diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index 9ed3b07..6788dd3 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -1 +1,2 @@
 *.test
+*.swp
diff --git a/goes.go b/goes.go
index 4439b1a..6d737c4 100644
--- a/goes.go
+++ b/goes.go
@@ -345,9 +345,14 @@ func (req *Request) Run() (Response, error) {
 	}
 
 	esResp := new(Response)
-	err = json.Unmarshal(body, &esResp)
-	if err != nil {
-		return Response{}, err
+	if req.method == "HEAD" {
+		esResp.Status = uint64(resp.StatusCode)
+	} else {
+		err = json.Unmarshal(body, &esResp)
+		if err != nil {
+			return Response{}, err
+		}
+		json.Unmarshal(body, &esResp.Raw)
 	}
 
 	if req.api == "_bulk" && esResp.Errors {
@@ -377,7 +382,7 @@ func (r *Request) Url() string {
 	}
 
 	// XXX : for indexing documents using the normal (non bulk) API
-	if len(r.api) == 0 && len(r.id) > 0 {
+	if len(r.id) > 0 {
 		path += "/" + r.id
 	}
 
@@ -423,3 +428,61 @@ func (b Bucket) Aggregation(name string) Aggregation {
 		return Aggregation{}
 	}
 }
+
+// PutMapping registers a specific mapping for one or more types in one or more indexes
+func (c *Connection) PutMapping(typeName string, mapping map[string]interface{}, indexes []string) (Response, error) {
+
+	r := Request{
+		Conn:      c,
+		Query:     mapping,
+		IndexList: indexes,
+		method:    "PUT",
+		api:       "_mappings/" + typeName,
+	}
+
+	return r.Run()
+}
+
+func (c *Connection) GetMapping(types []string, indexes []string) (Response, error) {
+
+	r := Request{
+		Conn:      c,
+		IndexList: indexes,
+		method:    "GET",
+		api:       "_mapping/" + strings.Join(types, ","),
+	}
+
+	return r.Run()
+}
+
+// IndicesExist checks whether index (or indices) exist on the server
+func (c *Connection) IndicesExist(indexes []string) (bool, error) {
+
+	r := Request{
+		Conn:      c,
+		IndexList: indexes,
+		method:    "HEAD",
+	}
+
+	resp, err := r.Run()
+
+	return resp.Status == 200, err
+}
+
+func (c *Connection) Update(d Document, query map[string]interface{}, extraArgs url.Values) (Response, error) {
+	r := Request{
+		Conn:      c,
+		Query:     query,
+		IndexList: []string{d.Index.(string)},
+		TypeList:  []string{d.Type},
+		ExtraArgs: extraArgs,
+		method:    "POST",
+		api:       "_update",
+	}
+
+    if d.Id != nil {
+		r.id = d.Id.(string)
+    }
+
+	return r.Run()
+}
diff --git a/goes_test.go b/goes_test.go
index 49914e8..ec3f492 100644
--- a/goes_test.go
+++ b/goes_test.go
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ import (
 	"net/http"
 	"net/url"
 	"os"
+	"strings"
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 )
@@ -171,6 +172,7 @@ func (s *GoesTestSuite) TestDeleteIndexExistingIndex(c *C) {
 
 	expectedResponse := Response{}
 	expectedResponse.Acknowledged = true
+	resp.Raw = nil
 	c.Assert(resp, DeepEquals, expectedResponse)
 }
 
@@ -361,6 +363,7 @@ func (s *GoesTestSuite) TestIndexWithFieldsInStruct(c *C) {
 		Version: 1,
 	}
 
+	response.Raw = nil
 	c.Assert(response, DeepEquals, expectedResponse)
 }
 
@@ -425,6 +428,7 @@ func (s *GoesTestSuite) TestIndexIdDefined(c *C) {
 		Version: 1,
 	}
 
