diff --git a/libbeat/outputs/elasticsearch/api.go b/libbeat/outputs/elasticsearch/api.go
index a0f2d0a9d0f7..91c15cf2a468 100644
--- a/libbeat/outputs/elasticsearch/api.go
+++ b/libbeat/outputs/elasticsearch/api.go
@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@ import (
 	"strconv"
 
 	"github.com/pkg/errors"
+
+	"github.com/elastic/beats/libbeat/common"
 )
 
 // QueryResult contains the result of a query.
@@ -235,6 +237,9 @@ func (es *Connection) SearchURIWithBody(
 	params map[string]string,
 	body interface{},
 ) (int, *SearchResults, error) {
+	if !es.version.LessThan(&common.Version{Major: 8}) {
+		docType = ""
+	}
 	status, resp, err := es.apiCall("GET", index, docType, "_search", "", params, body)
 	if err != nil {
 		return status, nil, err
diff --git a/libbeat/outputs/elasticsearch/api_integration_test.go b/libbeat/outputs/elasticsearch/api_integration_test.go
index 2ee8d8a123a7..31903cf60e5d 100644
--- a/libbeat/outputs/elasticsearch/api_integration_test.go
+++ b/libbeat/outputs/elasticsearch/api_integration_test.go
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ func TestIndex(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	_, result, err := client.SearchURIWithBody(index, "", nil, map[string]interface{}{})
 	if err != nil {
-		t.Errorf("SearchUriWithBody() returns an error: %s", err)
+		t.Fatalf("SearchUriWithBody() returns an error: %s", err)
 	}
 	if result.Hits.Total.Value != 1 {
 		t.Errorf("Wrong number of search results: %d", result.Hits.Total.Value)
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ func TestIndex(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	_, result, err = client.SearchURI(index, "test", params)
 	if err != nil {
-		t.Errorf("SearchUri() returns an error: %s", err)
+		t.Fatalf("SearchUri() returns an error: %s", err)
 	}
 	if result.Hits.Total.Value != 1 {
 		t.Errorf("Wrong number of search results: %d", result.Hits.Total.Value)