diff --git a/client/rest-high-level/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/client/RestHighLevelClient.java b/client/rest-high-level/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/client/RestHighLevelClient.java
index 7376f74839ce1..470b7778e0a51 100644
--- a/client/rest-high-level/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/client/RestHighLevelClient.java
+++ b/client/rest-high-level/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/client/RestHighLevelClient.java
@@ -177,6 +177,7 @@
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Objects;
+import java.util.Optional;
 import java.util.ServiceLoader;
 import java.util.Set;
 import java.util.function.Function;
@@ -1011,9 +1012,9 @@ protected final <Req extends Validatable, Resp> Resp performRequest(Req request,
                                                              RequestOptions options,
                                                              CheckedFunction<Response, Resp, IOException> responseConverter,
                                                              Set<Integer> ignores) throws IOException {
-        ValidationException validationException = request.validate();
-        if (validationException != null && validationException.validationErrors().isEmpty() == false) {
-            throw validationException;
+        Optional<ValidationException> validationException = request.validate();
+        if (validationException != null && validationException.isPresent()) {
+            throw validationException.get();
         }
         return internalPerformRequest(request, requestConverter, options, responseConverter, ignores);
     }
@@ -1106,9 +1107,9 @@ protected final <Req extends Validatable, Resp> void performRequestAsync(Req req
                                                                           RequestOptions options,
                                                                           CheckedFunction<Response, Resp, IOException> responseConverter,
                                                                           ActionListener<Resp> listener, Set<Integer> ignores) {
-        ValidationException validationException = request.validate();
-        if (validationException != null && validationException.validationErrors().isEmpty() == false) {
-            listener.onFailure(validationException);
+        Optional<ValidationException> validationException = request.validate();
+        if (validationException != null && validationException.isPresent()) {
+            listener.onFailure(validationException.get());
             return;
         }
         internalPerformRequestAsync(request, requestConverter, options, responseConverter, listener, ignores);
diff --git a/client/rest-high-level/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/client/Validatable.java b/client/rest-high-level/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/client/Validatable.java
index 2efff4d3663b8..fe4a1fc42cb3b 100644
--- a/client/rest-high-level/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/client/Validatable.java
+++ b/client/rest-high-level/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/client/Validatable.java
@@ -18,24 +18,20 @@
  */
 package org.elasticsearch.client;
 
+import java.util.Optional;
+
 /**
  * Defines a validation layer for Requests.
  */
 public interface Validatable {
-    ValidationException EMPTY_VALIDATION = new ValidationException() {
-        @Override
-        public void addValidationError(String error) {
-            throw new UnsupportedOperationException("Validation messages should not be added to the empty validation");
-        }
-    };
-
     /**
-     * Perform validation. This method does not have to be overridden in the event that no validation needs to be done.
+     * Perform validation. This method does not have to be overridden in the event that no validation needs to be done,
+     * or the validation was done during object construction time. A {@link ValidationException} that is not null is
+     * assumed to contain validation errors and will be thrown.
      *
-     * @return potentially null, in the event of older actions, an empty {@link ValidationException} in newer actions, or finally a
-     * {@link ValidationException} that contains a list of all failed validation.
+     * @return An {@link Optional} {@link ValidationException} that contains a list of validation errors.
      */
-    default ValidationException validate() {
-        return EMPTY_VALIDATION;
+    default Optional<ValidationException> validate() {
+        return Optional.empty();
     }
 }