diff --git a/lib/bulk/ordered.js b/lib/bulk/ordered.js
index bbfaf2fc22..dcf01d1c5b 100644
--- a/lib/bulk/ordered.js
+++ b/lib/bulk/ordered.js
@@ -515,6 +515,17 @@ var executeCommands = function(self, options, callback) {
     finalOptions.checkKeys = false;
   }
 
+  if (finalOptions.retryWrites) {
+    if (batch.batchType === common.UPDATE) {
+      finalOptions.retryWrites = finalOptions.retryWrites && !batch.operations.some(op => op.multi);
+    }
+
+    if (batch.batchType === common.REMOVE) {
+      finalOptions.retryWrites =
+        finalOptions.retryWrites && !batch.operations.some(op => op.limit === 0);
+    }
+  }
+
   try {
     if (batch.batchType === common.INSERT) {
       self.s.topology.insert(
diff --git a/lib/bulk/unordered.js b/lib/bulk/unordered.js
index 15491df10f..68bd1cf05f 100644
--- a/lib/bulk/unordered.js
+++ b/lib/bulk/unordered.js
@@ -476,6 +476,17 @@ var executeBatch = function(self, batch, options, callback) {
     finalOptions.checkKeys = false;
   }
 
+  if (finalOptions.retryWrites) {
+    if (batch.batchType === common.UPDATE) {
+      finalOptions.retryWrites = finalOptions.retryWrites && !batch.operations.some(op => op.multi);
+    }
+
+    if (batch.batchType === common.REMOVE) {
+      finalOptions.retryWrites =
+        finalOptions.retryWrites && !batch.operations.some(op => op.limit === 0);
+    }
+  }
+
   try {
     if (batch.batchType === common.INSERT) {
       self.s.topology.insert(