diff --git a/config/custom-environment-variables.json b/config/custom-environment-variables.json
index b927d972..db6f6543 100644
--- a/config/custom-environment-variables.json
+++ b/config/custom-environment-variables.json
@@ -14,7 +14,8 @@
     "timelineIndexName": "TIMELINES_ES_INDEX_NAME",
     "timelineDocType": "TIMELINES_ES_DOC_TYPE",
     "metadataIndexName": "METADATA_ES_INDEX_NAME",
-    "metadataDocType": "METADATA_ES_DOC_TYPE"
+    "metadataDocType": "METADATA_ES_DOC_TYPE",
+    "metadataDocDefaultId": "METADATA_ES_DOC_DEFAULT_ID"
   },
   "rabbitmqURL": "RABBITMQ_URL",
   "pubsubQueueName": "PUBSUB_QUEUE_NAME",
diff --git a/config/default.json b/config/default.json
index ccca74c6..5e566e1c 100644
--- a/config/default.json
+++ b/config/default.json
@@ -25,7 +25,8 @@
     "timelineIndexName": "timelines",
     "timelineDocType": "doc",
     "metadataIndexName": "metadata",
-    "metadataDocType": "doc"
+    "metadataDocType": "doc",
+    "metadataDocDefaultId": 1
   },
   "connectProjectUrl":"",
   "dbConfig": {
diff --git a/src/utils/es.js b/src/utils/es.js
index c404001a..77663615 100644
--- a/src/utils/es.js
+++ b/src/utils/es.js
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import { MAPPINGS } from './es-config';
 
 const ES_METADATA_INDEX = config.get('elasticsearchConfig.metadataIndexName');
 const ES_METADATA_TYPE = config.get('elasticsearchConfig.metadataDocType');
+const ES_METADATA_DEFAULT_ID = config.get('elasticsearchConfig.metadataDocDefaultId');
 
 const eClient = util.getElasticSearchClient();
 
@@ -52,7 +53,9 @@ const modelConfigs = {
  */
 async function indexMetadata() {
   const modelNames = _.keys(modelConfigs);
-  const body = {};
+  const body = {
+    id: ES_METADATA_DEFAULT_ID,
+  };
 
   for (let i = 0; i < modelNames.length; i += 1) {
     const modelName = modelNames[i];
@@ -67,6 +70,7 @@ async function indexMetadata() {
   return eClient.index({
     index: ES_METADATA_INDEX,
     type: ES_METADATA_TYPE,
+    id: ES_METADATA_DEFAULT_ID,
     body,
     refresh: 'wait_for',
   });