diff --git a/src/server/saved_objects/migrations/core/call_cluster.ts b/src/server/saved_objects/migrations/core/call_cluster.ts
index 656b14d18a5a..e9533691d34f 100644
--- a/src/server/saved_objects/migrations/core/call_cluster.ts
+++ b/src/server/saved_objects/migrations/core/call_cluster.ts
@@ -87,10 +87,8 @@ export interface IndexCreationOpts {
   body?: {
     mappings?: IndexMapping;
     settings?: {
-      index: {
-        number_of_shards: string;
-        number_of_replicas: string;
-      };
+      number_of_shards: number;
+      auto_expand_replicas: string;
     };
   };
 }
diff --git a/src/server/saved_objects/migrations/core/elastic_index.test.ts b/src/server/saved_objects/migrations/core/elastic_index.test.ts
index 90cc62c3799a..e2a27e7523aa 100644
--- a/src/server/saved_objects/migrations/core/elastic_index.test.ts
+++ b/src/server/saved_objects/migrations/core/elastic_index.test.ts
@@ -98,7 +98,10 @@ describe('ElasticIndex', () => {
     test('calls indices.create', async () => {
       const callCluster = sinon.spy(async (path: string, { body, index }: any) => {
         expect(path).toEqual('indices.create');
-        expect(body).toEqual({ mappings: { foo: 'bar' } });
+        expect(body).toEqual({
+          mappings: { foo: 'bar' },
+          settings: { auto_expand_replicas: '0-1', number_of_shards: 1 },
+        });
         expect(index).toEqual('.abcd');
       });
 
@@ -248,6 +251,7 @@ describe('ElasticIndex', () => {
                   properties: { foo: 'bar' },
                 },
               },
+              settings: { auto_expand_replicas: '0-1', number_of_shards: 1 },
             });
             expect(arg.index).toEqual('.ze-index');
             return true;
diff --git a/src/server/saved_objects/migrations/core/elastic_index.ts b/src/server/saved_objects/migrations/core/elastic_index.ts
index 2e28ca0ac5b0..8e21964c7d37 100644
--- a/src/server/saved_objects/migrations/core/elastic_index.ts
+++ b/src/server/saved_objects/migrations/core/elastic_index.ts
@@ -31,6 +31,8 @@ import { AliasAction, CallCluster, IndexMapping, NotFound, RawDoc } from './call
 // tslint:disable-next-line:no-var-requires
 const { getTypes } = require('../../../mappings');
 
+const settings = { number_of_shards: 1, auto_expand_replicas: '0-1' };
+
 export interface FullIndexInfo {
   aliases: { [name: string]: object };
   exists: boolean;
@@ -213,7 +215,7 @@ export async function createIndex(
   index: string,
   mappings?: IndexMapping
 ) {
-  await callCluster('indices.create', { body: { mappings }, index });
+  await callCluster('indices.create', { body: { mappings, settings }, index });
 }
 
 export async function deleteIndex(callCluster: CallCluster, index: string) {
@@ -236,7 +238,7 @@ export async function convertToAlias(
   batchSize: number
 ) {
   await callCluster('indices.create', {
-    body: { mappings: info.mappings },
+    body: { mappings: info.mappings, settings },
     index: info.indexName,
   });
 
diff --git a/src/server/saved_objects/migrations/core/index_migrator.test.ts b/src/server/saved_objects/migrations/core/index_migrator.test.ts
index 51eb3e424c7e..c28f03b5eab1 100644
--- a/src/server/saved_objects/migrations/core/index_migrator.test.ts
+++ b/src/server/saved_objects/migrations/core/index_migrator.test.ts
@@ -86,6 +86,7 @@ describe('IndexMigrator', () => {
             },
           },
         },
+        settings: { number_of_shards: 1, auto_expand_replicas: '0-1' },
       },
       index: '.kibana_1',
     });
@@ -197,6 +198,7 @@ describe('IndexMigrator', () => {
             },
           },
         },
+        settings: { number_of_shards: 1, auto_expand_replicas: '0-1' },
       },
       index: '.kibana_2',
     });