diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/fieldcaps/FieldCapabilities.java b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/fieldcaps/FieldCapabilities.java
index 21bb452430e7a..5cfdba9294634 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/fieldcaps/FieldCapabilities.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/fieldcaps/FieldCapabilities.java
@@ -166,14 +166,14 @@ public String getName() {
     }
 
     /**
-     * Whether this field is indexed for search on all indices.
+     * Whether this field can be aggregated on all indices.
      */
     public boolean isAggregatable() {
         return isAggregatable;
     }
 
     /**
-     * Whether this field can be aggregated on all indices.
+     * Whether this field is indexed for search on all indices.
      */
     public boolean isSearchable() {
         return isSearchable;
diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/fieldcaps/FieldCapabilitiesRequest.java b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/fieldcaps/FieldCapabilitiesRequest.java
index e91d9a703f491..c61f16962e678 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/fieldcaps/FieldCapabilitiesRequest.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/fieldcaps/FieldCapabilitiesRequest.java
@@ -123,7 +123,6 @@ public String[] fields() {
     }
 
     /**
-     *
      * The list of indices to lookup
      */
     public FieldCapabilitiesRequest indices(String... indices) {
diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/fieldcaps/FieldCapabilitiesResponse.java b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/fieldcaps/FieldCapabilitiesResponse.java
index 959b4e572b714..806bfad77c05f 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/fieldcaps/FieldCapabilitiesResponse.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/fieldcaps/FieldCapabilitiesResponse.java
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@
 import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
+import java.util.Objects;
 import java.util.stream.Collectors;
 
 /**
@@ -57,15 +58,15 @@ public class FieldCapabilitiesResponse extends ActionResponse implements ToXCont
 
     private FieldCapabilitiesResponse(Map<String, Map<String, FieldCapabilities>> responseMap,
                                       List<FieldCapabilitiesIndexResponse> indexResponses) {
-        this.responseMap = responseMap;
-        this.indexResponses = indexResponses;
+        this.responseMap = Objects.requireNonNull(responseMap);
+        this.indexResponses = Objects.requireNonNull(indexResponses);
     }
 
     /**
      * Used for serialization
      */
     FieldCapabilitiesResponse() {
-        this.responseMap = Collections.emptyMap();
+        this(Collections.emptyMap(), Collections.emptyList());
     }
 
     /**
@@ -82,6 +83,7 @@ public Map<String, Map<String, FieldCapabilities>> get() {
     List<FieldCapabilitiesIndexResponse> getIndexResponses() {
         return indexResponses;
     }
+
     /**
      *
      * Get the field capabilities per type for the provided {@code field}.
diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/fieldcaps/TransportFieldCapabilitiesAction.java b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/fieldcaps/TransportFieldCapabilitiesAction.java
index 2adea56730ee4..cf4515c5feb64 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/fieldcaps/TransportFieldCapabilitiesAction.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/fieldcaps/TransportFieldCapabilitiesAction.java
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ protected void doExecute(FieldCapabilitiesRequest request,
             }
         };
         if (totalNumRequest == 0) {
-            listener.onResponse(new FieldCapabilitiesResponse());
+            listener.onResponse(new FieldCapabilitiesResponse(Collections.emptyMap()));
         } else {
             ActionListener<FieldCapabilitiesIndexResponse> innerListener = new ActionListener<FieldCapabilitiesIndexResponse>() {
                 @Override
diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/client/Client.java b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/client/Client.java
index adb2f509b999e..f97f618347af5 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/client/Client.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/client/Client.java
@@ -455,7 +455,7 @@ public interface Client extends ElasticsearchClient, Releasable {
     /**
      * Builder for the field capabilities request.
      */
-    FieldCapabilitiesRequestBuilder prepareFieldCaps();
+    FieldCapabilitiesRequestBuilder prepareFieldCaps(String... indices);
 
     /**
      * An action that returns the field capabilities from the provided request
diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/client/support/AbstractClient.java b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/client/support/AbstractClient.java
index f2bfe38d81097..189017dfa606f 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/client/support/AbstractClient.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/client/support/AbstractClient.java
@@ -657,8 +657,8 @@ public ActionFuture<FieldCapabilitiesResponse> fieldCaps(FieldCapabilitiesReques
     }
 
