diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/indices/mapping/put/PutMappingRequest.java b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/indices/mapping/put/PutMappingRequest.java
index dfd50cf8cfd44..d15e390532e78 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/indices/mapping/put/PutMappingRequest.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/indices/mapping/put/PutMappingRequest.java
@@ -308,7 +308,7 @@ public void readFrom(StreamInput in) throws IOException {
         indicesOptions = IndicesOptions.readIndicesOptions(in);
         type = in.readOptionalString();
         source = in.readString();
-        if (in.getVersion().before(Version.V_6_0_0_alpha1_UNRELEASED)) { // TODO change to V_5_3 once backported
+        if (in.getVersion().before(Version.V_5_3_0)) {
             // we do not know the format from earlier versions so convert if necessary
             source = XContentHelper.convertToJson(new BytesArray(source), false, false, XContentFactory.xContentType(source));
         }
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/indices/template/put/PutIndexTemplateRequest.java b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/indices/template/put/PutIndexTemplateRequest.java
index b954aab7a6778..18060d57f0906 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/indices/template/put/PutIndexTemplateRequest.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/indices/template/put/PutIndexTemplateRequest.java
@@ -487,7 +487,7 @@ public void readFrom(StreamInput in) throws IOException {
         for (int i = 0; i < size; i++) {
             final String type = in.readString();
             String mappingSource = in.readString();
-            if (in.getVersion().before(Version.V_6_0_0_alpha1_UNRELEASED)) { // TODO change to V_5_3_0 once backported
+            if (in.getVersion().before(Version.V_5_3_0)) {
                 // we do not know the incoming type so convert it if needed
                 mappingSource =
                     XContentHelper.convertToJson(new BytesArray(mappingSource), false, false, XContentFactory.xContentType(mappingSource));
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/indices/mapping/put/PutMappingRequestTests.java b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/indices/mapping/put/PutMappingRequestTests.java
index 2870b04fdb747..69b82e232d001 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/indices/mapping/put/PutMappingRequestTests.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/indices/mapping/put/PutMappingRequestTests.java
@@ -81,14 +81,19 @@ public void testPutMappingRequestSerialization() throws IOException {
         request.source(mapping, XContentType.YAML);
         assertEquals(XContentHelper.convertToJson(new BytesArray(mapping), false, XContentType.YAML), request.source());
 
-        BytesStreamOutput bytesStreamOutput = new BytesStreamOutput();
-        request.writeTo(bytesStreamOutput);
-        StreamInput in = StreamInput.wrap(bytesStreamOutput.bytes().toBytesRef().bytes);
-        PutMappingRequest serialized = new PutMappingRequest();
-        serialized.readFrom(in);
+        final Version version = randomFrom(Version.CURRENT, Version.V_5_3_0, Version.V_5_3_1, Version.V_5_3_2, Version.V_5_4_0);
+        try (BytesStreamOutput bytesStreamOutput = new BytesStreamOutput()) {
+            bytesStreamOutput.setVersion(version);
+            request.writeTo(bytesStreamOutput);
+            try (StreamInput in = StreamInput.wrap(bytesStreamOutput.bytes().toBytesRef().bytes)) {
+                in.setVersion(version);
+                PutMappingRequest serialized = new PutMappingRequest();
+                serialized.readFrom(in);
 
-        String source = serialized.source();
-        assertEquals(XContentHelper.convertToJson(new BytesArray(mapping), false, XContentType.YAML), source);
+                String source = serialized.source();
+                assertEquals(XContentHelper.convertToJson(new BytesArray(mapping), false, XContentType.YAML), source);
+            }
+        }
     }
 
     public void testSerializationBwc() throws IOException {
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/indices/template/put/PutIndexTemplateRequestTests.java b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/indices/template/put/PutIndexTemplateRequestTests.java
index 453efb2a6059f..2137b33eb089d 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/indices/template/put/PutIndexTemplateRequestTests.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/indices/template/put/PutIndexTemplateRequestTests.java
@@ -77,13 +77,19 @@ public void testPutIndexTemplateRequestSerializationXContent() throws IOExceptio
         assertNotEquals(mapping, request.mappings().get("bar"));
         assertEquals(XContentHelper.convertToJson(new BytesArray(mapping), false, XContentType.YAML), request.mappings().get("bar"));
 
-        BytesStreamOutput out = new BytesStreamOutput();
-        request.writeTo(out);
+        final Version version = randomFrom(Version.CURRENT, Version.V_5_3_0, Version.V_5_3_1, Version.V_5_3_2, Version.V_5_4_0);
+        try (BytesStreamOutput out = new BytesStreamOutput()) {
+            out.setVersion(version);
+            request.writeTo(out);
 
-        StreamInput in = StreamInput.wrap(out.bytes().toBytesRef().bytes);
-        PutIndexTemplateRequest serialized = new PutIndexTemplateRequest();
-        serialized.readFrom(in);
-        assertEquals(XContentHelper.convertToJson(new BytesArray(mapping), false, XContentType.YAML), serialized.mappings().get("bar"));
+            try (StreamInput in = StreamInput.wrap(out.bytes().toBytesRef().bytes)) {
+                in.setVersion(version);
+                PutIndexTemplateRequest serialized = new PutIndexTemplateRequest();
+                serialized.readFrom(in);
+                assertEquals(XContentHelper.convertToJson(new BytesArray(mapping), false, XContentType.YAML),
+                    serialized.mappings().get("bar"));
+            }
+        }
     }
 
     public void testPutIndexTemplateRequestSerializationXContentBwc() throws IOException {