diff --git a/public/app/plugins/datasource/elasticsearch/config_ctrl.ts b/public/app/plugins/datasource/elasticsearch/config_ctrl.ts
index 2a3803db998..67a82c681d4 100644
--- a/public/app/plugins/datasource/elasticsearch/config_ctrl.ts
+++ b/public/app/plugins/datasource/elasticsearch/config_ctrl.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ export class ElasticConfigCtrl {
   constructor($scope) {
     this.current.jsonData.timeField = this.current.jsonData.timeField || '@timestamp';
     this.current.jsonData.esVersion = this.current.jsonData.esVersion || 5;
+    this.current.jsonData.maxConcurrentShardRequests = this.current.jsonData.maxConcurrentShardRequests || 256;
   }
 
   indexPatternTypes = [
@@ -22,6 +23,7 @@ export class ElasticConfigCtrl {
   esVersions = [
     {name: '2.x', value: 2},
     {name: '5.x', value: 5},
+    {name: '5.6+', value: 56},
   ];
 
   indexPatternTypeChanged() {
diff --git a/public/app/plugins/datasource/elasticsearch/datasource.ts b/public/app/plugins/datasource/elasticsearch/datasource.ts
index 814b6c72da6..9b9de22eb5e 100644
--- a/public/app/plugins/datasource/elasticsearch/datasource.ts
+++ b/public/app/plugins/datasource/elasticsearch/datasource.ts
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ export class ElasticDatasource {
   timeField: string;
   esVersion: number;
   interval: string;
+  maxConcurrentShardRequests: number;
   queryBuilder: ElasticQueryBuilder;
   indexPattern: IndexPattern;
 
@@ -30,6 +31,7 @@ export class ElasticDatasource {
     this.esVersion = instanceSettings.jsonData.esVersion;
     this.indexPattern = new IndexPattern(instanceSettings.index, instanceSettings.jsonData.interval);
     this.interval = instanceSettings.jsonData.timeInterval;
+    this.maxConcurrentShardRequests = instanceSettings.jsonData.maxConcurrentShardRequests;
     this.queryBuilder = new ElasticQueryBuilder({
       timeField: this.timeField,
       esVersion: this.esVersion,
@@ -213,11 +215,15 @@ export class ElasticDatasource {
   }
 
   getQueryHeader(searchType, timeFrom, timeTo) {
-    return angular.toJson({
-        search_type: searchType,
-        "ignore_unavailable": true,
-        index: this.indexPattern.getIndexList(timeFrom, timeTo),
-    });
+    var query_header: any = {
+            search_type: searchType,
+            "ignore_unavailable": true,
+            index: this.indexPattern.getIndexList(timeFrom, timeTo),
+        };
+    if (this.esVersion >= 56) {
+        query_header["max_concurrent_shard_requests"] = this.maxConcurrentShardRequests;
+    }
+    return angular.toJson(query_header);
   }
 
   query(options) {
diff --git a/public/app/plugins/datasource/elasticsearch/partials/config.html b/public/app/plugins/datasource/elasticsearch/partials/config.html
index 8b5f3ba8a8a..42ae4265371 100644
--- a/public/app/plugins/datasource/elasticsearch/partials/config.html
+++ b/public/app/plugins/datasource/elasticsearch/partials/config.html
@@ -25,6 +25,10 @@
 		<span class="gf-form-label width-9">Version</span>
 		<select class="gf-form-input gf-size-auto" ng-model="ctrl.current.jsonData.esVersion" ng-options="f.value as f.name for f in ctrl.esVersions"></select>
 	</div>
+    <div class="gf-form max-width-30" ng-if="ctrl.current.jsonData.esVersion>=56">
+        <span class="gf-form-label width-15">Max concurrent Shard Requests</span>
+        <input class="gf-form-input" type="text"  ng-model='ctrl.current.jsonData.maxConcurrentShardRequests' placeholder="" required></input>
+    </div>
 	<div class="gf-form-inline">
 		<div class="gf-form">
 			<span class="gf-form-label width-9">Min interval</span>