diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 7f5e0a99..25abffa3 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+## 4.6.2
+  - Added scroll clearing and better handling of scroll expiration [#128](https://github.com/logstash-plugins/logstash-input-elasticsearch/pull/128)
+
 ## 4.6.1
   - [DOC] Removed outdated compatibility notice [#124](https://github.com/logstash-plugins/logstash-input-elasticsearch/pull/124)
 
diff --git a/lib/logstash/inputs/elasticsearch.rb b/lib/logstash/inputs/elasticsearch.rb
index 5d248446..f10dafbf 100644
--- a/lib/logstash/inputs/elasticsearch.rb
+++ b/lib/logstash/inputs/elasticsearch.rb
@@ -204,9 +204,12 @@ def register
 
     transport_options[:proxy] = @proxy.to_s if @proxy && !@proxy.eql?('')
 
-    @client = Elasticsearch::Client.new(:hosts => hosts, :transport_options => transport_options,
-                                        :transport_class => ::Elasticsearch::Transport::Transport::HTTP::Manticore,
-                                        :ssl => ssl_options)
+    @client = Elasticsearch::Client.new(
+      :hosts => hosts,
+      :transport_options => transport_options,
+      :transport_class => ::Elasticsearch::Transport::Transport::HTTP::Manticore,
+      :ssl => ssl_options
+    )
   end
 
   ##
@@ -266,25 +269,41 @@ def do_run_slice(output_queue, slice_id=nil)
     slice_options = @options.merge(:body => LogStash::Json.dump(slice_query) )
 
     logger.info("Slice starting", slice_id: slice_id, slices: @slices) unless slice_id.nil?
-    r = search_request(slice_options)
 
-    r['hits']['hits'].each { |hit| push_hit(hit, output_queue) }
-    logger.debug("Slice progress", slice_id: slice_id, slices: @slices) unless slice_id.nil?
-
-    has_hits = r['hits']['hits'].any?
+    scroll_id = nil
+    begin
+      r = search_request(slice_options)
 
-    while has_hits && r['_scroll_id'] && !stop?
-      r = process_next_scroll(output_queue, r['_scroll_id'])
+      r['hits']['hits'].each { |hit| push_hit(hit, output_queue) }
       logger.debug("Slice progress", slice_id: slice_id, slices: @slices) unless slice_id.nil?
-      has_hits = r['has_hits']
+
+      has_hits = r['hits']['hits'].any?
+      scroll_id = r['_scroll_id']
+
+      while has_hits && scroll_id && !stop?
+        has_hits, scroll_id = process_next_scroll(output_queue, scroll_id)
+        logger.debug("Slice progress", slice_id: slice_id, slices: @slices) if logger.debug? && slice_id
+      end
+      logger.info("Slice complete", slice_id: slice_id, slices: @slices) unless slice_id.nil?
+    ensure
+      clear_scroll(scroll_id)
     end
-    logger.info("Slice complete", slice_id: slice_id, slices: @slices) unless slice_id.nil?
   end
 
+  ##
+  # @param output_queue [#<<]
+  # @param scroll_id [String]: a scroll id to resume
+  # @return [Array(Boolean,String)]: a tuple representing whether the response
+  #
   def process_next_scroll(output_queue, scroll_id)
     r = scroll_request(scroll_id)
     r['hits']['hits'].each { |hit| push_hit(hit, output_queue) }
-    {'has_hits' => r['hits']['hits'].any?, '_scroll_id' => r['_scroll_id']}
+    [r['hits']['hits'].any?, r['_scroll_id']]
+  rescue => e
+    # this will typically be triggered by a scroll timeout
+    logger.error("Scroll request error, aborting scroll", error: e.inspect)
+    # return no hits and original scroll_id so we can try to clear it
+    [false, scroll_id]
   end
 
   def push_hit(hit, output_queue)
@@ -313,16 +332,21 @@ def push_hit(hit, output_queue)
     output_queue << event
   end
 
+  def clear_scroll(scroll_id)
+    @client.clear_scroll(scroll_id: scroll_id) if scroll_id
+  rescue => e
+    # ignore & log any clear_scroll errors
+    logger.warn("Ignoring clear_scroll exception", message: e.message)
+  end
+
   def scroll_request scroll_id
-    client.scroll(:body => { :scroll_id => scroll_id }, :scroll => @scroll)
+    @client.scroll(:body => { :scroll_id => scroll_id }, :scroll => @scroll)
   end
 
   def search_request(options)
-    client.search(options)
+    @client.search(options)
   end
 
