diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/type/TransportSearchDfsQueryAndFetchAction.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/type/TransportSearchDfsQueryAndFetchAction.java
index 3a42abe08804e..dc520e2e2ff02 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/type/TransportSearchDfsQueryAndFetchAction.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/type/TransportSearchDfsQueryAndFetchAction.java
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@
 import org.elasticsearch.common.inject.Inject;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.settings.Settings;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.util.concurrent.AtomicArray;
+import org.elasticsearch.common.util.concurrent.EsRejectedExecutionException;
 import org.elasticsearch.search.action.SearchServiceListener;
 import org.elasticsearch.search.action.SearchServiceTransportAction;
 import org.elasticsearch.search.controller.SearchPhaseController;
@@ -118,29 +119,33 @@ void onSecondPhaseFailure(Throwable t, QuerySearchRequest querySearchRequest, in
             }
         }
 
-        void finishHim() {
+        private void finishHim() {
             try {
-                innerFinishHim();
-            } catch (Throwable e) {
-                ReduceSearchPhaseException failure = new ReduceSearchPhaseException("query_fetch", "", e, buildShardFailures());
-                if (logger.isDebugEnabled()) {
-                    logger.debug("failed to reduce search", failure);
-                }
-                listener.onFailure(failure);
-            } finally {
-                //
+                threadPool.executor(ThreadPool.Names.SEARCH).execute(new Runnable() {
+                    @Override
+                    public void run() {
+                        try {
+                            boolean useScroll = !useSlowScroll && request.scroll() != null;
+                            sortedShardList = searchPhaseController.sortDocs(useScroll, queryFetchResults);
+                            final InternalSearchResponse internalResponse = searchPhaseController.merge(sortedShardList, queryFetchResults, queryFetchResults);
+                            String scrollId = null;
+                            if (request.scroll() != null) {
+                                scrollId = TransportSearchHelper.buildScrollId(request.searchType(), firstResults, null);
+                            }
+                            listener.onResponse(new SearchResponse(internalResponse, scrollId, expectedSuccessfulOps, successfulOps.get(), buildTookInMillis(), buildShardFailures()));
+                        } catch (Throwable e) {
+                            ReduceSearchPhaseException failure = new ReduceSearchPhaseException("query_fetch", "", e, buildShardFailures());
+                            if (logger.isDebugEnabled()) {
+                                logger.debug("failed to reduce search", failure);
+                            }
+                            listener.onFailure(failure);
+                        }
+                    }
+                });
+            } catch (EsRejectedExecutionException ex) {
+                listener.onFailure(ex);
             }
-        }
 
-        void innerFinishHim() throws Exception {
-            boolean useScroll = !useSlowScroll && request.scroll() != null;
-            sortedShardList = searchPhaseController.sortDocs(useScroll, queryFetchResults);
-            final InternalSearchResponse internalResponse = searchPhaseController.merge(sortedShardList, queryFetchResults, queryFetchResults);
-            String scrollId = null;
-            if (request.scroll() != null) {
-                scrollId = TransportSearchHelper.buildScrollId(request.searchType(), firstResults, null);
-            }
-            listener.onResponse(new SearchResponse(internalResponse, scrollId, expectedSuccessfulOps, successfulOps.get(), buildTookInMillis(), buildShardFailures()));
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/type/TransportSearchDfsQueryThenFetchAction.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/type/TransportSearchDfsQueryThenFetchAction.java
index 8a38cbeadfd68..f3f1bbef2dfaf 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/type/TransportSearchDfsQueryThenFetchAction.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/type/TransportSearchDfsQueryThenFetchAction.java
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
 import org.elasticsearch.common.inject.Inject;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.settings.Settings;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.util.concurrent.AtomicArray;
+import org.elasticsearch.common.util.concurrent.EsRejectedExecutionException;
 import org.elasticsearch.search.SearchShardTarget;
 import org.elasticsearch.search.action.SearchServiceListener;
 import org.elasticsearch.search.action.SearchServiceTransportAction;
@@ -190,27 +191,37 @@ void onFetchFailure(Throwable t, FetchSearchRequest fetchSearchRequest, int shar
             }
         }
 
