diff --git a/public/app/features/org/datasourceEditCtrl.js b/public/app/features/org/datasourceEditCtrl.js
index e2d5cc3d75d..dd526f69308 100644
--- a/public/app/features/org/datasourceEditCtrl.js
+++ b/public/app/features/org/datasourceEditCtrl.js
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ function (angular, _, config) {
 
     $scope.httpConfigPartialSrc = 'app/features/org/partials/datasourceHttpConfig.html';
 
-    var defaults = {name: '', type: 'graphite', url: '', access: 'proxy' };
+    var defaults = {name: '', type: 'graphite', url: '', access: 'proxy', jsonData: {'elasticsearchVersion': 2} };
 
     $scope.indexPatternTypes = [
       {name: 'No pattern',  value: undefined},
@@ -24,6 +24,12 @@ function (angular, _, config) {
       {name: 'Yearly',      value: 'Yearly',  example: '[logstash-]YYYY'},
     ];
 
+    $scope.elasticsearchVersions = [
+      {name: '0.x', value: 0},
+      {name: '1.x', value: 1},
+      {name: '2.x', value: 2},
+    ];
+
     $scope.init = function() {
       $scope.isNew = true;
       $scope.datasources = [];
diff --git a/public/app/plugins/datasource/elasticsearch/datasource.js b/public/app/plugins/datasource/elasticsearch/datasource.js
index b4c27ed1d80..642195130cd 100644
--- a/public/app/plugins/datasource/elasticsearch/datasource.js
+++ b/public/app/plugins/datasource/elasticsearch/datasource.js
@@ -23,9 +23,11 @@ function (angular, _, moment, kbn, ElasticQueryBuilder, IndexPattern, ElasticRes
       this.name = datasource.name;
       this.index = datasource.index;
       this.timeField = datasource.jsonData.timeField;
+      this.elasticsearchVersion = datasource.jsonData.elasticsearchVersion;
       this.indexPattern = new IndexPattern(datasource.index, datasource.jsonData.interval);
       this.queryBuilder = new ElasticQueryBuilder({
-        timeField: this.timeField
+        timeField: this.timeField,
+        elasticsearchVersion: this.elasticsearchVersion
       });
     }
 
diff --git a/public/app/plugins/datasource/elasticsearch/partials/config.html b/public/app/plugins/datasource/elasticsearch/partials/config.html
index d1cb05801d6..ef596a4deef 100644
--- a/public/app/plugins/datasource/elasticsearch/partials/config.html
+++ b/public/app/plugins/datasource/elasticsearch/partials/config.html
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
 	</ul>
 	<div class="clearfix"></div>
 </div>
-<div class="tight-form last">
+<div class="tight-form">
 	<ul class="tight-form-list">
 		<li class="tight-form-item" style="width: 144px">
 			Time field name
@@ -31,3 +31,14 @@
 	</ul>
 	<div class="clearfix"></div>
 </div>
+<div class="tight-form last">
+	<ul class="tight-form-list">
+		<li class="tight-form-item" style="width: 144px">
+			Elasticsearch version
+		</li>
+		<li>
+			<select class="input-medium tight-form-input" ng-model="current.jsonData.elasticsearchVersion" ng-options="f.value as f.name for f in elasticsearchVersions"></select>
+		</li>
+	</ul>
+	<div class="clearfix"></div>
+</div>
diff --git a/public/app/plugins/datasource/elasticsearch/query_builder.js b/public/app/plugins/datasource/elasticsearch/query_builder.js
index a8027d2b35f..55b37da128c 100644
--- a/public/app/plugins/datasource/elasticsearch/query_builder.js
+++ b/public/app/plugins/datasource/elasticsearch/query_builder.js
@@ -5,11 +5,18 @@ function () {
 
   function ElasticQueryBuilder(options) {
     this.timeField = options.timeField;
+    this.elasticsearchVersion = options.elasticsearchVersion;
   }
 
   ElasticQueryBuilder.prototype.getRangeFilter = function() {
     var filter = {};
     filter[this.timeField] = {"gte": "$timeFrom", "lte": "$timeTo"};
+
+    // elastic search versions 2.x require the time format to be specified
+    if (this.elasticsearchVersion >= 2) {
+      filter[this.timeField]["format"] = "epoch_millis";
+    }
+
     return filter;
   };
 
@@ -130,6 +137,10 @@ function () {
             "min_doc_count": 0,
             "extended_bounds": { "min": "$timeFrom", "max": "$timeTo" }
           };
+          // elastic search versions 2.x require the time format to be specified
+          if (this.elasticsearchVersion >= 2) {
+            esAgg["date_histogram"]["format"] = "epoch_millis";
+          }
           break;
         }
         case 'filters': {
diff --git a/public/app/plugins/datasource/elasticsearch/specs/query_builder_specs.ts b/public/app/plugins/datasource/elasticsearch/specs/query_builder_specs.ts
index 8feb89400e6..4c2ff1d34a3 100644
--- a/public/app/plugins/datasource/elasticsearch/specs/query_builder_specs.ts
+++ b/public/app/plugins/datasource/elasticsearch/specs/query_builder_specs.ts
@@ -36,6 +36,39 @@ describe('ElasticQueryBuilder', function() {
     expect(query.aggs["2"].aggs["3"].date_histogram.field).to.be("@timestamp");
   });
 
+  it('with es1.x and es2.x date histogram queries check time format', function() {
+    var builder_2x = new ElasticQueryBuilder({
+      timeField: '@timestamp',
+      elasticsearchVersion: 2
+    });
+
+    var query_params = {
+      metrics: [],
+      bucketAggs: [
+        {type: 'date_histogram', field: '@timestamp', id: '1'}
+      ],
+    };
+
+    // format should not be specified in 1.x queries
+    expect("format" in builder.build(query_params)["aggs"]["1"]["date_histogram"]).to.be(false);
+
+    // 2.x query should specify format to be "epoch_millis"
+    expect(builder_2x.build(query_params)["aggs"]["1"]["date_histogram"]["format"]).to.be("epoch_millis");
+  });
+
+  it('with es1.x and es2.x range filter check time format', function() {
+    var builder_2x = new ElasticQueryBuilder({
+      timeField: '@timestamp',
+      elasticsearchVersion: 2
+    });
+
+    // format should not be specified in 1.x queries
+    expect("format" in builder.getRangeFilter()["@timestamp"]).to.be(false);
+
+    // 2.x query should specify format to be "epoch_millis"
+    expect(builder_2x.getRangeFilter()["@timestamp"]["format"]).to.be("epoch_millis");
+  });
+
   it('with select field', function() {
     var query = builder.build({
       metrics: [{type: 'avg', field: '@value', id: '1'}],