diff --git a/lib/chewy/journal.rb b/lib/chewy/journal.rb
index e012eef9f..68970e732 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
@@ -80,13 +82,30 @@ def create
       end
 
       def delete!
-        Chewy.client.delete_by_query index: index_name, body: { query: { match_all: {} } }
-        Chewy.wait_for_status
+        delete or raise Elasticsearch::Transport::Transport::Errors::NotFound
+      end
+
+      def delete
+        result = Chewy.client.indices.delete index: index_name
+        Chewy.wait_for_status if result
+        result
+      rescue Elasticsearch::Transport::Transport::Errors::NotFound
+        false
       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
+        count
       end
 
       def exists?
diff --git a/spec/chewy/journal_spec.rb b/spec/chewy/journal_spec.rb
index abdd79566..3af63a0eb 100644
--- a/spec/chewy/journal_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/chewy/journal_spec.rb
@@ -154,11 +154,13 @@ def timestamp(time)
         Chewy::Journal.apply_changes_from(time)
         expect(PlacesIndex::City.all.to_a.length).to eq 2
 
-        Chewy::Journal.clean_until(import_time)
+        expect(Chewy::Journal.clean_until(import_time)).to eq 7
         expect(Chewy.client.count(index: Chewy::Journal.index_name)['count']).to eq 2
 
-        Chewy::Journal.delete!
-        expect(Chewy.client.count(index: Chewy::Journal.index_name)['count']).to eq 0
+        expect(Chewy::Journal.delete!).to be_truthy
+        expect { Chewy::Journal.delete! }.to raise_error(Elasticsearch::Transport::Transport::Errors::NotFound)
+        expect(Chewy::Journal.delete).to eq false
+        expect(Chewy::Journal.exists?).to eq false
       end
     end
   end