-        void finishHim() {
+        private void finishHim() {
             try {
-                innerFinishHim();
-            } catch (Throwable e) {
-                ReduceSearchPhaseException failure = new ReduceSearchPhaseException("merge", "", e, buildShardFailures());
-                if (logger.isDebugEnabled()) {
-                    logger.debug("failed to reduce search", failure);
+                threadPool.executor(ThreadPool.Names.SEARCH).execute(new Runnable() {
+                    @Override
+                    public void run() {
+                        try {
+                            final InternalSearchResponse internalResponse = searchPhaseController.merge(sortedShardList, queryResults, fetchResults);
+                            String scrollId = null;
+                            if (request.scroll() != null) {
+                                scrollId = TransportSearchHelper.buildScrollId(request.searchType(), firstResults, null);
+                            }
+                            listener.onResponse(new SearchResponse(internalResponse, scrollId, expectedSuccessfulOps, successfulOps.get(), buildTookInMillis(), buildShardFailures()));
+                        } catch (Throwable e) {
+                            ReduceSearchPhaseException failure = new ReduceSearchPhaseException("merge", "", e, buildShardFailures());
+                            if (logger.isDebugEnabled()) {
+                                logger.debug("failed to reduce search", failure);
+                            }
+                            listener.onFailure(failure);
+                        } finally {
+                            releaseIrrelevantSearchContexts(queryResults, docIdsToLoad);
+                        }
+                    }
+                });
+            } catch (EsRejectedExecutionException ex) {
+                try {
+                    releaseIrrelevantSearchContexts(queryResults, docIdsToLoad);
+                } finally {
+                    listener.onFailure(ex);
                 }
-                listener.onFailure(failure);
-            } finally {
-                releaseIrrelevantSearchContexts(queryResults, docIdsToLoad);
             }
-        }
 
-        void innerFinishHim() throws Exception {
-            final InternalSearchResponse internalResponse = searchPhaseController.merge(sortedShardList, queryResults, fetchResults);
-            String scrollId = null;
-            if (request.scroll() != null) {
-                scrollId = TransportSearchHelper.buildScrollId(request.searchType(), firstResults, null);
-            }
-            listener.onResponse(new SearchResponse(internalResponse, scrollId, expectedSuccessfulOps, successfulOps.get(), buildTookInMillis(), buildShardFailures()));
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/type/TransportSearchQueryAndFetchAction.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/type/TransportSearchQueryAndFetchAction.java
index 7ddfeb0f2f524..b969deaec078e 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/type/TransportSearchQueryAndFetchAction.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/type/TransportSearchQueryAndFetchAction.java
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 import org.elasticsearch.cluster.node.DiscoveryNode;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.inject.Inject;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.settings.Settings;
+import org.elasticsearch.common.util.concurrent.EsRejectedExecutionException;
 import org.elasticsearch.search.action.SearchServiceListener;
 import org.elasticsearch.search.action.SearchServiceTransportAction;
 import org.elasticsearch.search.controller.SearchPhaseController;
@@ -35,8 +36,6 @@
 import org.elasticsearch.search.internal.ShardSearchRequest;
 import org.elasticsearch.threadpool.ThreadPool;
 
-import java.io.IOException;
-
 import static org.elasticsearch.action.search.type.TransportSearchHelper.buildScrollId;
 