-  attr_reader :client
-
   def hosts_default?(hosts)
     hosts.nil? || ( hosts.is_a?(Array) && hosts.empty? )
   end
diff --git a/logstash-input-elasticsearch.gemspec b/logstash-input-elasticsearch.gemspec
index 00e6b2bf..19445327 100644
--- a/logstash-input-elasticsearch.gemspec
+++ b/logstash-input-elasticsearch.gemspec
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 Gem::Specification.new do |s|
 
   s.name            = 'logstash-input-elasticsearch'
-  s.version         = '4.6.1'
+  s.version         = '4.6.2'
   s.licenses        = ['Apache License (2.0)']
   s.summary         = "Reads query results from an Elasticsearch cluster"
   s.description     = "This gem is a Logstash plugin required to be installed on top of the Logstash core pipeline using $LS_HOME/bin/logstash-plugin install gemname. This gem is not a stand-alone program"
diff --git a/spec/inputs/elasticsearch_spec.rb b/spec/inputs/elasticsearch_spec.rb
index 85c08897..4027767c 100644
--- a/spec/inputs/elasticsearch_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/inputs/elasticsearch_spec.rb
@@ -8,9 +8,13 @@
 require "time"
 require "date"
 
-describe LogStash::Inputs::Elasticsearch do
+class LogStash::Inputs::TestableElasticsearch < LogStash::Inputs::Elasticsearch
+  attr_reader :client
+end
+
+describe LogStash::Inputs::TestableElasticsearch do
 
-  let(:plugin) { LogStash::Inputs::Elasticsearch.new(config) }
+  let(:plugin) { LogStash::Inputs::TestableElasticsearch.new(config) }
   let(:queue) { Queue.new }
 
   it_behaves_like "an interruptible input plugin" do
@@ -32,6 +36,7 @@
       }
       allow(esclient).to receive(:search) { { "hits" => { "hits" => [hit] } } }
       allow(esclient).to receive(:scroll) { { "hits" => { "hits" => [hit] } } }
+      allow(esclient).to receive(:clear_scroll).and_return(nil)
     end
   end
 
@@ -76,6 +81,7 @@
     expect(Elasticsearch::Client).to receive(:new).with(any_args).and_return(client)
     expect(client).to receive(:search).with(any_args).and_return(response)
     expect(client).to receive(:scroll).with({ :body => { :scroll_id => "cXVlcnlUaGVuRmV0Y2g" }, :scroll=> "1m" }).and_return(scroll_reponse)
+    expect(client).to receive(:clear_scroll).and_return(nil)
 
     event = input(config) do |pipeline, queue|
       queue.pop
@@ -257,6 +263,8 @@ def synchronize_method!(object, method_name)
         expect(Elasticsearch::Client).to receive(:new).with(any_args).and_return(client)
         plugin.register
 
+        expect(client).to receive(:clear_scroll).and_return(nil)
+
         # SLICE0 is a three-page scroll in which the last page is empty
         slice0_query = LogStash::Json.dump(query.merge('slice' => { 'id' => 0, 'max' => 2}))
         expect(client).to receive(:search).with(hash_including(:body => slice0_query)).and_return(slice0_response0)
@@ -360,6 +368,7 @@ def synchronize_method!(object, method_name)
       expect(Elasticsearch::Client).to receive(:new).with(any_args).and_return(client)
       expect(client).to receive(:search).with(any_args).and_return(response)
       allow(client).to receive(:scroll).with({ :body => {:scroll_id => "cXVlcnlUaGVuRmV0Y2g"}, :scroll => "1m" }).and_return(scroll_reponse)
+      allow(client).to receive(:clear_scroll).and_return(nil)
     end
 
     context 'when defining docinfo' do
@@ -405,6 +414,7 @@ def synchronize_method!(object, method_name)
             "docinfo_target" => 'metadata_with_string'
         } }
         it 'thows an exception if the `docinfo_target` exist but is not of type hash' do
+          expect(client).not_to receive(:clear_scroll)
           plugin.register
           expect { plugin.run([]) }.to raise_error(Exception, /incompatible event/)
         end