diff --git a/lib/chewy/journal.rb b/lib/chewy/journal.rb
index e012eef9f..fcdc5e2dd 100644
--- a/lib/chewy/journal.rb
+++ b/lib/chewy/journal.rb
@@ -12,6 +12,8 @@ class Journal
       }
     }.freeze
 
+    DELETE_BATCH_SIZE = 10_000
+
     def initialize(index)
       @records = []
       @index = index
@@ -80,12 +82,21 @@ def create
       end
 
       def delete!
-        Chewy.client.delete_by_query index: index_name, body: { query: { match_all: {} } }
-        Chewy.wait_for_status
+        Chewy.client.indices.delete index: index_name
+        create
       end
 
       def clean_until(time)
-        Chewy.client.delete_by_query index: index_name, body: query(time, :lte, :query)
+        query = query(time, :lte, :query)
+        search_query = query.merge(fields: ['_id'], size: DELETE_BATCH_SIZE)
+
+        count = Chewy.client.count(index: index_name, body: query)['count']
+
+        (count.to_f / DELETE_BATCH_SIZE).ceil.times do
+          ids = Chewy.client.search(index: index_name, body: search_query)['hits']['hits'].map { |doc| doc['_id'] }
+          Chewy.client.bulk body: ids.map { |id| {delete: {_index: index_name, _type: type_name, _id: id}} }, refresh: true
+        end
+
         Chewy.wait_for_status
       end