diff --git a/src/backend/base.js b/src/backend/base.js
index 1b06dc01..94cccf4f 100644
--- a/src/backend/base.js
+++ b/src/backend/base.js
@@ -99,6 +99,32 @@ this.recline.Backend = this.recline.Backend || {};
     query: function(model, queryObj) {
     },
 
+    // ### _makeRequest
+    // 
+    // Just $.ajax but in any headers in the 'headers' attribute of this
+    // Backend instance. Example:
+    //
+    // <pre>
+    // var jqxhr = this._makeRequest({
+    //   url: the-url
+    // });
+    // </pre>
+    _makeRequest: function(data) {
+      var headers = this.get('headers');
+      var extras = {};
+      if (headers) {
+        extras = {
+          beforeSend: function(req) {
+            _.each(headers, function(value, key) {
+              req.setRequestHeader(key, value);
+            });
+          }
+        };
+      }
+      var data = _.extend(extras, data);
+      return $.ajax(data);
+    },
+
     // convenience method to convert simple set of documents / rows to a QueryResult
     _docsToQueryResult: function(rows) {
       var hits = _.map(rows, function(row) {
diff --git a/src/backend/elasticsearch.js b/src/backend/elasticsearch.js
index 03448277..546c0c8a 100644
--- a/src/backend/elasticsearch.js
+++ b/src/backend/elasticsearch.js
@@ -6,37 +6,39 @@ this.recline.Backend = this.recline.Backend || {};
   //
   // Connecting to [ElasticSearch](http://www.elasticsearch.org/).
   //
-  // To use this backend ensure your Dataset has one of the following
-  // attributes (first one found is used):
+  // Usage:
+  //
+  // <pre>
+  // var backend = new recline.Backend.ElasticSearch({
+  //   // optional as can also be provided by Dataset/Document
+  //   url: {url to ElasticSearch endpoint i.e. ES 'type/table' url - more info below}
+  //   // optional
+  //   headers: {dict of headers to add to each request}
+  // });
+  //
+  // @param {String} url: url for ElasticSearch type/table, e.g. for ES running
+  // on localhost:9200 with index // twitter and type tweet it would be:
+  // 
+  // <pre>http://localhost:9200/twitter/tweet</pre>
+  //
+  // This url is optional since the ES endpoint url may be specified on the the
+  // dataset (and on a Document by the document having a dataset attribute) by
+  // having one of the following (see also `_getESUrl` function):
   //
   // <pre>
   // elasticsearch_url
   // webstore_url
   // url
   // </pre>
-  //
-  // This should point to the ES type url. E.G. for ES running on
-  // localhost:9200 with index twitter and type tweet it would be
-  //
-  // <pre>http://localhost:9200/twitter/tweet</pre>
   my.ElasticSearch = my.Base.extend({
     __type__: 'elasticsearch',
     readonly: false,
-    _getESUrl: function(dataset) {
-      var out = dataset.get('elasticsearch_url');
-      if (out) return out;
-      out = dataset.get('webstore_url');
-      if (out) return out;
-      out = dataset.get('url');
-      return out;
-    },
     sync: function(method, model, options) {
       var self = this;
       if (method === "read") {
         if (model.__type__ == 'Dataset') {
-          var base = self._getESUrl(model);
-          var schemaUrl = base + '/_mapping';
-          var jqxhr = $.ajax({
+          var schemaUrl = self._getESUrl(model) + '/_mapping';
+          var jqxhr = this._makeRequest({
             url: schemaUrl,
             dataType: 'jsonp'
           });
@@ -57,36 +59,75 @@ this.recline.Backend = this.recline.Backend || {};
           return dfd.promise();
         } else if (model.__type__ == 'Document') {
           var base = this._getESUrl(model.dataset) + '/' + model.id;
-          return $.ajax({
+          return this._makeRequest({
             url: base,
             dataType: 'json'
           });
         }
       } else if (method === 'update') {
         if (model.__type__ == 'Document') {
-          var data = JSON.stringify(model.toJSON());
-          var base = this._getESUrl(model.dataset);
-          if (model.id) {
-            base += '/' + model.id;
-          }
-          return $.ajax({
-            url: base,
-            type: 'POST',
-            data: data,
-            dataType: 'json'
-          });
+          return this.upsert(model.toJSON(), this._getESUrl(model.dataset));
         }
       } else if (method === 'delete') {
         if (model.__type__ == 'Document') {
-          var base = this._getESUrl(model.dataset) + '/' + model.id;
-          return $.ajax({
-            url: base,
-            type: 'DELETE',
-            dataType: 'json'
-          });
+          var url = this._getESUrl(model.dataset);
+          return this.delete(model.id, url);
         }
       }
     },
+
+    // ### upsert
+    //
+    // create / update a document to ElasticSearch backend
+    //
+    // @param {Object} doc an object to insert to the index.
+    // @param {string} url (optional) url for ElasticSearch endpoint (if not
+    // defined called this._getESUrl()
+    upsert: function(doc, url) {
+      var data = JSON.stringify(doc);
+      url = url ? url : this._getESUrl();
+      if (doc.id) {
+        url += '/' + doc.id;
+      }
+      return this._makeRequest({
+        url: url,
+        type: 'POST',
+        data: data,
+        dataType: 'json'
+      });
+    },
+
+    // ### delete
+    //
+    // Delete a document from the ElasticSearch backend.
+    //
+    // @param {Object} id id of object to delete
+    // @param {string} url (optional) url for ElasticSearch endpoint (if not
+    // provided called this._getESUrl()
+    delete: function(id, url) {
+      url = url ? url : this._getESUrl();
+      url += '/' + id;
+      return this._makeRequest({
+        url: url,
+        type: 'DELETE',
+        dataType: 'json'
+      });
+    },
+
+    // ### _getESUrl
+    //
+    // get url to ElasticSearch endpoint (see above)
+    _getESUrl: function(dataset) {
+      if (dataset) {
+        var out = dataset.get('elasticsearch_url');
+        if (out) return out;
+        out = dataset.get('webstore_url');
+        if (out) return out;
+        out = dataset.get('url');
+        return out;
+      }
+      return this.get('url');
+    },
     _normalizeQuery: function(queryObj) {
       var out = queryObj.toJSON ? queryObj.toJSON() : _.extend({}, queryObj);
       if (out.q !== undefined && out.q.trim() === '') {
@@ -123,7 +164,7 @@ this.recline.Backend = this.recline.Backend || {};
       var queryNormalized = this._normalizeQuery(queryObj);
       var data = {source: JSON.stringify(queryNormalized)};
       var base = this._getESUrl(model);
-      var jqxhr = $.ajax({
+      var jqxhr = this._makeRequest({
         url: base + '/_search',
         data: data,
         dataType: 'jsonp'