diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/bytes/BytesReferenceStreamInput.java b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/bytes/BytesReferenceStreamInput.java
index 2fca882724bbd..22bb8e5ffc4f9 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/bytes/BytesReferenceStreamInput.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/bytes/BytesReferenceStreamInput.java
@@ -16,6 +16,8 @@
 import java.io.EOFException;
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.nio.ByteBuffer;
+import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Objects;
 
 /**
@@ -213,6 +215,23 @@ public void reset() throws IOException {
         }
     }
 
+    @Override
+    public BytesReference readBytesReference(int length) throws IOException {
+        if (length == 0) {
+            return BytesArray.EMPTY;
+        }
+        final List<BytesReference> slices = new ArrayList<>();
+        while (length > 0) {
+            maybeNextSlice();
+            final byte[] bytes = slice.array().clone();
+            final int currentLen = Math.min(length, slice.remaining());
+            slices.add(new BytesArray(bytes, slice.position(), currentLen));
+            skip(currentLen);
+            length -= currentLen;
+        }
+        return CompositeBytesReference.of(slices.toArray(BytesReference[]::new));
+    }
+
     @Override
     public boolean markSupported() {
         return true;
diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/io/stream/StreamInput.java b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/io/stream/StreamInput.java
index fb0846ab8d208..96240dd053edb 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/io/stream/StreamInput.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/io/stream/StreamInput.java
@@ -23,8 +23,6 @@
 import org.elasticsearch.common.geo.GeoPoint;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.settings.SecureString;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.text.Text;
-import org.elasticsearch.common.util.BigArrays;
-import org.elasticsearch.common.util.ByteArray;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.util.Maps;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.util.set.Sets;
 import org.elasticsearch.core.CharArrays;
@@ -163,9 +161,9 @@ public BytesReference readBytesReference(int length) throws IOException {
         if (length == 0) {
             return BytesArray.EMPTY;
         }
-        final ByteArray byteArray = BigArrays.NON_RECYCLING_INSTANCE.newByteArray(length);
-        byteArray.set(0, this, length);
-        return BytesReference.fromByteArray(byteArray, length);
+        byte[] bytes = new byte[length];
+        readBytes(bytes, 0, length);
+        return new BytesArray(bytes, 0, length);
     }
 
     public BytesRef readBytesRef() throws IOException {
diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/util/BigArrays.java b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/util/BigArrays.java
index 13aebe7578e8d..edec336c2a028 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/util/BigArrays.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/util/BigArrays.java
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@
 import org.elasticsearch.common.breaker.CircuitBreaker;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.breaker.CircuitBreakingException;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.breaker.PreallocatedCircuitBreakerService;
-import org.elasticsearch.common.io.stream.StreamInput;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.io.stream.StreamOutput;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.recycler.Recycler;
 import org.elasticsearch.core.Nullable;
@@ -137,12 +136,6 @@ public void set(long index, byte[] buf, int offset, int len) {
             System.arraycopy(buf, offset, array, (int) index, len);
         }
 
-        @Override
-        public void set(long index, StreamInput input, int len) throws IOException {
-            assert indexIsInt(index);
-            input.readBytes(array, (int) index, len);
-        }
-
         @Override
         public void fill(long fromIndex, long toIndex, byte value) {
             assert indexIsInt(fromIndex);
diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/util/BigByteArray.java b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/util/BigByteArray.java
index 614ba91782e86..72a2fc41a9a12 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/util/BigByteArray.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/util/BigByteArray.java
@@ -11,7 +11,6 @@
 import org.apache.lucene.util.ArrayUtil;
 import org.apache.lucene.util.BytesRef;
 import org.apache.lucene.util.RamUsageEstimator;
-import org.elasticsearch.common.io.stream.StreamInput;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.io.stream.StreamOutput;
 
 import java.io.IOException;
@@ -107,25 +106,6 @@ public void set(long index, byte[] buf, int offset, int len) {
         }
     }
 
-    @Override
-    public void set(long index, StreamInput input, int len) throws IOException {
-        assert index + len <= size();
-        int pageIndex = pageIndex(index);
-        final int indexInPage = indexInPage(index);
-        if (indexInPage + len <= pageSize()) {
-            input.readBytes(pages[pageIndex], indexInPage, len);
-        } else {
-            int copyLen = pageSize() - indexInPage;
-            input.readBytes(pages[pageIndex], indexInPage, copyLen);
-            do {
-                ++pageIndex;
-                len -= copyLen;
-                copyLen = Math.min(len, pageSize());
-                input.readBytes(pages[pageIndex], 0, copyLen);
-            } while (len > copyLen);
-        }
-    }
-
     @Override
     public void fill(long fromIndex, long toIndex, byte value) {
         if (fromIndex > toIndex) {
diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/util/ByteArray.java b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/util/ByteArray.java
index 0ece7e31c8642..e3b51ee7d2e32 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/util/ByteArray.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/util/ByteArray.java
@@ -46,11 +46,6 @@ static ByteArray readFrom(StreamInput in) throws IOException {
      */
     void set(long index, byte[] buf, int offset, int len);
 
