diff --git a/elasticsearch/helpers/__init__.py b/elasticsearch/helpers/__init__.py
index c1fc81bd..c7c9f439 100644
--- a/elasticsearch/helpers/__init__.py
+++ b/elasticsearch/helpers/__init__.py
@@ -40,6 +40,10 @@ def expand_action(data):
     return action, data.get('_source', data)
 
 def _chunk_actions(actions, chunk_size, max_chunk_bytes, serializer):
+    """
+    Split actions into chunks by number or size, serialize them into strings in
+    the process.
+    """
     bulk_actions = []
     size, action_count = 0, 0
     for action, data in actions:
@@ -65,6 +69,64 @@ def _chunk_actions(actions, chunk_size, max_chunk_bytes, serializer):
     if bulk_actions:
         yield bulk_actions
 
+def _process_bulk_chunk(client, bulk_actions, raise_on_exception=True, raise_on_error=True, **kwargs):
+    """
+    Send a bulk request to elasticsearch and process the output.
+    """
+    # if raise on error is set, we need to collect errors per chunk before raising them
+    errors = []
+
+    try:
+        # send the actual request
+        resp = client.bulk('\n'.join(bulk_actions) + '\n', **kwargs)
+    except TransportError as e:
+        # default behavior - just propagate exception
+        if raise_on_exception:
+            raise e
+
+        # if we are not propagating, mark all actions in current chunk as failed
+        err_message = str(e)
+        exc_errors = []
+
+        # deserialize the data back, thisis expensive but only run on
+        # errors if raise_on_exception is false, so shouldn't be a real
+        # issue
+        bulk_data = iter(map(client.transport.serializer.loads, bulk_actions))
+        while True:
+            try:
+                # collect all the information about failed actions
+                action = next(bulk_data)
+                op_type, action = action.popitem()
+                info = {"error": err_message, "status": e.status_code, "exception": e}
+                if op_type != 'delete':
+                    info['data'] = next(bulk_data)
+                info.update(action)
+                exc_errors.append({op_type: info})
+            except StopIteration:
+                break
+
+        # emulate standard behavior for failed actions
+        if raise_on_error:
+            raise BulkIndexError('%i document(s) failed to index.' % len(exc_errors), exc_errors)
+        else:
+            for err in exc_errors:
+                yield False, err
+            return
+
+    # go through request-reponse pairs and detect failures
+    for op_type, item in map(methodcaller('popitem'), resp['items']):
+        ok = 200 <= item.get('status', 500) < 300
+        if not ok and raise_on_error:
+            errors.append({op_type: item})
+
+        if ok or not errors:
+            # if we are not just recording all errors to be able to raise
+            # them all at once, yield items individually
+            yield ok, {op_type: item}
+
+    if errors:
+        raise BulkIndexError('%i document(s) failed to index.' % len(errors), errors)
+
 def streaming_bulk(client, actions, chunk_size=500, max_chunk_bytes=100 * 1014 * 1024,
         raise_on_error=True, expand_action_callback=expand_action,
         raise_on_exception=True, **kwargs):
@@ -122,63 +184,11 @@ def streaming_bulk(client, actions, chunk_size=500, max_chunk_bytes=100 * 1014 *
         should return a tuple containing the action line and the data line
         (`None` if data line should be omitted).
     """
-    serializer = client.transport.serializer
     actions = map(expand_action_callback, actions)
 
-    # if raise on error is set, we need to collect errors per chunk before raising them
-    errors = []
-
-    for bulk_actions in _chunk_actions(actions, chunk_size, max_chunk_bytes, serializer):
-        try:
-            # send the actual request
-            resp = client.bulk('\n'.join(bulk_actions) + '\n', **kwargs)
-        except TransportError as e:
-            # default behavior - just propagate exception
-            if raise_on_exception:
-                raise e
-
-            # if we are not propagating, mark all actions in current chunk as failed
-            err_message = str(e)
-            exc_errors = []
-
-            # deserialize the data back, thisis expensive but only run on
-            # errors if raise_on_exception is false, so shouldn't be a real
-            # issue
-            bulk_data = iter(map(serializer.loads, bulk_actions))
-            while True:
-                try:
-                    # collect all the information about failed actions
-                    action = next(bulk_data)
-                    op_type, action = action.popitem()
-                    info = {"error": err_message, "status": e.status_code, "exception": e}
-                    if op_type != 'delete':
-                        info['data'] = next(bulk_data)
-                    info.update(action)
-                    exc_errors.append({op_type: info})
-                except StopIteration:
-                    break
-
-            # emulate standard behavior for failed actions
-            if raise_on_error:
-                raise BulkIndexError('%i document(s) failed to index.' % len(exc_errors), exc_errors)
-            else:
-                for err in exc_errors:
-                    yield False, err
-                continue
-
-        # go through request-reponse pairs and detect failures
-        for op_type, item in map(methodcaller('popitem'), resp['items']):
-            ok = 200 <= item.get('status', 500) < 300
-            if not ok and raise_on_error:
-                errors.append({op_type: item})
-
-            if not errors:
-                # if we are not just recording all errors to be able to raise
-                # them all at once, yield items individually
-                yield ok, {op_type: item}
-
-        if errors:
-            raise BulkIndexError('%i document(s) failed to index.' % len(errors), errors)
+    for bulk_actions in _chunk_actions(actions, chunk_size, max_chunk_bytes, client.transport.serializer):
+        for result in _process_bulk_chunk(client, bulk_actions, raise_on_exception, raise_on_error, **kwargs):
+            yield result
 
 def bulk(client, actions, stats_only=False, **kwargs):
     """