diff --git a/app/models/commons/NodeRoles.scala b/app/models/commons/NodeRoles.scala
index 11619330524709fb6cdaf438eae0256d6271442d..9cd27a38a2c0d0be20a38cd25a2de8f46d2f57d8 100644
--- a/app/models/commons/NodeRoles.scala
+++ b/app/models/commons/NodeRoles.scala
@@ -6,6 +6,19 @@ case class NodeRoles(master: Boolean, data: Boolean, ingest: Boolean) {
 
   def coordinating: Boolean = !master && !data && !ingest
 
+  def toEsString = {
+    val builder = StringBuilder.newBuilder
+    if (master)
+      builder.append("m")
+    if (data)
+      builder.append("d")
+    if (ingest)
+      builder.append("i")
+    if (builder.isEmpty)
+      builder.append("-")
+    builder.toString()
+  }
+
 }
 
 object NodeRoles {
diff --git a/app/models/nodes/Node.scala b/app/models/nodes/Node.scala
index 58270d424de0ca699912405868d3d0bd9418ed64..ce734444910dc2a0883beb17c81cb57525781b9f 100644
--- a/app/models/nodes/Node.scala
+++ b/app/models/nodes/Node.scala
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ object Node {
 
   def apply(id: String, currentMaster: Boolean, info: JsValue, stats: JsValue): JsValue = {
     val jvmVersion = (info \ "jvm" \ "version").asOpt[JsString].getOrElse(JsNull)
+    val nodeRoles = NodeRoles(info)
 
     Json.obj(
       "id" -> JsString(id),
@@ -17,12 +18,12 @@ object Node {
       "cpu" -> cpu(stats),
       "uptime" -> (stats \ "jvm" \ "uptime_in_millis").as[JsValue],
       "jvm" -> jvmVersion,
-      "version" -> (info \ "version").as[JsValue]
-    ) ++ roles(info)
+      "version" -> (info \ "version").as[JsValue],
+      "node.role" -> JsString(nodeRoles.toEsString)
+    ) ++ roles(nodeRoles)
   }
 
-  private def roles(info: JsValue): JsObject = {
-    val roles = NodeRoles(info)
+  private def roles(roles: NodeRoles): JsObject = {
     Json.obj(
       "master" -> JsBoolean(roles.master),
       "coordinating" -> JsBoolean(roles.coordinating),
diff --git a/test/models/nodes/NodeSpec.scala b/test/models/nodes/NodeSpec.scala
index 9ca6c5936a44e3820aefe4a970c1362516e5dde1..a79410d3e620f9e68c3bf8c96ede0fe998aff129 100644
--- a/test/models/nodes/NodeSpec.scala
+++ b/test/models/nodes/NodeSpec.scala
@@ -41,7 +41,8 @@ object NodeSpec extends Specification {
         |  "master": true,
         |  "name": "-qkZcMt",
         |  "uptime": 109228,
-        |  "version": "5.1.1"
+        |  "version": "5.1.1",
+        |  "node.role":"mdi"
         |}
       """.stripMargin
     )
@@ -77,7 +78,8 @@ object NodeSpec extends Specification {
         |  "master": true,
         |  "name": "007ywNv",
         |  "uptime": 492790575,
-        |  "version": "5.1.1"
+        |  "version": "5.1.1",
+        |  "node.role":"mdi"
         |}
       """.stripMargin
     )
diff --git a/tests/components/nodes/controller.tests.js b/tests/components/nodes/controller.tests.js
index d399d76bd6441d24a555175d081a1bb05178e1f8..b8802a94f26c29538715f0ec749c215f2d14f122 100644
--- a/tests/components/nodes/controller.tests.js
+++ b/tests/components/nodes/controller.tests.js
@@ -116,8 +116,8 @@ describe('NodesController', function() {
     it('refresh list of visible nodes by applying the filter to the complete list',
       function() {
         var nodes = [
-          {name: 'a', master: true, data: true, client: false},
-          {name: 'b', master: true, data: true, client: false}
+          {name: 'a', master: true, data: true, client: false, 'node.role': 'md'},
+          {name: 'b', master: true, data: true, client: false, 'node.role': 'md'}
         ];
         this.scope.filter.name = 'b';
         this.scope._nodes = nodes;