-    /**
-     * Bulk set from stream input.
-     */
-    void set(long index, StreamInput input, int len) throws IOException;
-
     /**
      * Fill slots between <code>fromIndex</code> inclusive to <code>toIndex</code> exclusive with <code>value</code>.
      */
diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/util/ReleasableByteArray.java b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/util/ReleasableByteArray.java
index 0e5518e7e4aad..0102195f4e809 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/util/ReleasableByteArray.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/util/ReleasableByteArray.java
@@ -69,11 +69,6 @@ public void set(long index, byte[] buf, int offset, int len) {
         throw new UnsupportedOperationException();
     }
 
-    @Override
-    public void set(long index, StreamInput input, int len) throws IOException {
-        throw new UnsupportedOperationException();
-    }
-
     @Override
     public void fill(long fromIndex, long toIndex, byte value) {
         throw new UnsupportedOperationException();
diff --git a/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/common/io/stream/BytesStreamsTests.java b/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/common/io/stream/BytesStreamsTests.java
index 6b6299cadf188..e6fb07039ed3b 100644
--- a/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/common/io/stream/BytesStreamsTests.java
+++ b/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/common/io/stream/BytesStreamsTests.java
@@ -575,10 +575,16 @@ public void testWriteBigBytesReference() throws IOException {
 
         final BytesStreamOutput out = new BytesStreamOutput();
         out.writeBytesReference(expected);
-        final StreamInput in = StreamInput.wrap(BytesReference.toBytes(out.bytes()));
-        final BytesReference loaded = in.readBytesReference();
-
-        assertThat(loaded, equalTo(expected));
+        {
+            final StreamInput in = out.bytes().streamInput(); // use the BytesReference version
+            final BytesReference loaded = in.readBytesReference();
+            assertThat(loaded, equalTo(expected));
+        }
+        {
+            final StreamInput in = StreamInput.wrap(BytesReference.toBytes(out.bytes())); // use the byte[] version
+            final BytesReference loaded = in.readBytesReference();
+            assertThat(loaded, equalTo(expected));
+        }
     }
 
     private abstract static class BaseNamedWriteable implements NamedWriteable {
diff --git a/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/common/util/BigArraysTests.java b/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/common/util/BigArraysTests.java
index 611cafdf1f02b..0ada1f67d1045 100644
--- a/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/common/util/BigArraysTests.java
+++ b/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/common/util/BigArraysTests.java
@@ -12,7 +12,6 @@
 import org.elasticsearch.common.breaker.CircuitBreaker;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.breaker.CircuitBreakingException;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.breaker.PreallocatedCircuitBreakerService;
-import org.elasticsearch.common.io.stream.ByteArrayStreamInput;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.settings.ClusterSettings;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.settings.Settings;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.unit.ByteSizeUnit;
@@ -21,7 +20,6 @@
 import org.elasticsearch.indices.breaker.NoneCircuitBreakerService;
 import org.elasticsearch.test.ESTestCase;
 
-import java.io.IOException;
 import java.lang.reflect.InvocationTargetException;
 import java.lang.reflect.Method;
 import java.util.ArrayList;
@@ -261,24 +259,19 @@ public void testByteArrayBulkGet() {
         array2.close();
     }
 
-    public void testByteArrayBulkSet() throws IOException {
+    public void testByteArrayBulkSet() {
         final byte[] array1 = new byte[randomIntBetween(1, 4000000)];
         random().nextBytes(array1);
         final ByteArray array2 = bigArrays.newByteArray(array1.length, randomBoolean());
-        final ByteArray array3 = bigArrays.newByteArray(array1.length, randomBoolean());
-        ByteArrayStreamInput input = new ByteArrayStreamInput(array1);
         for (int i = 0; i < array1.length;) {
             final int len = Math.min(array1.length - i, randomBoolean() ? randomInt(10) : randomInt(3 * PageCacheRecycler.BYTE_PAGE_SIZE));
             array2.set(i, array1, i, len);
-            array3.set(i, input, len);
             i += len;
         }
         for (int i = 0; i < array1.length; ++i) {
             assertEquals(array1[i], array2.get(i));
-            assertEquals(array1[i], array3.get(i));
         }
         array2.close();
-        array3.close();
     }
 
     public void testByteArrayEquals() {
diff --git a/test/framework/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/util/MockBigArrays.java b/test/framework/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/util/MockBigArrays.java
index 2bf1b555025c1..0a0592b5a01f2 100644
--- a/test/framework/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/util/MockBigArrays.java
+++ b/test/framework/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/util/MockBigArrays.java
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@
 import org.elasticsearch.common.breaker.CircuitBreaker;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.breaker.CircuitBreakingException;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.breaker.NoopCircuitBreaker;
-import org.elasticsearch.common.io.stream.StreamInput;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.io.stream.StreamOutput;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.settings.Settings;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.unit.ByteSizeValue;
@@ -394,11 +393,6 @@ public void set(long index, byte[] buf, int offset, int len) {
             in.set(index, buf, offset, len);
         }
 
-        @Override
-        public void set(long index, StreamInput input, int len) throws IOException {
-            in.set(index, input, len);
-        }
-
         @Override
         public void fill(long fromIndex, long toIndex, byte value) {
             in.fill(fromIndex, toIndex, value);