diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/mapper/FieldMapper.java b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/mapper/FieldMapper.java
index 4802fb5a28b58..fef272d2037a6 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/mapper/FieldMapper.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/mapper/FieldMapper.java
@@ -334,6 +334,8 @@ public final void validate(MappingLookup mappers) {
             }
 
             final String sourceScope = mappers.nestedLookup().getNestedParent(this.fullPath());
+            ObjectMapper.Dynamic dynamic = mappers.getMapping().getRoot().dynamic;
+            boolean needsFieldVerification = dynamic != null && dynamic.equals(ObjectMapper.Dynamic.FALSE);
             for (String copyTo : this.copyTo().copyToFields()) {
                 if (mappers.isMultiField(copyTo)) {
                     throw new IllegalArgumentException("[copy_to] may not be used to copy to a multi-field: [" + copyTo + "]");
@@ -341,6 +343,9 @@ public final void validate(MappingLookup mappers) {
                 if (mappers.isObjectField(copyTo)) {
                     throw new IllegalArgumentException("Cannot copy to field [" + copyTo + "] since it is mapped as an object");
                 }
+                if (needsFieldVerification && mappers.getMapper(copyTo) == null){
+                    throw new IllegalArgumentException("Cannot copy to field [" + copyTo + "] since it is a non existent field");
+                }
 
                 final String targetScope = mappers.nestedLookup().getNestedParent(copyTo);
                 checkNestedScopeCompatibility(sourceScope, targetScope);
diff --git a/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/index/mapper/CopyToMapperTests.java b/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/index/mapper/CopyToMapperTests.java
index 0f39a718302e0..8a4a88d074204 100644
--- a/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/index/mapper/CopyToMapperTests.java
+++ b/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/index/mapper/CopyToMapperTests.java
@@ -645,6 +645,38 @@ public void testCopyFromMultiField() {
         assertThat(e.getMessage(), Matchers.containsString("[copy_to] may not be used to copy from a multi-field: [field.bar]"));
     }
 
+    public void testCopyToNonExistentFieldDynamicFalse() {
+        Exception e = expectThrows(IllegalArgumentException.class, () -> createDocumentMapper(topMapping(b -> {
+            b.field("dynamic", "false");
+            b.startObject("properties");
+            {
+                b.startObject("test_field");
+                {
+                    b.field("type", "text");
+                    b.field("copy_to", "missing_field");
+                }
+                b.endObject();
+            }
+            b.endObject();
+        })));
+        assertThat(e.getMessage(), Matchers.containsString("Cannot copy to field [missing_field] since it is a non existent field"));
+    }
+
+    public void testCopyToNonExistentFieldDynamicTrue() throws IOException {
+        DocumentMapper mapper = createDocumentMapper(topMapping(b -> {
+            b.field("dynamic", "true");
+            b.startObject("properties");
+            {
+                b.startObject("test_field");
+                {
+                    b.field("type", "text");
+                    b.field("copy_to", "missing_field");
+                }
+                b.endObject();
+            }
+            b.endObject();}));
+    }
+
     public void testCopyToDateRangeFailure() throws Exception {
         DocumentMapper docMapper = createDocumentMapper(topMapping(b -> {
             b.startObject("properties");