+	response.Raw = nil
 	c.Assert(response, DeepEquals, expectedResponse)
 }
 
@@ -494,6 +498,7 @@ func (s *GoesTestSuite) TestDelete(c *C) {
 		// XXX : even after a DELETE the version number seems to be incremented
 		Version: 2,
 	}
+	response.Raw = nil
 	c.Assert(response, DeepEquals, expectedResponse)
 
 	response, err = conn.Delete(d, url.Values{})
@@ -507,6 +512,7 @@ func (s *GoesTestSuite) TestDelete(c *C) {
 		// XXX : even after a DELETE the version number seems to be incremented
 		Version: 3,
 	}
+	response.Raw = nil
 	c.Assert(response, DeepEquals, expectedResponse)
 }
 
@@ -566,6 +572,7 @@ func (s *GoesTestSuite) TestDeleteByQuery(c *C) {
 		Id:      "",
 		Version: 0,
 	}
+	response.Raw = nil
 	c.Assert(response, DeepEquals, expectedResponse)
 
 	//should be 0 docs after delete by query
@@ -612,6 +619,7 @@ func (s *GoesTestSuite) TestGet(c *C) {
 		Source:  source,
 	}
 
+	response.Raw = nil
 	c.Assert(response, DeepEquals, expectedResponse)
 
 	fields := make(url.Values, 1)
@@ -630,6 +638,7 @@ func (s *GoesTestSuite) TestGet(c *C) {
 		},
 	}
 
