diff --git a/plugins/out_es/es.c b/plugins/out_es/es.c
index 6abb4b78e28..6a9be715c92 100644
--- a/plugins/out_es/es.c
+++ b/plugins/out_es/es.c
@@ -594,9 +594,9 @@ static int cb_es_init(struct flb_output_instance *ins,
 static int elasticsearch_error_check(struct flb_elasticsearch *ctx,
                                      struct flb_http_client *c)
 {
-    int i;
+    int i, j, k;
     int ret;
-    int check = FLB_TRUE;
+    int check = FLB_FALSE;
     int root_type;
     char *out_buf;
     size_t off = 0;
@@ -605,6 +605,9 @@ static int elasticsearch_error_check(struct flb_elasticsearch *ctx,
     msgpack_object root;
     msgpack_object key;
     msgpack_object val;
+    msgpack_object item;
+    msgpack_object item_key;
+    msgpack_object item_val;
 
     /*
      * Check if our payload is complete: there is such situations where
@@ -656,11 +659,7 @@ static int elasticsearch_error_check(struct flb_elasticsearch *ctx,
             goto done;
         }
 
-        if (key.via.str.size != 6) {
-            continue;
-        }
-
-        if (strncmp(key.via.str.ptr, "errors", 6) == 0) {
+        if (key.via.str.size == 6 && strncmp(key.via.str.ptr, "errors", 6) == 0) {
             val = root.via.map.ptr[i].val;
             if (val.type != MSGPACK_OBJECT_BOOLEAN) {
                 flb_plg_error(ctx->ins, "unexpected 'error' value type=%i",
@@ -670,17 +669,72 @@ static int elasticsearch_error_check(struct flb_elasticsearch *ctx,
             }
 
             /* If error == false, we are OK (no errors = FLB_FALSE) */
-            if (val.via.boolean) {
-                /* there is an error */
-                check = FLB_TRUE;
-                goto done;
-            }
-            else {
+            if (!val.via.boolean) {
                 /* no errors */
                 check = FLB_FALSE;
                 goto done;
             }
         }
+        else if (key.via.str.size == 5 && strncmp(key.via.str.ptr, "items", 5) == 0) {
+            val = root.via.map.ptr[i].val;
+            if (val.type != MSGPACK_OBJECT_ARRAY) {
+                flb_plg_error(ctx->ins, "unexpected 'items' value type=%i",
+                              val.type);
+                check = FLB_TRUE;
+                goto done;
+            }
+
+            for (j = 0; j < val.via.array.size; j++) {
+                item = val.via.array.ptr[j];
+                if (item.type != MSGPACK_OBJECT_MAP) {
+                    flb_plg_error(ctx->ins, "unexpected 'item' outer value type=%i",
+                                  item.type);
+                    check = FLB_TRUE;
+                    goto done;
+                }
+
+                if (item.via.map.size != 1) {
+                    flb_plg_error(ctx->ins, "unexpected 'item' size=%i",
+                                  item.via.map.size);
+                    check = FLB_TRUE;
+                    goto done;
+                }
+
+                item = item.via.map.ptr[0].val;
+                if (item.type != MSGPACK_OBJECT_MAP) {
+                    flb_plg_error(ctx->ins, "unexpected 'item' inner value type=%i",
+                                  item.type);
+                    check = FLB_TRUE;
+                    goto done;
+                }
+
+                for (k = 0; k < item.via.map.size; k++) {
+                    item_key = item.via.map.ptr[k].key;
+                    if (item_key.type != MSGPACK_OBJECT_STR) {
+                        flb_plg_error(ctx->ins, "unexpected key type=%i",
+                                      item_key.type);
+                        check = FLB_TRUE;
+                        goto done;
+                    }
+
+                    if (item_key.via.str.size == 6 && strncmp(item_key.via.str.ptr, "status", 6) == 0) {
+                        item_val = item.via.map.ptr[k].val;
+
+                        if (item_val.type != MSGPACK_OBJECT_POSITIVE_INTEGER) {
+                            flb_plg_error(ctx->ins, "unexpected 'status' value type=%i",
+                                          item_val.type);
+                            check = FLB_TRUE;
+                            goto done;
+                        }
+                        /* Check for errors other than version conflict (document already exists) */
+                        if (item_val.via.i64 != 409) {
+                            check = FLB_TRUE;
+                            goto done;
+                        }
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        }
     }
 
  done:
diff --git a/plugins/out_es/es_bulk.h b/plugins/out_es/es_bulk.h
index 49de50cf1af..4a4f6f4968b 100644
--- a/plugins/out_es/es_bulk.h
+++ b/plugins/out_es/es_bulk.h
@@ -25,10 +25,10 @@
 
 #define ES_BULK_CHUNK      4096  /* Size of buffer chunks    */
 #define ES_BULK_HEADER      165  /* ES Bulk API prefix line  */
-#define ES_BULK_INDEX_FMT    "{\"index\":{\"_index\":\"%s\",\"_type\":\"%s\"}}\n"
-#define ES_BULK_INDEX_FMT_ID "{\"index\":{\"_index\":\"%s\",\"_type\":\"%s\",\"_id\":\"%s\"}}\n"
-#define ES_BULK_INDEX_FMT_WITHOUT_TYPE  "{\"index\":{\"_index\":\"%s\"}}\n"
-#define ES_BULK_INDEX_FMT_ID_WITHOUT_TYPE "{\"index\":{\"_index\":\"%s\",\"_id\":\"%s\"}}\n"
+#define ES_BULK_INDEX_FMT    "{\"create\":{\"_index\":\"%s\",\"_type\":\"%s\"}}\n"
+#define ES_BULK_INDEX_FMT_ID "{\"create\":{\"_index\":\"%s\",\"_type\":\"%s\",\"_id\":\"%s\"}}\n"
+#define ES_BULK_INDEX_FMT_WITHOUT_TYPE  "{\"create\":{\"_index\":\"%s\"}}\n"
+#define ES_BULK_INDEX_FMT_ID_WITHOUT_TYPE "{\"create\":{\"_index\":\"%s\",\"_id\":\"%s\"}}\n"
 
 struct es_bulk {
     char *ptr;