diff --git a/rest-api-spec/src/main/resources/rest-api-spec/test/indices.put_alias/10_basic.yml b/rest-api-spec/src/main/resources/rest-api-spec/test/indices.put_alias/10_basic.yml
index 32a5be627658b..731917ae1e423 100644
--- a/rest-api-spec/src/main/resources/rest-api-spec/test/indices.put_alias/10_basic.yml
+++ b/rest-api-spec/src/main/resources/rest-api-spec/test/indices.put_alias/10_basic.yml
@@ -59,3 +59,27 @@
       indices.put_alias:
         index: test_index
         name: foo
+
+---
+"Can set is_write_index":
+
+  - skip:
+      version: " - 6.3.99"
+      reason: "is_write_index is only available from 6.4.0 on"
+
+  - do:
+      indices.create:
+        index: test_index
+
+  - do:
+      indices.put_alias:
+        index: test_index
+        name: test_alias
+        body:
+          is_write_index: true
+
+  - do:
+      indices.get_alias:
+        index: test_index
+        name: test_alias
+  - match: {test_index.aliases.test_alias: { 'is_write_index': true }}
diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/rest/action/admin/indices/RestIndexPutAliasAction.java b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/rest/action/admin/indices/RestIndexPutAliasAction.java
index 73e9bad45a57b..6091994db96b7 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/rest/action/admin/indices/RestIndexPutAliasAction.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/rest/action/admin/indices/RestIndexPutAliasAction.java
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@ public RestChannelConsumer prepareRequest(final RestRequest request, final NodeC
         String routing = null;
         String indexRouting = null;
         String searchRouting = null;
+        Boolean writeIndex = null;
 
         if (request.hasContent()) {
             try (XContentParser parser = request.contentParser()) {
@@ -90,6 +91,8 @@ public RestChannelConsumer prepareRequest(final RestRequest request, final NodeC
                         } else if ("searchRouting".equals(currentFieldName)
                                 || "search-routing".equals(currentFieldName) || "search_routing".equals(currentFieldName)) {
                             searchRouting = parser.textOrNull();
+                        } else if ("is_write_index".equals(currentFieldName)) {
+                            writeIndex = parser.booleanValue();
                         }
                     } else if (token == XContentParser.Token.START_OBJECT) {
                         if ("filter".equals(currentFieldName)) {
@@ -117,6 +120,9 @@ public RestChannelConsumer prepareRequest(final RestRequest request, final NodeC
         if (filter != null) {
             aliasAction.filter(filter);
         }
+        if (writeIndex != null) {
+            aliasAction.writeIndex(writeIndex);
+        }
         indicesAliasesRequest.addAliasAction(aliasAction);
         return channel -> client.admin().indices().aliases(indicesAliasesRequest, new RestToXContentListener<>(channel));
     }