 /**
@@ -74,25 +73,30 @@ protected void sendExecuteFirstPhase(DiscoveryNode node, ShardSearchRequest requ
         @Override
         protected void moveToSecondPhase() throws Exception {
             try {
-                innerFinishHim();
-            } catch (Throwable e) {
-                ReduceSearchPhaseException failure = new ReduceSearchPhaseException("merge", "", e, buildShardFailures());
-                if (logger.isDebugEnabled()) {
-                    logger.debug("failed to reduce search", failure);
-                }
-                listener.onFailure(failure);
-            }
-        }
-
-        private void innerFinishHim() throws IOException {
-            boolean useScroll = !useSlowScroll && request.scroll() != null;
-            sortedShardList = searchPhaseController.sortDocs(useScroll, firstResults);
-            final InternalSearchResponse internalResponse = searchPhaseController.merge(sortedShardList, firstResults, firstResults);
-            String scrollId = null;
-            if (request.scroll() != null) {
-                scrollId = buildScrollId(request.searchType(), firstResults, null);
+                threadPool.executor(ThreadPool.Names.SEARCH).execute(new Runnable() {
+                    @Override
+                    public void run() {
+                        try {
+                            boolean useScroll = !useSlowScroll && request.scroll() != null;
+                            sortedShardList = searchPhaseController.sortDocs(useScroll, firstResults);
+                            final InternalSearchResponse internalResponse = searchPhaseController.merge(sortedShardList, firstResults, firstResults);
+                            String scrollId = null;
+                            if (request.scroll() != null) {
+                                scrollId = buildScrollId(request.searchType(), firstResults, null);
+                            }
+                            listener.onResponse(new SearchResponse(internalResponse, scrollId, expectedSuccessfulOps, successfulOps.get(), buildTookInMillis(), buildShardFailures()));
+                        } catch (Throwable e) {
+                            ReduceSearchPhaseException failure = new ReduceSearchPhaseException("merge", "", e, buildShardFailures());
+                            if (logger.isDebugEnabled()) {
+                                logger.debug("failed to reduce search", failure);
+                            }
+                            listener.onFailure(failure);
+                        }
+                    }
+                });
+            } catch (EsRejectedExecutionException ex) {
+                listener.onFailure(ex);
             }
-            listener.onResponse(new SearchResponse(internalResponse, scrollId, expectedSuccessfulOps, successfulOps.get(), buildTookInMillis(), buildShardFailures()));
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/type/TransportSearchQueryThenFetchAction.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/type/TransportSearchQueryThenFetchAction.java
index 92914667545f1..8d1ec947c071a 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/type/TransportSearchQueryThenFetchAction.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/type/TransportSearchQueryThenFetchAction.java
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 import org.apache.lucene.search.ScoreDoc;
 import org.elasticsearch.action.ActionListener;
 import org.elasticsearch.action.search.ReduceSearchPhaseException;
+import org.elasticsearch.action.search.SearchPhaseExecutionException;
 import org.elasticsearch.action.search.SearchRequest;
 import org.elasticsearch.action.search.SearchResponse;
 import org.elasticsearch.cluster.ClusterService;
@@ -30,6 +31,7 @@
 import org.elasticsearch.common.inject.Inject;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.settings.Settings;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.util.concurrent.AtomicArray;
+import org.elasticsearch.common.util.concurrent.EsRejectedExecutionException;
 import org.elasticsearch.search.SearchShardTarget;
 import org.elasticsearch.search.action.SearchServiceListener;
 import org.elasticsearch.search.action.SearchServiceTransportAction;
@@ -134,27 +136,36 @@ void onFetchFailure(Throwable t, FetchSearchRequest fetchSearchRequest, int shar
             }
         }
 
