diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/DocWriteRequest.java b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/DocWriteRequest.java
index d2fab169b60a0..3d05f5e2558e9 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/DocWriteRequest.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/DocWriteRequest.java
@@ -141,6 +141,11 @@ public interface DocWriteRequest<T> extends IndicesRequest, Accountable {
      */
     boolean isRequireAlias();
 
+    /**
+     * Finalize the request before executing or routing it.
+     */
+    void process();
+
     /**
      * Pick the appropriate shard id to receive this request.
      */
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 b16891db54918..851a45af20ec3 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/bulk/TransportBulkAction.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/bulk/TransportBulkAction.java
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 import org.elasticsearch.action.ActionListener;
 import org.elasticsearch.action.ActionRunnable;
 import org.elasticsearch.action.DocWriteRequest;
+import org.elasticsearch.action.DocWriteRequest.OpType;
 import org.elasticsearch.action.DocWriteResponse;
 import org.elasticsearch.action.RoutingMissingException;
 import org.elasticsearch.action.admin.indices.create.AutoCreateAction;
@@ -523,26 +524,14 @@ protected void doRun() {
                         throw new IllegalArgumentException("only write ops with an op_type of create are allowed in data streams");
                     }
 
-                    IndexRouting indexRouting = concreteIndices.routing(concreteIndex);
-
-                    switch (docWriteRequest.opType()) {
-                        case CREATE:
-                        case INDEX:
-                            prohibitAppendWritesInBackingIndices(docWriteRequest, metadata);
-                            prohibitCustomRoutingOnDataStream(docWriteRequest, metadata);
-                            IndexRequest indexRequest = (IndexRequest) docWriteRequest;
-                            indexRequest.resolveRouting(metadata);
-                            indexRequest.process();
-                            break;
-                        case UPDATE:
-                            docWriteRequest.routing(metadata.resolveWriteIndexRouting(docWriteRequest.routing(), docWriteRequest.index()));
-                            break;
-                        case DELETE:
-                            docWriteRequest.routing(metadata.resolveWriteIndexRouting(docWriteRequest.routing(), docWriteRequest.index()));
-                            break;
-                        default:
-                            throw new AssertionError("request type not supported: [" + docWriteRequest.opType() + "]");
+                    if (docWriteRequest.opType() == OpType.CREATE || docWriteRequest.opType() == OpType.INDEX) {
+                        prohibitAppendWritesInBackingIndices(docWriteRequest, metadata);
+                        prohibitCustomRoutingOnDataStream(docWriteRequest, metadata);
                     }
+                    docWriteRequest.routing(metadata.resolveWriteIndexRouting(docWriteRequest.routing(), docWriteRequest.index()));
+                    docWriteRequest.process();
+
+                    IndexRouting indexRouting = concreteIndices.routing(concreteIndex);
                     int shardId = docWriteRequest.route(indexRouting);
                     List<BulkItemRequest> shardRequests = requestsByShard.computeIfAbsent(
                         new ShardId(concreteIndex, shardId),
diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/bulk/TransportShardBulkAction.java b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/bulk/TransportShardBulkAction.java
index b93fa14b19d5d..7a095b5281a33 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/bulk/TransportShardBulkAction.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/bulk/TransportShardBulkAction.java
@@ -265,6 +265,7 @@ static boolean executeBulkItemRequest(
     ) throws Exception {
         final DocWriteRequest.OpType opType = context.getCurrent().opType();
 
+        // Translate update requests into index or delete requests which can be executed directly
         final UpdateHelper.Result updateResult;
         if (opType == DocWriteRequest.OpType.UPDATE) {
             final UpdateRequest updateRequest = (UpdateRequest) context.getCurrent();
@@ -279,24 +280,14 @@ static boolean executeBulkItemRequest(
                 context.markAsCompleted(context.getExecutionResult());
                 return true;
             }
-            // execute translated update request
-            switch (updateResult.getResponseResult()) {
-                case CREATED:
-                case UPDATED:
-                    IndexRequest indexRequest = updateResult.action();
-                    indexRequest.process();
-                    context.setRequestToExecute(indexRequest);
-                    break;
-                case DELETED:
-                    context.setRequestToExecute(updateResult.action());
-                    break;
-                case NOOP:
-                    context.markOperationAsNoOp(updateResult.action());
-                    context.markAsCompleted(context.getExecutionResult());
-                    return true;
-                default:
-                    throw new IllegalStateException("Illegal update operation " + updateResult.getResponseResult());
+            if (updateResult.getResponseResult() == DocWriteResponse.Result.NOOP) {
+                context.markOperationAsNoOp(updateResult.action());
+                context.markAsCompleted(context.getExecutionResult());
+                return true;
             }
+            DocWriteRequest<?> translated = updateResult.action();
+            translated.process();
+            context.setRequestToExecute(translated);
         } else {
             context.setRequestToExecute(context.getCurrent());
             updateResult = null;
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 35d7e5c332d92..7a48eb90ab722 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/delete/DeleteRequest.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/delete/DeleteRequest.java
@@ -233,6 +233,11 @@ public boolean isRequireAlias() {
         return false;
     }
 
+    @Override
+    public void process() {
+        // Nothing to do
+    }
+
     @Override
     public int route(IndexRouting indexRouting) {
         return indexRouting.deleteShard(id, routing);
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 f5dc23c1cafc7..b9ac0e9dec2a5 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/index/IndexRequest.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/index/IndexRequest.java
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@
 import org.elasticsearch.action.support.replication.ReplicatedWriteRequest;
 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;
@@ -588,6 +587,7 @@ public VersionType versionType() {
         return this.versionType;
     }
 
+    @Override
     public void process() {
         if ("".equals(id)) {
             throw new IllegalArgumentException("if _id is specified it must not be empty");
@@ -604,11 +604,6 @@ public void process() {
         }
     }
 
-    /* resolve the routing if needed */
-    public void resolveRouting(Metadata metadata) {
-        routing(metadata.resolveWriteIndexRouting(routing, index));
-    }
-
     public void checkAutoIdWithOpTypeCreateSupportedByVersion(Version version) {
         if (id == null && opType == OpType.CREATE && version.before(Version.V_7_5_0)) {
             throw new IllegalArgumentException(
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 80dde6124cac7..a0014e8e46d5a 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/update/UpdateRequest.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/update/UpdateRequest.java
@@ -831,6 +831,11 @@ public boolean isRequireAlias() {
         return requireAlias;
     }
 
+    @Override
+    public void process() {
+        // Nothing to do
+    }
+
     @Override
     public int route(IndexRouting indexRouting) {
         return indexRouting.updateShard(id, routing);