diff --git a/src/plugins/data/server/autocomplete/terms_enum.test.ts b/src/plugins/data/server/autocomplete/terms_enum.test.ts
index 41eaf3f4032ab0..4e1eecc71db7ca 100644
--- a/src/plugins/data/server/autocomplete/terms_enum.test.ts
+++ b/src/plugins/data/server/autocomplete/terms_enum.test.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import { ElasticsearchClient, SavedObjectsClientContract } from 'kibana/server';
 import { ConfigSchema } from '../../config';
 import type { DeeplyMockedKeys } from '@kbn/utility-types/jest';
 import type { ApiResponse } from '@elastic/elasticsearch';
+import { TermsEnumResponse } from '@elastic/elasticsearch/api/types';
 
 let savedObjectsClientMock: jest.Mocked<SavedObjectsClientContract>;
 let esClientMock: DeeplyMockedKeys<ElasticsearchClient>;
@@ -29,7 +30,9 @@ describe('_terms_enum suggestions', () => {
     const requestHandlerContext = coreMock.createRequestHandlerContext();
     savedObjectsClientMock = requestHandlerContext.savedObjects.client;
     esClientMock = requestHandlerContext.elasticsearch.client.asCurrentUser;
-    esClientMock.transport.request.mockResolvedValue((mockResponse as unknown) as ApiResponse);
+    esClientMock.termsEnum.mockResolvedValue(
+      (mockResponse as unknown) as ApiResponse<TermsEnumResponse>
+    );
   });
 
   it('calls the _terms_enum API with the field, query, filters, and config tiers', async () => {
@@ -44,7 +47,7 @@ describe('_terms_enum suggestions', () => {
       { name: 'field_name', type: 'string' }
     );
 
-    const [[args]] = esClientMock.transport.request.mock.calls;
+    const [[args]] = esClientMock.termsEnum.mock.calls;
 
     expect(args).toMatchInlineSnapshot(`
       Object {
@@ -67,8 +70,7 @@ describe('_terms_enum suggestions', () => {
           },
           "string": "query",
         },
-        "method": "POST",
-        "path": "/index/_terms_enum",
+        "index": "index",
       }
     `);
     expect(result).toEqual(mockResponse.body.terms);
@@ -85,7 +87,7 @@ describe('_terms_enum suggestions', () => {
       []
     );
 
-    const [[args]] = esClientMock.transport.request.mock.calls;
+    const [[args]] = esClientMock.termsEnum.mock.calls;
 
     expect(args).toMatchInlineSnapshot(`
       Object {
@@ -108,8 +110,7 @@ describe('_terms_enum suggestions', () => {
           },
           "string": "query",
         },
-        "method": "POST",
-        "path": "/index/_terms_enum",
+        "index": "index",
       }
     `);
     expect(result).toEqual(mockResponse.body.terms);
diff --git a/src/plugins/data/server/autocomplete/terms_enum.ts b/src/plugins/data/server/autocomplete/terms_enum.ts
index 40329586a36218..4bfd1545c6fe56 100644
--- a/src/plugins/data/server/autocomplete/terms_enum.ts
+++ b/src/plugins/data/server/autocomplete/terms_enum.ts
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@ import { estypes } from '@elastic/elasticsearch';
 import { IFieldType } from '../../common';
 import { findIndexPatternById, getFieldByName } from '../index_patterns';
 import { shimAbortSignal } from '../search';
-import { getKbnServerError } from '../../../kibana_utils/server';
 import { ConfigSchema } from '../../config';
 
 export async function termsEnumSuggestions(
@@ -31,32 +30,26 @@ export async function termsEnumSuggestions(
     field = indexPattern && getFieldByName(fieldName, indexPattern);
   }
 
-  try {
-    const promise = esClient.transport.request({
-      method: 'POST',
-      path: encodeURI(`/${index}/_terms_enum`),
-      body: {
-        field: field?.name ?? fieldName,
-        string: query,
-        index_filter: {
-          bool: {
-            must: [
-              ...(filters ?? []),
-              {
-                terms: {
-                  _tier: tiers,
-                },
+  const promise = esClient.termsEnum({
+    index,
+    body: {
+      field: field?.name ?? fieldName,
+      string: query,
+      index_filter: {
+        bool: {
+          must: [
+            ...(filters ?? []),
+            {
+              terms: {
+                _tier: tiers,
               },
-            ],
-          },
+            },
+          ],
         },
       },
-    });
+    },
+  });
 
-    const result = await shimAbortSignal(promise, abortSignal);
-
-    return result.body.terms;
-  } catch (e) {
-    throw getKbnServerError(e);
-  }
+  const result = await shimAbortSignal(promise, abortSignal);
+  return result.body.terms;
 }