diff --git a/lib/elasticsearch.js b/lib/elasticsearch.js
index c067e1b..3ff55d8 100644
--- a/lib/elasticsearch.js
+++ b/lib/elasticsearch.js
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@
  * To enable this backend, include 'elastic' in the backends
  * configuration array:
  *
- *   backends: ['./backends/elastic'] 
+ *   backends: ['./backends/elastic']
  *  (if the config file is in the statsd folder)
  *
  * A sample configuration can be found in exampleElasticConfig.js
@@ -33,9 +33,14 @@ var elasticIndex;
 var elasticIndexTimestamp;
 var elasticCountType;
 var elasticTimerType;
+var elasticTypesToIndex;
 
 var elasticStats = {};
 
+var should_index_type = function should_index_type(type) {
+  return elasticTypesToIndex.indexOf(type) >= 0;
+}
+
 
 var es_bulk_insert = function elasticsearch_bulk_insert(listCounters, listTimers, listTimerData, listGaugeData) {
 
@@ -147,24 +152,33 @@ var flush_stats = function elastic_flush(ts, metrics) {
   var gauges = metrics.gauges;
   var pctThreshold = metrics.pctThreshold;
 */
+  if (should_index_type(elasticCountType) >= 0) {
+    for (key in metrics.counters) {
+      numStats += fm.counters(key, metrics.counters[key], ts, array_counts);
+    }
 
-  for (key in metrics.counters) {
-    numStats += fm.counters(key, metrics.counters[key], ts, array_counts);
   }
 
-  for (key in metrics.timers) {
-    numStats += fm.timers(key, metrics.timers[key], ts, array_timers);
+  if (should_index_type(elasticTimerType)) {
+    for (key in metrics.timers) {
+      numStats += fm.timers(key, metrics.timers[key], ts, array_timers);
+    }
   }
 
-  if (array_timers.length > 0) {
-    for (key in metrics.timer_data) {
-      fm.timer_data(key, metrics.timer_data[key], ts, array_timer_data);
+  if (should_index_type(elasticTimerDataType)) {
+    if (array_timers.length > 0) {
+      for (key in metrics.timer_data) {
+        fm.timer_data(key, metrics.timer_data[key], ts, array_timer_data);
+      }
     }
   }
 
-  for (key in metrics.gauges) {
-    numStats += fm.gauges(key, metrics.gauges[key], ts, array_gauges);
+  if (should_index_type(elasticGaugeDataType)) {
+    for (key in metrics.gauges) {
+      numStats += fm.gauges(key, metrics.gauges[key], ts, array_gauges);
+    }
   }
+
   if (debug) {
     lg.log('metrics:');
     lg.log( JSON.stringify(metrics) );
@@ -200,6 +214,7 @@ exports.init = function elasticsearch_init(startup_time, config, events, logger)
   elasticTimerDataType  = configEs.timerDataType  || elasticTimerType + '_stats';
   elasticGaugeDataType  = configEs.gaugeDataType  || 'gauge';
   elasticFormatter      = configEs.formatter      || 'default_format';
+  elasticTypesToIndex   = configEs.typesToIndex || [elasticCountType, elasticTimerType, elasticTimerDataType, elasticGaugeDataType];
 
   fm   = require('./' + elasticFormatter + '.js')
   if (debug) {