-        void finishHim() {
+        private void finishHim() {
             try {
-                innerFinishHim();
-            } catch (Throwable e) {
-                ReduceSearchPhaseException failure = new ReduceSearchPhaseException("fetch", "", e, buildShardFailures());
-                if (logger.isDebugEnabled()) {
-                    logger.debug("failed to reduce search", failure);
+                threadPool.executor(ThreadPool.Names.SEARCH).execute(new Runnable() {
+                    @Override
+                    public void run() {
+                        try {
+                            final InternalSearchResponse internalResponse = searchPhaseController.merge(sortedShardList, firstResults, fetchResults);
+                            String scrollId = null;
+                            if (request.scroll() != null) {
+                                scrollId = TransportSearchHelper.buildScrollId(request.searchType(), firstResults, null);
+                            }
+                            listener.onResponse(new SearchResponse(internalResponse, scrollId, expectedSuccessfulOps, successfulOps.get(), buildTookInMillis(), buildShardFailures()));
+                        } catch (Throwable e) {
+                            ReduceSearchPhaseException failure = new ReduceSearchPhaseException("fetch", "", e, buildShardFailures());
+                            if (logger.isDebugEnabled()) {
+                                logger.debug("failed to reduce search", failure);
+                            }
+                            listener.onFailure(failure);
+                        } finally {
+                            releaseIrrelevantSearchContexts(firstResults, docIdsToLoad);
+                        }
+                    }
+                });
+            } catch (EsRejectedExecutionException ex) {
+                try {
+                    releaseIrrelevantSearchContexts(firstResults, docIdsToLoad);
+                } finally {
+                    listener.onFailure(ex);
                 }
-                listener.onFailure(failure);
-            } finally {
-                releaseIrrelevantSearchContexts(firstResults, docIdsToLoad);
-            }
-        }
-
-        void innerFinishHim() throws Exception {
-            InternalSearchResponse internalResponse = searchPhaseController.merge(sortedShardList, firstResults, fetchResults);
-            String scrollId = null;
-            if (request.scroll() != null) {
-                scrollId = TransportSearchHelper.buildScrollId(request.searchType(), firstResults, null);
             }
-            listener.onResponse(new SearchResponse(internalResponse, scrollId, expectedSuccessfulOps, successfulOps.get(), buildTookInMillis(), buildShardFailures()));
         }
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/threadpool/ThreadPool.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/threadpool/ThreadPool.java
index 1936dfbc06fd2..01c87a5aaa048 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/threadpool/ThreadPool.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/threadpool/ThreadPool.java
@@ -24,7 +24,6 @@
 import com.google.common.collect.Maps;
 import com.google.common.util.concurrent.MoreExecutors;
 import org.elasticsearch.ElasticsearchIllegalArgumentException;
-import org.elasticsearch.Version;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.Nullable;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.component.AbstractComponent;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.inject.Inject;
@@ -34,13 +33,9 @@
 import org.elasticsearch.common.settings.ImmutableSettings;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.settings.Settings;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.settings.SettingsException;
-import org.elasticsearch.common.unit.SizeUnit;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.unit.SizeValue;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.unit.TimeValue;
-import org.elasticsearch.common.util.concurrent.EsAbortPolicy;
-import org.elasticsearch.common.util.concurrent.EsExecutors;
-import org.elasticsearch.common.util.concurrent.EsThreadPoolExecutor;
-import org.elasticsearch.common.util.concurrent.XRejectedExecutionHandler;
+import org.elasticsearch.common.util.concurrent.*;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.xcontent.ToXContent;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.xcontent.XContentBuilder;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.xcontent.XContentBuilderString;
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/action/RejectionActionTests.java b/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/action/RejectionActionTests.java
index 313339b1515d5..6ad02df5eecf3 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/action/RejectionActionTests.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/action/RejectionActionTests.java
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@
 import org.elasticsearch.action.search.ShardSearchFailure;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.settings.ImmutableSettings;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.settings.Settings;
+import org.elasticsearch.common.util.concurrent.EsRejectedExecutionException;
 import org.elasticsearch.index.query.QueryBuilders;
 import org.elasticsearch.test.ElasticsearchIntegrationTest;
 import org.elasticsearch.test.ElasticsearchIntegrationTest.ClusterScope;
@@ -101,7 +102,7 @@ public void onFailure(Throwable e) {
                     for (ShardSearchFailure failure : e.shardFailures()) {
                         assertTrue("got unexpected reason..." + failure.reason(), failure.reason().toLowerCase(Locale.ENGLISH).contains("rejected"));
                     }
-                } else {
+                } else if ((unwrap instanceof EsRejectedExecutionException) == false) {
                     throw new AssertionError("unexpected failure", (Throwable) response);
                 }
             }