diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/DocWriteRequest.java b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/DocWriteRequest.java
index 87611099b2207..d2fab169b60a0 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/DocWriteRequest.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/DocWriteRequest.java
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 import org.elasticsearch.action.index.IndexRequest;
 import org.elasticsearch.action.support.IndicesOptions;
 import org.elasticsearch.action.update.UpdateRequest;
+import org.elasticsearch.cluster.routing.IndexRouting;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.io.stream.StreamInput;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.io.stream.StreamOutput;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.lucene.uid.Versions;
@@ -140,6 +141,11 @@ public interface DocWriteRequest<T> extends IndicesRequest, Accountable {
      */
     boolean isRequireAlias();
 
+    /**
+     * Pick the appropriate shard id to receive this request.
+     */
+    int route(IndexRouting indexRouting);
+
     /**
      * Requested operation type to perform on the document
      */
diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/bulk/TransportBulkAction.java b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/bulk/TransportBulkAction.java
index 1043107d4e7b4..a0121b0e2d85a 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/bulk/TransportBulkAction.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/bulk/TransportBulkAction.java
@@ -525,7 +525,6 @@ protected void doRun() {
 
                     IndexRouting indexRouting = concreteIndices.routing(concreteIndex);
 
-                    int shardId;
                     switch (docWriteRequest.opType()) {
                         case CREATE:
                         case INDEX:
@@ -534,24 +533,17 @@ protected void doRun() {
                             IndexRequest indexRequest = (IndexRequest) docWriteRequest;
                             indexRequest.resolveRouting(metadata);
                             indexRequest.process();
-                            shardId = indexRouting.indexShard(
-                                docWriteRequest.id(),
-                                docWriteRequest.routing(),
-                                indexRequest.getContentType(),
-                                indexRequest.source()
-                            );
                             break;
                         case UPDATE:
                             docWriteRequest.routing(metadata.resolveWriteIndexRouting(docWriteRequest.routing(), docWriteRequest.index()));
-                            shardId = indexRouting.updateShard(docWriteRequest.id(), docWriteRequest.routing());
                             break;
                         case DELETE:
                             docWriteRequest.routing(metadata.resolveWriteIndexRouting(docWriteRequest.routing(), docWriteRequest.index()));
-                            shardId = indexRouting.deleteShard(docWriteRequest.id(), docWriteRequest.routing());
                             break;
                         default:
                             throw new AssertionError("request type not supported: [" + docWriteRequest.opType() + "]");
                     }
+                    int shardId = docWriteRequest.route(indexRouting);
                     List<BulkItemRequest> shardRequests = requestsByShard.computeIfAbsent(
                         new ShardId(concreteIndex, shardId),
                         shard -> new ArrayList<>()
diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/delete/DeleteRequest.java b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/delete/DeleteRequest.java
index 9ca64ece1b5e5..35d7e5c332d92 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/delete/DeleteRequest.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/delete/DeleteRequest.java
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@
 import org.elasticsearch.action.CompositeIndicesRequest;
 import org.elasticsearch.action.DocWriteRequest;
 import org.elasticsearch.action.support.replication.ReplicatedWriteRequest;
+import org.elasticsearch.cluster.routing.IndexRouting;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.Strings;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.io.stream.StreamInput;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.io.stream.StreamOutput;
@@ -232,6 +233,11 @@ public boolean isRequireAlias() {
         return false;
     }
 
+    @Override
+    public int route(IndexRouting indexRouting) {
+        return indexRouting.deleteShard(id, routing);
+    }
+
     @Override
     public void writeTo(StreamOutput out) throws IOException {
         super.writeTo(out);
diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/index/IndexRequest.java b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/index/IndexRequest.java
index 9605844ce32ec..f5dc23c1cafc7 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/index/IndexRequest.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/index/IndexRequest.java
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 import org.elasticsearch.action.support.replication.ReplicationRequest;
 import org.elasticsearch.client.Requests;
 import org.elasticsearch.cluster.metadata.Metadata;
+import org.elasticsearch.cluster.routing.IndexRouting;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.UUIDs;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.bytes.BytesArray;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.bytes.BytesReference;
@@ -722,6 +723,12 @@ public boolean isRequireAlias() {
         return requireAlias;
     }
 
+    @Override
+    public int route(IndexRouting indexRouting) {
+        assert id != null : "route must be called after process";
+        return indexRouting.indexShard(id, routing, contentType, source);
+    }
+
     public IndexRequest setRequireAlias(boolean requireAlias) {
         this.requireAlias = requireAlias;
         return this;
diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/update/UpdateRequest.java b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/update/UpdateRequest.java
index fa096b921574a..80dde6124cac7 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/update/UpdateRequest.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/update/UpdateRequest.java
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 import org.elasticsearch.action.support.WriteRequest;
 import org.elasticsearch.action.support.replication.ReplicationRequest;
 import org.elasticsearch.action.support.single.instance.InstanceShardOperationRequest;
+import org.elasticsearch.cluster.routing.IndexRouting;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.Strings;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.bytes.BytesReference;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.io.stream.StreamInput;
@@ -830,6 +831,11 @@ public boolean isRequireAlias() {
         return requireAlias;
     }
 
+    @Override
+    public int route(IndexRouting indexRouting) {
+        return indexRouting.updateShard(id, routing);
+    }
+
     public UpdateRequest setRequireAlias(boolean requireAlias) {
         this.requireAlias = requireAlias;
         return this;