+	response.Raw = nil
 	c.Assert(response, DeepEquals, expectedResponse)
 }
 
@@ -970,3 +979,184 @@ func (s *GoesTestSuite) TestAggregations(c *C) {
 	c.Assert(age["count"], Equals, 2.0)
 	c.Assert(age["sum"], Equals, 25.0+30.0)
 }
+
+func (s *GoesTestSuite) TestPutMapping(c *C) {
+	indexName := "testputmapping"
+	docType := "tweet"
+
+	conn := NewConnection(ES_HOST, ES_PORT)
+	// just in case
+	conn.DeleteIndex(indexName)
+
+	_, err := conn.CreateIndex(indexName, map[string]interface{}{})
+	c.Assert(err, IsNil)
+	defer conn.DeleteIndex(indexName)
+
+	d := Document{
+		Index: indexName,
+		Type:  docType,
+		Fields: map[string]interface{}{
+			"user":    "foo",
+			"message": "bar",
+		},
+	}
+
+	response, err := conn.Index(d, url.Values{})
+	c.Assert(err, IsNil)
+
+	mapping := map[string]interface{}{
+		"tweet": map[string]interface{}{
+			"properties": map[string]interface{}{
+				"count": map[string]interface{}{
+					"type":  "integer",
+					"index": "not_analyzed",
+					"store": true,
+				},
+			},
+		},
+	}
+	response, err = conn.PutMapping("tweet", mapping, []string{indexName})
+	c.Assert(err, IsNil)
+
+	c.Assert(response.Acknowledged, Equals, true)
+	c.Assert(response.TimedOut, Equals, false)
+}
+
+func (s *GoesTestSuite) TestIndicesExist(c *C) {
+	indices := []string{"testindicesexist"}
+
+	conn := NewConnection(ES_HOST, ES_PORT)
+	// just in case
+	conn.DeleteIndex(indices[0])
+
+	exists, err := conn.IndicesExist(indices)
+	c.Assert(exists, Equals, false)
+
+	_, err = conn.CreateIndex(indices[0], map[string]interface{}{})
+	c.Assert(err, IsNil)
+	defer conn.DeleteIndex(indices[0])
+	time.Sleep(200 * time.Millisecond)
+
+	exists, err = conn.IndicesExist(indices)
+	c.Assert(exists, Equals, true)
+
+	indices = append(indices, "nonexistent")
+	exists, err = conn.IndicesExist(indices)
+	c.Assert(exists, Equals, false)
+}
+
+func (s *GoesTestSuite) TestUpdate(c *C) {
+	indexName := "testupdate"
+	docType := "tweet"
+	docId := "1234"
+
+	conn := NewConnection(ES_HOST, ES_PORT)
+	// just in case
+	conn.DeleteIndex(indexName)
+
+	_, err := conn.CreateIndex(indexName, map[string]interface{}{})
+	c.Assert(err, IsNil)
+	defer conn.DeleteIndex(indexName)
+
+	d := Document{
+		Index: indexName,
+		Type:  docType,
+		Id:    docId,
+		Fields: map[string]interface{}{
+			"user":    "foo",
+			"message": "bar",
+			"counter": 1,
+		},
+	}
+
+	extraArgs := make(url.Values, 1)
+	response, err := conn.Index(d, extraArgs)
+	c.Assert(err, IsNil)
+	time.Sleep(200 * time.Millisecond)
+
+	expectedResponse := Response{
+		Index:   indexName,
+		Id:      docId,
+		Type:    docType,
+		Version: 1,
+	}
+
+	response.Raw = nil
+	c.Assert(response, DeepEquals, expectedResponse)
+
+	// Now that we have an ordinary document indexed, try updating it
+	query := map[string]interface{}{
+		"script": "ctx._source.counter += count",
+		"params": map[string]interface{}{
+			"count": 5,
+		},
+		"upsert": map[string]interface{}{
+			"message": "candybar",
+			"user":    "admin",
+			"counter": 1,
+		},
+	}
+
+	response, err = conn.Update(d, query, extraArgs)
+	if err != nil && strings.Contains(err.(*SearchError).Msg, "dynamic scripting disabled") {
+		c.Skip("Scripting is disabled on server, skipping this test")
+		return
+	}
+	time.Sleep(200 * time.Millisecond)
+
+	c.Assert(err, Equals, nil)
+
+	response, err = conn.Get(indexName, docType, docId, url.Values{})
+	c.Assert(err, Equals, nil)
+	c.Assert(response.Source["counter"], Equals, float64(6))
+	c.Assert(response.Source["user"], Equals, "foo")
+	c.Assert(response.Source["message"], Equals, "bar")
+
+	// Test another document, non-existent
+	docId = "555"
+	d.Id = docId
+	response, err = conn.Update(d, query, extraArgs)
+	c.Assert(err, Equals, nil)
+	time.Sleep(200 * time.Millisecond)
+
+	response, err = conn.Get(indexName, docType, docId, url.Values{})
+	c.Assert(err, Equals, nil)
+	c.Assert(response.Source["user"], Equals, "admin")
+	c.Assert(response.Source["message"], Equals, "candybar")
+}
+
+func (s *GoesTestSuite) TestGetMapping(c *C) {
+	indexName := "testmapping"
+	docType := "tweet"
+
+	conn := NewConnection(ES_HOST, ES_PORT)
+	// just in case
+	conn.DeleteIndex(indexName)
+
+	_, err := conn.CreateIndex(indexName, map[string]interface{}{})
+	c.Assert(err, IsNil)
+	defer conn.DeleteIndex(indexName)
+
+	time.Sleep(300 * time.Millisecond)
+
+	response, err := conn.GetMapping([]string{docType}, []string{indexName})
+	c.Assert(err, Equals, nil)
+	c.Assert(len(response.Raw), Equals, 0)
+
+	d := Document{
+		Index: indexName,
+		Type:  docType,
+		Fields: map[string]interface{}{
+			"user":    "foo",
+			"message": "bar",
+		},
+	}
+
+	response, err = conn.Index(d, url.Values{})
+	c.Assert(err, IsNil)
+	time.Sleep(200 * time.Millisecond)
+
+	response, err = conn.GetMapping([]string{docType}, []string{indexName})
+	c.Assert(err, Equals, nil)
+	c.Assert(len(response.Raw), Not(Equals), 0)
+}
diff --git a/structs.go b/structs.go
index cfd043b..e397a9e 100644
--- a/structs.go
+++ b/structs.go
@@ -88,6 +88,8 @@ type Response struct {
 	ScrollId string `json:"_scroll_id"`
 
 	Aggregations map[string]Aggregation `json:"aggregations,omitempty"`
+
+	Raw map[string]interface{}
 }
 
 // Represents an aggregation from response