     @Override
-    public FieldCapabilitiesRequestBuilder prepareFieldCaps() {
-        return new FieldCapabilitiesRequestBuilder(this, FieldCapabilitiesAction.INSTANCE);
+    public FieldCapabilitiesRequestBuilder prepareFieldCaps(String... indices) {
+        return new FieldCapabilitiesRequestBuilder(this, FieldCapabilitiesAction.INSTANCE, indices);
     }
 
     static class Admin implements AdminClient {
diff --git a/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/action/fieldcaps/FieldCapabilitiesResponseTests.java b/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/action/fieldcaps/FieldCapabilitiesResponseTests.java
index b38240632421a..90b730660ddd9 100644
--- a/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/action/fieldcaps/FieldCapabilitiesResponseTests.java
+++ b/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/action/fieldcaps/FieldCapabilitiesResponseTests.java
@@ -28,11 +28,15 @@
 import org.elasticsearch.test.AbstractStreamableXContentTestCase;
 
 import java.io.IOException;
+import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.HashMap;
+import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.function.Predicate;
 
+import static com.carrotsearch.randomizedtesting.RandomizedTest.randomAsciiLettersOfLength;
+
 
 public class FieldCapabilitiesResponseTests extends AbstractStreamableXContentTestCase<FieldCapabilitiesResponse> {
 
@@ -48,22 +52,46 @@ protected FieldCapabilitiesResponse createBlankInstance() {
 
     @Override
     protected FieldCapabilitiesResponse createTestInstance() {
-        Map<String, Map<String, FieldCapabilities>> responses = new HashMap<>();
+        if (randomBoolean()) {
+            // merged responses
+            Map<String, Map<String, FieldCapabilities>> responses = new HashMap<>();
+
+            String[] fields = generateRandomStringArray(5, 10, false, true);
+            assertNotNull(fields);
+
+            for (String field : fields) {
+                Map<String, FieldCapabilities> typesToCapabilities = new HashMap<>();
+                String[] types = generateRandomStringArray(5, 10, false, false);
+                assertNotNull(types);
+
+                for (String type : types) {
+                    typesToCapabilities.put(type, FieldCapabilitiesTests.randomFieldCaps(field));
+                }
+                responses.put(field, typesToCapabilities);
+            }
+            return new FieldCapabilitiesResponse(responses);
+        } else {
+            // non-merged responses
+            List<FieldCapabilitiesIndexResponse> responses = new ArrayList<>();
+            int numResponse = randomIntBetween(0, 10);
+            for (int i = 0; i < numResponse; i++) {
+                responses.add(createRandomIndexResponse());
+            }
+            return new FieldCapabilitiesResponse(responses);
+        }
+    }
+
+
+    private FieldCapabilitiesIndexResponse createRandomIndexResponse() {
+        Map<String, FieldCapabilities> responses = new HashMap<>();
 
         String[] fields = generateRandomStringArray(5, 10, false, true);
         assertNotNull(fields);
 
         for (String field : fields) {
-            Map<String, FieldCapabilities> typesToCapabilities = new HashMap<>();
-            String[] types = generateRandomStringArray(5, 10, false, false);
-            assertNotNull(types);
-
-            for (String type : types) {
-                typesToCapabilities.put(type, FieldCapabilitiesTests.randomFieldCaps(field));
-            }
-            responses.put(field, typesToCapabilities);
+            responses.put(field, FieldCapabilitiesTests.randomFieldCaps(field));
         }
-        return new FieldCapabilitiesResponse(responses);
+        return new FieldCapabilitiesIndexResponse(randomAsciiLettersOfLength(10), responses);
     }
 
     @Override
@@ -138,6 +166,11 @@ public void testToXContent() throws IOException {
             "}").replaceAll("\\s+", ""), generatedResponse);
     }
 
+    public void testEmptyResponse() throws IOException {
+        FieldCapabilitiesResponse testInstance = new FieldCapabilitiesResponse();
+        assertSerialization(testInstance);
+    }
+
     private static FieldCapabilitiesResponse createSimpleResponse() {
         Map<String, FieldCapabilities> titleCapabilities = new HashMap<>();
         titleCapabilities.put("text", new FieldCapabilities("title", "text", true, false));