diff --git a/index_alias_impl.go b/index_alias_impl.go
index 3c7cdcd32..73cc637f7 100644
--- a/index_alias_impl.go
+++ b/index_alias_impl.go
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ type indexAliasImpl struct {
 	name    string
 	indexes []Index
 	mutex   sync.RWMutex
+	mapping mapping.IndexMapping
 	open    bool
 }
 
@@ -360,6 +361,10 @@ func (i *indexAliasImpl) Mapping() mapping.IndexMapping {
 		return nil
 	}
 
+	if i.mapping != nil {
+		return i.mapping
+	}
+
 	err := i.isAliasToSingleIndex()
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil
diff --git a/mapping/document.go b/mapping/document.go
index 5d70af912..b470afaa4 100644
--- a/mapping/document.go
+++ b/mapping/document.go
@@ -40,11 +40,12 @@ import (
 // are used.  To disable this automatic handling, set
 // Dynamic to false.
 type DocumentMapping struct {
-	Enabled         bool                        `json:"enabled"`
-	Dynamic         bool                        `json:"dynamic"`
-	Properties      map[string]*DocumentMapping `json:"properties,omitempty"`
-	Fields          []*FieldMapping             `json:"fields,omitempty"`
-	DefaultAnalyzer string                      `json:"default_analyzer,omitempty"`
+	Enabled              bool                        `json:"enabled"`
+	Dynamic              bool                        `json:"dynamic"`
+	Properties           map[string]*DocumentMapping `json:"properties,omitempty"`
+	Fields               []*FieldMapping             `json:"fields,omitempty"`
+	DefaultAnalyzer      string                      `json:"default_analyzer,omitempty"`
+	DefaultSynonymSource string                      `json:"default_synonym_source,omitempty"`
 
 	// StructTagKey overrides "json" when looking for field names in struct tags
 	StructTagKey string `json:"struct_tag_key,omitempty"`
@@ -306,6 +307,11 @@ func (dm *DocumentMapping) UnmarshalJSON(data []byte) error {
 			if err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
+		case "default_synonym_source":
+			err := util.UnmarshalJSON(v, &dm.DefaultSynonymSource)
+			if err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
 		case "properties":
 			err := util.UnmarshalJSON(v, &dm.Properties)
 			if err != nil {
@@ -349,6 +355,22 @@ func (dm *DocumentMapping) defaultAnalyzerName(path []string) string {
 	return rv
 }
 
+func (dm *DocumentMapping) defaultSynonymSource(path []string) string {
+	current := dm
+	rv := current.DefaultSynonymSource
+	for _, pathElement := range path {
+		var ok bool
+		current, ok = current.Properties[pathElement]
+		if !ok {
+			break
+		}
+		if current.DefaultSynonymSource != "" {
+			rv = current.DefaultSynonymSource
+		}
+	}
+	return rv
+}
+
 func (dm *DocumentMapping) walkDocument(data interface{}, path []string, indexes []uint64, context *walkContext) {
 	// allow default "json" tag to be overridden
 	structTagKey := dm.StructTagKey
diff --git a/mapping/index.go b/mapping/index.go
index 36b423108..feb7634a9 100644
--- a/mapping/index.go
+++ b/mapping/index.go
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ type IndexMappingImpl struct {
 	DefaultType           string                      `json:"default_type"`
 	DefaultAnalyzer       string                      `json:"default_analyzer"`
 	DefaultDateTimeParser string                      `json:"default_datetime_parser"`
+	DefaultSynonymSource  string                      `json:"default_synonym_source"`
 	DefaultField          string                      `json:"default_field"`
 	StoreDynamic          bool                        `json:"store_dynamic"`
 	IndexDynamic          bool                        `json:"index_dynamic"`
@@ -268,6 +269,11 @@ func (im *IndexMappingImpl) UnmarshalJSON(data []byte) error {
 			if err != nil {
 				return err
 			}
+		case "default_synonym_source":
+			err := util.UnmarshalJSON(v, &im.DefaultSynonymSource)
+			if err != nil {
+				return err
+			}
 		case "default_field":
 			err := util.UnmarshalJSON(v, &im.DefaultField)
 			if err != nil {
@@ -517,7 +523,25 @@ func (im *IndexMappingImpl) SynonymSourceForPath(path string) string {
 		}
 	}
 
-	return ""
+	// next we will try default synonym sources for the path
+	pathDecoded := decodePath(path)
+	for _, docMapping := range im.TypeMapping {
+		if docMapping.Enabled {
+			rv := docMapping.defaultSynonymSource(pathDecoded)
+			if rv != "" {
+				return rv
+			}
+		}
+	}
+	// now the default analyzer for the default mapping
+	if im.DefaultMapping.Enabled {
+		rv := im.DefaultMapping.defaultSynonymSource(pathDecoded)
+		if rv != "" {
+			return rv
+		}
+	}
+
+	return im.DefaultSynonymSource
 }
 
 func (im *IndexMappingImpl) SynonymCount() int {