diff --git a/src/es_archiver/lib/indices/__tests__/create_index_stream.js b/src/es_archiver/lib/indices/__tests__/create_index_stream.js
index d2a5f658a17a..836fdd10b27f 100644
--- a/src/es_archiver/lib/indices/__tests__/create_index_stream.js
+++ b/src/es_archiver/lib/indices/__tests__/create_index_stream.js
@@ -80,6 +80,29 @@ describe('esArchiver: createCreateIndexStream()', () => {
       ]);
     });
 
+    it('creates aliases', async () => {
+      const client = createStubClient();
+      const stats = createStubStats();
+      await createPromiseFromStreams([
+        createListStream([
+          createStubIndexRecord('index', { foo: { } }),
+          createStubDocRecord('index', 1),
+        ]),
+        createCreateIndexStream({ client, stats }),
+        createConcatStream([])
+      ]);
+
+      sinon.assert.calledWith(client.indices.create, {
+        method: 'PUT',
+        index: 'index',
+        body: {
+          settings: undefined,
+          mappings: undefined,
+          aliases: { foo: {} },
+        },
+      });
+    });
+
     it('passes through records with unknown types', async () => {
       const client = createStubClient();
       const stats = createStubStats();
diff --git a/src/es_archiver/lib/indices/__tests__/generate_index_records_stream.js b/src/es_archiver/lib/indices/__tests__/generate_index_records_stream.js
index 1bbff645e49c..05826e7c6d10 100644
--- a/src/es_archiver/lib/indices/__tests__/generate_index_records_stream.js
+++ b/src/es_archiver/lib/indices/__tests__/generate_index_records_stream.js
@@ -98,4 +98,25 @@ describe('esArchiver: createGenerateIndexRecordsStream()', () => {
     expect(indexRecords[2]).to.have.property('value');
     expect(indexRecords[2].value).to.have.property('index', 'index3');
   });
+
+  it('understands aliases', async () => {
+    const stats = createStubStats();
+    const client = createStubClient(['index1'], { index1: { foo: {} } });
+
+    const indexRecords = await createPromiseFromStreams([
+      createListStream(['index1']),
+      createGenerateIndexRecordsStream(client, stats),
+      createConcatStream([]),
+    ]);
+
+    expect(indexRecords).to.eql([{
+      type: 'index',
+      value: {
+        index: 'index1',
+        settings: {},
+        mappings: {},
+        aliases: { foo: {} },
+      }
+    }]);
+  });
 });
diff --git a/src/es_archiver/lib/indices/__tests__/stubs.js b/src/es_archiver/lib/indices/__tests__/stubs.js
index cdef76721150..4fe7047cbf93 100644
--- a/src/es_archiver/lib/indices/__tests__/stubs.js
+++ b/src/es_archiver/lib/indices/__tests__/stubs.js
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ import sinon from 'sinon';
 
 export const createStubStats = () => ({
   createdIndex: sinon.stub(),
+  createdAliases: sinon.stub(),
   deletedIndex: sinon.stub(),
   skippedIndex: sinon.stub(),
   archivedIndex: sinon.stub(),
@@ -35,9 +36,9 @@ export const createStubStats = () => ({
   },
 });
 
-export const createStubIndexRecord = (index) => ({
+export const createStubIndexRecord = (index, aliases = {}) => ({
   type: 'index',
-  value: { index }
+  value: { index, aliases }
 });
 
 export const createStubDocRecord = (index, id) => ({
@@ -55,7 +56,7 @@ const createEsClientError = (errorType) => {
   return err;
 };
 
-export const createStubClient = (existingIndices = []) => ({
+export const createStubClient = (existingIndices = [], aliases = {}) => ({
   indices: {
     get: sinon.spy(async ({ index }) => {
       if (!existingIndices.includes(index)) {
@@ -69,6 +70,19 @@ export const createStubClient = (existingIndices = []) => ({
         }
       };
     }),
+    getAlias: sinon.spy(({ index }) => {
+      return Promise.resolve({ [index]: { aliases: aliases[index] || {} } });
+    }),
+    updateAliases: sinon.spy(async ({ body }) => {
+      body.actions.forEach(({ add: { index, alias } }) => {
+        if (!existingIndices.includes(index)) {
+          throw createEsClientError('index_not_found_exception');
+        }
+        existingIndices.push({ index, alias });
+      });
+
+      return { ok: true };
+    }),
     create: sinon.spy(async ({ index }) => {
       if (existingIndices.includes(index)) {
         throw createEsClientError('resource_already_exists_exception');
diff --git a/src/es_archiver/lib/indices/create_index_stream.js b/src/es_archiver/lib/indices/create_index_stream.js
index 8f5305fe3cfc..251fa6fddf34 100644
--- a/src/es_archiver/lib/indices/create_index_stream.js
+++ b/src/es_archiver/lib/indices/create_index_stream.js
@@ -35,14 +35,14 @@ export function createCreateIndexStream({ client, stats, skipExisting, log }) {
   }
 
   async function handleIndex(stream, record) {
-    const { index, settings, mappings } = record.value;
+    const { index, settings, mappings, aliases } = record.value;
 
     async function attemptToCreate(attemptNumber = 1) {
       try {
         await client.indices.create({
           method: 'PUT',
           index,
-          body: { settings, mappings },
+          body: { settings, mappings, aliases },
         });
         stats.createdIndex(index, { settings });
       } catch (err) {
diff --git a/src/es_archiver/lib/indices/generate_index_records_stream.js b/src/es_archiver/lib/indices/generate_index_records_stream.js
index 7c2b7fb5d631..df74fba63566 100644
--- a/src/es_archiver/lib/indices/generate_index_records_stream.js
+++ b/src/es_archiver/lib/indices/generate_index_records_stream.js
@@ -38,7 +38,9 @@ export function createGenerateIndexRecordsStream(client, stats) {
           ]
         });
 
+        const { [index]: { aliases } } = await client.indices.getAlias({ index });
         const { settings, mappings } = resp[index];
+
         stats.archivedIndex(index, { settings, mappings });
         callback(null, {
           type: 'index',
@@ -46,6 +48,7 @@ export function createGenerateIndexRecordsStream(client, stats) {
             index,
             settings,
             mappings,
+            aliases,
           }
         });
       } catch (err) {