diff --git a/docs/reference/api-conventions.asciidoc b/docs/reference/api-conventions.asciidoc
index 4287f61c07855..890ed88d06a12 100644
--- a/docs/reference/api-conventions.asciidoc
+++ b/docs/reference/api-conventions.asciidoc
@@ -39,7 +39,8 @@ Controls whether to fail if a wildcard indices expressions results into no
 concrete indices. Either `true` or `false` can be specified. For example if
 the wildcard expression `foo*` is specified and no indices are available that
 start with `foo` then depending on this setting the request will fail. This
-setting is also applicable when `_all`, `*` or no index has been specified.
+setting is also applicable when `_all`, `*` or no index has been specified. This
+settings also applies for aliases, in case an alias points to a closed index.
 
 `expand_wildcards`::
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/support/IndicesOptions.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/support/IndicesOptions.java
index 94a7d348585be..6a66acd54ea47 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/support/IndicesOptions.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/support/IndicesOptions.java
@@ -19,7 +19,6 @@
 package org.elasticsearch.action.support;
 
 import org.elasticsearch.ElasticsearchIllegalArgumentException;
-import org.elasticsearch.Version;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.Strings;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.io.stream.StreamInput;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.io.stream.StreamOutput;
@@ -72,6 +71,8 @@ public boolean ignoreUnavailable() {
     /**
      * @return Whether to ignore if a wildcard expression resolves to no concrete indices.
      *         The `_all` string or empty list of indices count as wildcard expressions too.
+     *         Also when an alias points to a closed index this option decides if no concrete indices
+     *         are allowed.
      */
     public boolean allowNoIndices() {
         return (id & ALLOW_NO_INDICES) != 0;
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/metadata/MetaData.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/metadata/MetaData.java
index 5d351558c0d37..6fd591fd0bb84 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/metadata/MetaData.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/metadata/MetaData.java
@@ -679,7 +679,7 @@ public String[] concreteIndices(IndicesOptions indicesOptions, String... aliases
 
         // optimize for single element index (common case)
         if (aliasesOrIndices.length == 1) {
-            return concreteIndices(aliasesOrIndices[0], indicesOptions.allowNoIndices(), indicesOptions);
+            return concreteIndices(aliasesOrIndices[0], indicesOptions, !indicesOptions.allowNoIndices());
         }
 
         // check if its a possible aliased index, if not, just return the passed array
@@ -712,7 +712,7 @@ public String[] concreteIndices(IndicesOptions indicesOptions, String... aliases
 
         Set<String> actualIndices = new HashSet<>();
         for (String aliasOrIndex : aliasesOrIndices) {
-            String[] indices = concreteIndices(aliasOrIndex, indicesOptions.ignoreUnavailable(), indicesOptions);
+            String[] indices = concreteIndices(aliasOrIndex, indicesOptions, !indicesOptions.ignoreUnavailable());
             Collections.addAll(actualIndices, indices);
         }
 
@@ -742,7 +742,7 @@ public String concreteSingleIndex(String indexOrAlias, IndicesOptions indicesOpt
         return indices[0];
     }
 
-    private String[] concreteIndices(String aliasOrIndex, boolean allowNoIndices, IndicesOptions options) throws IndexMissingException, ElasticsearchIllegalArgumentException {
+    private String[] concreteIndices(String aliasOrIndex, IndicesOptions options, boolean failNoIndices) throws IndexMissingException, ElasticsearchIllegalArgumentException {
         boolean failClosed = options.forbidClosedIndices() && !options.ignoreUnavailable();
 
         // a quick check, if this is an actual index, if so, return it
@@ -760,24 +760,53 @@ private String[] concreteIndices(String aliasOrIndex, boolean allowNoIndices, In
         }
         // not an actual index, fetch from an alias
         String[] indices = aliasAndIndexToIndexMap.getOrDefault(aliasOrIndex, Strings.EMPTY_ARRAY);
-        if (indices.length == 0 && !allowNoIndices) {
+        if (indices.length == 0 && failNoIndices) {
             throw new IndexMissingException(new Index(aliasOrIndex));
         }
         if (indices.length > 1 && !options.allowAliasesToMultipleIndices()) {
             throw new ElasticsearchIllegalArgumentException("Alias [" + aliasOrIndex + "] has more than one indices associated with it [" + Arrays.toString(indices) + "], can't execute a single index op");
         }
 
