diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/query/SpanNearQueryParser.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/query/SpanNearQueryParser.java
index 2022f08496799..c0e69d32d55ed 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/query/SpanNearQueryParser.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/query/SpanNearQueryParser.java
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@ public Query parse(QueryParseContext parseContext) throws IOException, QueryPars
         XContentParser parser = parseContext.parser();
 
         float boost = 1.0f;
-        int slop = -1;
+        Integer slop = null;
         boolean inOrder = true;
         boolean collectPayloads = true;
 
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ public Query parse(QueryParseContext parseContext) throws IOException, QueryPars
                 } else if ("collect_payloads".equals(currentFieldName) || "collectPayloads".equals(currentFieldName)) {
                     collectPayloads = parser.booleanValue();
                 } else if ("slop".equals(currentFieldName)) {
-                    slop = parser.intValue();
+                    slop = Integer.valueOf(parser.intValue());
                 } else if ("boost".equals(currentFieldName)) {
                     boost = parser.floatValue();
                 } else {
@@ -94,12 +94,12 @@ public Query parse(QueryParseContext parseContext) throws IOException, QueryPars
         if (clauses.isEmpty()) {
             throw new QueryParsingException(parseContext.index(), "span_near must include [clauses]");
         }
-        if (slop == -1) {
+        if (slop == null) {
             throw new QueryParsingException(parseContext.index(), "span_near must include [slop]");
         }
 
-        SpanNearQuery query = new SpanNearQuery(clauses.toArray(new SpanQuery[clauses.size()]), slop, inOrder, collectPayloads);
+        SpanNearQuery query = new SpanNearQuery(clauses.toArray(new SpanQuery[clauses.size()]), slop.intValue(), inOrder, collectPayloads);
         query.setBoost(boost);
         return query;
     }
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}