diff --git a/lib/Elastijk.pm b/lib/Elastijk.pm
index ac9a028..87e42b5 100644
--- a/lib/Elastijk.pm
+++ b/lib/Elastijk.pm
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ our $JSON = JSON->new->utf8;
 sub _build_hijk_request_args {
     my $args = $_[0];
     my ($path, $qs, $uri_param);
-    $path = "/". join("/", (map { defined($_) ? ( uri_escape_utf8($_) ) : () } @{$args}{qw(index type id)}), (exists $args->{command} ? $args->{command} : ()));
+    $path = (exists $args->{path}) ? $args->{path} : ("/". join("/", (map { defined($_) ? ( uri_escape_utf8($_) ) : () } @{$args}{qw(index type id)}), (exists $args->{command} ? $args->{command} : ())));
     if ($args->{uri_param}) {
         $qs =  join('&', map { uri_escape_utf8($_) . "=" . uri_escape_utf8($args->{uri_param}{$_}) } keys %{$args->{uri_param}});
     }
diff --git a/lib/Elastijk/oo.pm b/lib/Elastijk/oo.pm
index 60db779..b6020ce 100644
--- a/lib/Elastijk/oo.pm
+++ b/lib/Elastijk/oo.pm
@@ -61,8 +61,20 @@ sub post {
 }
 
 sub exists {
-    my $self = shift;
-    my ($status,$res) = $self->request(method => "HEAD", @_);
+    my ($self, %args) = @_;
+    my $index = exists($args{index}) ? $args{index} : $self->{index};
+
+    my ($status,$res);
+    $res = $self->request(method => "GET", path => '/');
+
+    if (($res->{version}{number} ge '6') && $index && exists($args{type}) && !exists($args{id})) {
+        # https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/6.0/indices-types-exists.html
+        my $path = '/' . $index . '/_mappings/' . $args{type};
+        ($status,$res) = $self->request(method => "GET", path => $path);
+    } else {
+        ($status,$res) = $self->request(method => "HEAD", %args);
+    }
+
     return ($status,'2' eq substr($status,0,1));
 }
 
diff --git a/t/live-oo-index-create-and-delete.t b/t/live-oo-index-create-and-delete.t
index aa3e4c6..22e7825 100644
--- a/t/live-oo-index-create-and-delete.t
+++ b/t/live-oo-index-create-and-delete.t
@@ -11,14 +11,23 @@ unless ($ENV{TEST_LIVE}) {
 use Elastijk;
 
 my $es = Elastijk->new( host => "localhost", port => "9200" );
+
+my $res = $es->get(path => '/');
+my $es_server_version = $res->{version}{number};
+my $es_version_6_or_newer = ($es_server_version ge '6.0.0');
+
 my $test_index_name = "test_index_$$";
-my $res;
 
 subtest "create an index with settings and mappings" => sub {
     # Check if the index exists
     $res = $es->exists( index => $test_index_name );
     ok !$res, "The index $test_index_name should not exist because we have not created it yet.";
 
+    my $Str = { type => "string" };
+    if ($es_version_6_or_newer) {
+        $Str = { type => 'text' };
+    }
+
     # Create an index with settings and mappings.
     $res = $es->put(
         index => $test_index_name,
@@ -32,8 +41,8 @@ subtest "create an index with settings and mappings" => sub {
             mappings => {
                 cafe => {
                     properties => {
-                        name => { type => "string" },
-                        address => { type => "string" }
+                        name => $Str,
+                        address => $Str,
                     }
                 }
             }