-        indexMetaData = this.indices.get(aliasOrIndex);
-        if (indexMetaData != null && indexMetaData.getState() == IndexMetaData.State.CLOSE) {
-            if (failClosed) {
-                throw new IndexClosedException(new Index(aliasOrIndex));
-            } else {
-                if (options.forbidClosedIndices()) {
-                    return Strings.EMPTY_ARRAY;
+        // No need to check whether indices referred by aliases are closed, because there are no closed indices.
+        if (allClosedIndices.length == 0) {
+            return indices;
+        }
+
+        switch (indices.length) {
+            case 0:
+                return indices;
+            case 1:
+                indexMetaData = this.indices.get(indices[0]);
+                if (indexMetaData != null && indexMetaData.getState() == IndexMetaData.State.CLOSE) {
+                    if (failClosed) {
+                        throw new IndexClosedException(new Index(indexMetaData.getIndex()));
+                    } else {
+                        if (options.forbidClosedIndices()) {
+                            return Strings.EMPTY_ARRAY;
+                        }
+                    }
                 }
-            }
+                return indices;
+            default:
+                ObjectArrayList<String> concreteIndices = new ObjectArrayList<>();
+                for (String index : indices) {
+                    indexMetaData = this.indices.get(index);
+                    if (indexMetaData != null) {
+                        if (indexMetaData.getState() == IndexMetaData.State.CLOSE) {
+                            if (failClosed) {
+                                throw new IndexClosedException(new Index(indexMetaData.getIndex()));
+                            } else if (!options.forbidClosedIndices()) {
+                                concreteIndices.add(index);
+                            }
+                        } else if (indexMetaData.getState() == IndexMetaData.State.OPEN) {
+                            concreteIndices.add(index);
+                        } else {
+                            throw new IllegalStateException("index state [" + indexMetaData.getState() + "] not supported");
+                        }
+                    }
+                }
+                return concreteIndices.toArray(String.class);
         }
-        return indices;
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/metadata/MetaDataTests.java b/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/metadata/MetaDataTests.java
index 753b5ff8945cd..a4429f949e9e9 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/metadata/MetaDataTests.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/metadata/MetaDataTests.java
@@ -718,6 +718,65 @@ public void testIsPatternMatchingAllIndices_nonMatchingTrailingWildcardAndExclus
         assertThat(metaData.isPatternMatchingAllIndices(indicesOrAliases, concreteIndices), equalTo(false));
     }
 
+    @Test
+    public void testIndexOptions_failClosedIndicesAndAliases() {
+        MetaData.Builder mdBuilder = MetaData.builder()
+                .put(indexBuilder("foo1-closed").state(IndexMetaData.State.CLOSE).putAlias(AliasMetaData.builder("foobar1-closed")).putAlias(AliasMetaData.builder("foobar2-closed")))
+                .put(indexBuilder("foo2-closed").state(IndexMetaData.State.CLOSE).putAlias(AliasMetaData.builder("foobar2-closed")))
+                .put(indexBuilder("foo3").putAlias(AliasMetaData.builder("foobar2-closed")));
+        MetaData md = mdBuilder.build();
+
+        IndicesOptions options = IndicesOptions.strictExpandOpenAndForbidClosed();
+        try {
+            md.concreteIndices(options, "foo1-closed");
+            fail("foo1-closed should be closed, but it is open");
+        } catch (IndexClosedException e) {
+            // expected
+        }
+
+        try {
+            md.concreteIndices(options, "foobar1-closed");
+            fail("foo1-closed should be closed, but it is open");
+        } catch (IndexClosedException e) {
+            // expected
+        }
+
+        options = IndicesOptions.fromOptions(true, options.allowNoIndices(), options.expandWildcardsOpen(), options.expandWildcardsClosed(), options);
+        String[] results = md.concreteIndices(options, "foo1-closed");
+        assertThat(results, emptyArray());
+
+        results = md.concreteIndices(options, "foobar1-closed");
+        assertThat(results, emptyArray());
+
+        options = IndicesOptions.lenientExpandOpen();
+        results = md.concreteIndices(options, "foo1-closed");
+        assertThat(results, arrayWithSize(1));
+        assertThat(results, arrayContaining("foo1-closed"));
+
+        results = md.concreteIndices(options, "foobar1-closed");
+        assertThat(results, arrayWithSize(1));
+        assertThat(results, arrayContaining("foo1-closed"));
+
+        // testing an alias pointing to three indices:
+        options = IndicesOptions.strictExpandOpenAndForbidClosed();
+        try {
+            md.concreteIndices(options, "foobar2-closed");
+            fail("foo2-closed should be closed, but it is open");
+        } catch (IndexClosedException e) {
+            // expected
+        }
+
+        options = IndicesOptions.fromOptions(true, options.allowNoIndices(), options.expandWildcardsOpen(), options.expandWildcardsClosed(), options);
+        results = md.concreteIndices(options, "foobar2-closed");
+        assertThat(results, arrayWithSize(1));
+        assertThat(results, arrayContaining("foo3"));
+
+        options = IndicesOptions.lenientExpandOpen();
+        results = md.concreteIndices(options, "foobar2-closed");
+        assertThat(results, arrayWithSize(3));
+        assertThat(results, arrayContainingInAnyOrder("foo1-closed", "foo2-closed", "foo3"));
+    }
+
     private MetaData metaDataBuilder(String... indices) {
         MetaData.Builder mdBuilder = MetaData.builder();
         for (String concreteIndex : indices) {