diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/TransportSearchAction.java b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/TransportSearchAction.java
index 519f2c88e0e58..694574a3e26af 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/TransportSearchAction.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/TransportSearchAction.java
@@ -80,6 +80,7 @@
 import java.util.function.Function;
 import java.util.function.LongSupplier;
 
+import static org.elasticsearch.action.search.SearchType.DFS_QUERY_THEN_FETCH;
 import static org.elasticsearch.action.search.SearchType.QUERY_THEN_FETCH;
 
 public class TransportSearchAction extends HandledTransportAction<SearchRequest, SearchResponse> {
@@ -248,6 +249,9 @@ static boolean shouldMinimizeRoundtrips(SearchRequest searchRequest) {
         if (searchRequest.scroll() != null) {
             return false;
         }
+        if (searchRequest.searchType() == DFS_QUERY_THEN_FETCH) {
+            return false;
+        }
         SearchSourceBuilder source = searchRequest.source();
         return source == null || source.collapse() == null || source.collapse().getInnerHits() == null ||
             source.collapse().getInnerHits().isEmpty();
diff --git a/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/TransportSearchActionTests.java b/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/TransportSearchActionTests.java
index 9a9524d0ff57e..eaaacbd5d9242 100644
--- a/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/TransportSearchActionTests.java
+++ b/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/TransportSearchActionTests.java
@@ -805,6 +805,11 @@ public void testShouldMinimizeRoundtrips() throws Exception {
             collapseBuilder.setInnerHits(new InnerHitBuilder("inner"));
             assertFalse(TransportSearchAction.shouldMinimizeRoundtrips(searchRequest));
         }
+        {
+            SearchRequest searchRequest = new SearchRequest();
+            searchRequest.searchType(SearchType.DFS_QUERY_THEN_FETCH);
+            assertFalse(TransportSearchAction.shouldMinimizeRoundtrips(searchRequest));
+        }
         {
             SearchRequestTests searchRequestTests = new SearchRequestTests();
             searchRequestTests.setUp();