diff --git a/src/server/saved_objects/service/lib/decorate_es_error.js b/src/server/saved_objects/service/lib/decorate_es_error.js
index 66d34d95dc1099..0f6190fcca465a 100644
--- a/src/server/saved_objects/service/lib/decorate_es_error.js
+++ b/src/server/saved_objects/service/lib/decorate_es_error.js
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ const {
   Conflict,
   401: NotAuthorized,
   403: Forbidden,
+  413: RequestEntityTooLarge,
   NotFound,
   BadRequest
 } = elasticsearch.errors;
@@ -36,6 +37,7 @@ import {
   decorateBadRequestError,
   decorateNotAuthorizedError,
   decorateForbiddenError,
+  decorateRequestEntityTooLargeError,
   createGenericNotFoundError,
   decorateConflictError,
   decorateEsUnavailableError,
@@ -69,6 +71,10 @@ export function decorateEsError(error) {
     return decorateForbiddenError(error, reason);
   }
 
+  if (error instanceof RequestEntityTooLarge) {
+    return decorateRequestEntityTooLargeError(error, reason);
+  }
+
   if (error instanceof NotFound) {
     return createGenericNotFoundError();
   }
diff --git a/src/server/saved_objects/service/lib/decorate_es_error.test.js b/src/server/saved_objects/service/lib/decorate_es_error.test.js
index 07e284d0a894a3..8d070e17132027 100644
--- a/src/server/saved_objects/service/lib/decorate_es_error.test.js
+++ b/src/server/saved_objects/service/lib/decorate_es_error.test.js
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ import {
   isConflictError,
   isNotAuthorizedError,
   isForbiddenError,
+  isRequestEntityTooLargeError,
   isNotFoundError,
   isBadRequestError,
 } from './errors';
@@ -84,6 +85,13 @@ describe('savedObjectsClient/decorateEsError', () => {
     expect(isForbiddenError(error)).toBe(true);
   });
 
+  it('makes es.RequestEntityTooLarge a SavedObjectsClient/RequestEntityTooLarge error', () => {
+    const error = new esErrors.RequestEntityTooLarge();
+    expect(isRequestEntityTooLargeError(error)).toBe(false);
+    expect(decorateEsError(error)).toBe(error);
+    expect(isRequestEntityTooLargeError(error)).toBe(true);
+  });
+
   it('discards es.NotFound errors and returns a generic NotFound error', () => {
     const error = new esErrors.NotFound();
     expect(isNotFoundError(error)).toBe(false);
diff --git a/src/server/saved_objects/service/lib/errors.js b/src/server/saved_objects/service/lib/errors.js
index dba2f61419a667..d0a4d6ecec796d 100644
--- a/src/server/saved_objects/service/lib/errors.js
+++ b/src/server/saved_objects/service/lib/errors.js
@@ -71,6 +71,16 @@ export function isForbiddenError(error) {
 }
 
 
+// 413 - Request Entity Too Large
+const CODE_REQUEST_ENTITY_TOO_LARGE = 'SavedObjectsClient/requestEntityTooLarge';
+export function decorateRequestEntityTooLargeError(error, reason) {
+  return decorate(error, CODE_REQUEST_ENTITY_TOO_LARGE, 413, reason);
+}
+export function isRequestEntityTooLargeError(error) {
+  return error && error[code] === CODE_REQUEST_ENTITY_TOO_LARGE;
+}
+
+
 // 404 - Not Found
 const CODE_NOT_FOUND = 'SavedObjectsClient/notFound';
 export function createGenericNotFoundError(type = null, id = null) {