, ActionListener<BulkResponse> listener) {
 
     public void testIncrementalParsing() {
         ArrayList<DocWriteRequest<?>> docs = new ArrayList<>();
+        AtomicBoolean isLast = new AtomicBoolean(false);
+        AtomicBoolean next = new AtomicBoolean(false);
 
         FakeRestRequest request = new FakeRestRequest.Builder(xContentRegistry()).withPath("my_index/_bulk")
             .withMethod(RestRequest.Method.POST)
@@ -205,13 +207,11 @@ public ChunkHandler handler() {
                 }
 
                 @Override
-                public void setHandler(ChunkHandler chunkHandler) {
-
-                }
+                public void setHandler(ChunkHandler chunkHandler) {}
 
                 @Override
                 public void next() {
-
+                    next.set(true);
                 }
             })
             .withHeaders(Map.of("Content-Type", Collections.singletonList("application/json")))
@@ -233,18 +233,51 @@ public void addItems(List<DocWriteRequest<?>> items, Releasable releasable, Runn
                 public void lastItems(List<DocWriteRequest<?>> items, Releasable releasable, ActionListener<BulkResponse> listener) {
                     releasable.close();
                     docs.addAll(items);
+                    isLast.set(true);
                 }
             }
         );
 
         chunkHandler.accept(channel);
-        chunkHandler.handleChunk(
-            channel,
-            ReleasableBytesReference.wrap(new BytesArray("{\"index\":{\"_index\":\"index_name\"}}\n")),
-            false
-        );
+        ReleasableBytesReference r1 = new ReleasableBytesReference(new BytesArray("{\"index\":{\"_index\":\"index_name\"}}\n"), () -> {});
+        chunkHandler.handleChunk(channel, r1, false);
         assertThat(docs, empty());
-        chunkHandler.handleChunk(channel, ReleasableBytesReference.wrap(new BytesArray("{\"field\":1}")), false);
+        assertTrue(next.get());
+        next.set(false);
+        assertFalse(isLast.get());
+
+        ReleasableBytesReference r2 = new ReleasableBytesReference(new BytesArray("{\"field\":1}"), () -> {});
+        chunkHandler.handleChunk(channel, r2, false);
         assertThat(docs, empty());
+        assertTrue(next.get());
+        next.set(false);
+        assertFalse(isLast.get());
+        assertTrue(r1.hasReferences());
+        assertTrue(r2.hasReferences());
+
+        ReleasableBytesReference r3 = new ReleasableBytesReference(new BytesArray("\n{\"delete\":"), () -> {});
+        chunkHandler.handleChunk(channel, r3, false);
+        assertThat(docs, hasSize(1));
+        assertFalse(next.get());
+        assertFalse(isLast.get());
+        assertFalse(r1.hasReferences());
+        assertFalse(r2.hasReferences());
+        assertTrue(r3.hasReferences());
+
+        ReleasableBytesReference r4 = new ReleasableBytesReference(new BytesArray("{\"_index\":\"test\",\"_id\":\"2\"}}"), () -> {});
+        chunkHandler.handleChunk(channel, r4, false);
+        assertThat(docs, hasSize(1));
+        assertTrue(next.get());
+        next.set(false);
+        assertFalse(isLast.get());
+
+        ReleasableBytesReference r5 = new ReleasableBytesReference(new BytesArray("\n"), () -> {});
+        chunkHandler.handleChunk(channel, r5, true);
+        assertThat(docs, hasSize(2));
+        assertFalse(next.get());
+        assertTrue(isLast.get());
+        assertFalse(r3.hasReferences());
+        assertFalse(r4.hasReferences());
+        assertFalse(r5.hasReferences());
     }
 }