diff --git a/elx-common/src/main/java/org/xbib/elx/common/AbstractAdminClient.java b/elx-common/src/main/java/org/xbib/elx/common/AbstractAdminClient.java
index d12815e..3c4cf31 100644
--- a/elx-common/src/main/java/org/xbib/elx/common/AbstractAdminClient.java
+++ b/elx-common/src/main/java/org/xbib/elx/common/AbstractAdminClient.java
@@ -120,9 +120,23 @@ public abstract class AbstractAdminClient extends AbstractBasicClient implements
             return this;
         }
         logger.info("update replica level for " + indexDefinition + " to " + indexDefinition.getReplicaCount());
+        int currentReplicaLevel = getReplicaLevel(indexDefinition);
+        logger.info("current replica level for " + indexDefinition + " is " + currentReplicaLevel);
+        if (currentReplicaLevel < indexDefinition.getReplicaCount()) {
+            putClusterSetting("cluster.routing.allocation.node_concurrent_recoveries", "5", 30L, TimeUnit.SECONDS);
+            putClusterSetting("indices.recovery.max_bytes_per_sec", "2gb", 30L, TimeUnit.SECONDS);
+            logger.info("recovery boost activated");
+        }
         updateIndexSetting(indexDefinition.getFullIndexName(), "number_of_replicas",
                 indexDefinition.getReplicaCount(), 30L, TimeUnit.SECONDS);
         waitForHealthyCluster();
+        if (currentReplicaLevel < indexDefinition.getReplicaCount()) {
+            // 2 = default setting
+            putClusterSetting("cluster.routing.allocation.node_concurrent_recoveries", "2", 30L, TimeUnit.SECONDS);
+            // 20m = default value
+            putClusterSetting("indices.recovery.max_bytes_per_sec", "40mb", 30L, TimeUnit.SECONDS);
+            logger.info("recovery boost deactivated");
+        }
         return this;
     }
 
diff --git a/elx-common/src/main/java/org/xbib/elx/common/AbstractBasicClient.java b/elx-common/src/main/java/org/xbib/elx/common/AbstractBasicClient.java
index 2d6cccf..6fc3024 100644
--- a/elx-common/src/main/java/org/xbib/elx/common/AbstractBasicClient.java
+++ b/elx-common/src/main/java/org/xbib/elx/common/AbstractBasicClient.java
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import org.elasticsearch.action.admin.cluster.health.ClusterHealthRequest;
 import org.elasticsearch.action.admin.cluster.health.ClusterHealthResponse;
 import org.elasticsearch.action.admin.cluster.settings.ClusterUpdateSettingsAction;
 import org.elasticsearch.action.admin.cluster.settings.ClusterUpdateSettingsRequest;
+import org.elasticsearch.action.admin.cluster.settings.ClusterUpdateSettingsResponse;
 import org.elasticsearch.action.admin.cluster.state.ClusterStateAction;
 import org.elasticsearch.action.admin.cluster.state.ClusterStateRequest;
 import org.elasticsearch.action.admin.cluster.state.ClusterStateResponse;
@@ -118,7 +119,11 @@ public abstract class AbstractBasicClient implements BasicClient {
         updateSettingsBuilder.put(key, value.toString());
         ClusterUpdateSettingsRequest updateSettingsRequest = new ClusterUpdateSettingsRequest();
         updateSettingsRequest.transientSettings(updateSettingsBuilder).timeout(toTimeValue(timeout, timeUnit));
-        client.execute(ClusterUpdateSettingsAction.INSTANCE, updateSettingsRequest).actionGet();
+        ClusterUpdateSettingsResponse clusterUpdateSettingsResponse =
+                client.execute(ClusterUpdateSettingsAction.INSTANCE, updateSettingsRequest).actionGet();
+        if (clusterUpdateSettingsResponse.isAcknowledged()) {
+            logger.info("cluster update of " + key + " to " + value + " acknowledged");
+        }
     }
 
     @Override
@@ -139,7 +144,8 @@ public abstract class AbstractBasicClient implements BasicClient {
                 .waitForStatus(status);
         ClusterHealthResponse healthResponse =
                 client.execute(ClusterHealthAction.INSTANCE, clusterHealthRequest).actionGet();
-        if (healthResponse != null && healthResponse.isTimedOut()) {
+        logger.info("got cluster status " + healthResponse.getStatus().name());
+        if (healthResponse.isTimedOut()) {
             String message = "timeout, cluster state is " + healthResponse.getStatus().name() + " and not " + status.name();
             logger.error(message);
             throw new IllegalStateException(message);
diff --git a/elx-common/src/main/java/org/xbib/elx/common/AbstractBulkClient.java b/elx-common/src/main/java/org/xbib/elx/common/AbstractBulkClient.java
index 3e0ce7b..a31d151 100644
--- a/elx-common/src/main/java/org/xbib/elx/common/AbstractBulkClient.java
+++ b/elx-common/src/main/java/org/xbib/elx/common/AbstractBulkClient.java
@@ -141,8 +141,10 @@ public abstract class AbstractBulkClient extends AbstractBasicClient implements
         int interval = indexDefinition.getStartBulkRefreshSeconds();
         if (interval != 0) {
             logger.info("starting bulk on " + indexName + " with new refresh interval " + interval);
-            updateIndexSetting(indexName, "refresh_interval",
-                    interval >=0 ? interval + "s" : interval, 30L, TimeUnit.SECONDS);
+            updateIndexSetting(indexName,
+                    "refresh_interval", interval >=0 ? interval + "s" : interval, 30L, TimeUnit.SECONDS);
+            updateIndexSetting(indexName,
+                    "index.translog.durability", "async", 30L, TimeUnit.SECONDS);
         } else {
             logger.warn("ignoring starting bulk on " + indexName + " with refresh interval " + interval);
         }
@@ -168,6 +170,8 @@ public abstract class AbstractBulkClient extends AbstractBasicClient implements
                     logger.info("stopping bulk on " + indexName + " with new refresh interval " + interval);
                     updateIndexSetting(indexName, "refresh_interval",
                             interval >= 0 ? interval + "s" : interval, 30L, TimeUnit.SECONDS);
+                    updateIndexSetting(indexName,
+                            "index.translog.durability", "request", 30L, TimeUnit.SECONDS);
                 } else {
                     logger.warn("ignoring stopping bulk on " + indexName + " with refresh interval " + interval);
                 }
diff --git a/gradle.properties b/gradle.properties
index 0a90d6e..e081336 100644
--- a/gradle.properties
+++ b/gradle.properties
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 group = org.xbib
 name = elx
-version = 7.10.2.6
+version = 7.10.2.7
 
 gradle.wrapper.version = 6.6.1
 xbib-metrics.version = 2.1.0