diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index cac5a799012e1..f72dde1cac3d1 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -73,3 +73,12 @@ server/src/main/resources/transport/defined/manifest.txt
 
 # JEnv
 .java-version
+
+# Claude Flow and Swarm directories
+.claude-flow/
+.swarm/
+
+# Temporary test files
+test-*.java
+bug-*.json
+*-bug-analysis.md
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 a43575b8f990c..73d5ae6debc68 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/mapper/FieldMapper.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/mapper/FieldMapper.java
@@ -332,6 +332,10 @@ public final void validate(MappingLookup mappers) {
                 throw new IllegalArgumentException("[copy_to] may not be used to copy from a multi-field: [" + this.fullPath() + "]");
             }
 
+            // Check if dynamic mappings are disabled
+            ObjectMapper.Dynamic rootDynamic = ObjectMapper.Dynamic.getRootDynamic(mappers);
+            boolean isDynamicDisabled = rootDynamic == ObjectMapper.Dynamic.FALSE;
+
             final String sourceScope = mappers.nestedLookup().getNestedParent(this.fullPath());
             for (String copyTo : this.copyTo().copyToFields()) {
                 if (mappers.isMultiField(copyTo)) {
@@ -341,6 +345,13 @@ public final void validate(MappingLookup mappers) {
                     throw new IllegalArgumentException("Cannot copy to field [" + copyTo + "] since it is mapped as an object");
                 }
 
+                // When dynamic is false, check if the target field exists
+                if (isDynamicDisabled && mappers.getMapper(copyTo) == null) {
+                    throw new IllegalArgumentException(
+                        "Cannot copy to field [" + copyTo + "] because it does not exist and dynamic mappings are disabled"
+                    );
+                }
+
                 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 aa184ddf465d5..e4f6f07a5d00c 100644
--- a/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/index/mapper/CopyToMapperTests.java
+++ b/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/index/mapper/CopyToMapperTests.java
@@ -32,6 +32,62 @@
 
 public class CopyToMapperTests extends MapperServiceTestCase {
 
+    public void testCopyToNonExistentFieldWithDynamicFalse() {
+        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(),
+            equalTo("Cannot copy to field [missing_field] because it does not exist and dynamic mappings are disabled")
+        );
+    }
+
+    public void testCopyToExistingFieldWithDynamicFalse() throws Exception {
+        // This should succeed as the target field exists
+        DocumentMapper mapper = createDocumentMapper(topMapping(b -> {
+            b.field("dynamic", false);
+            b.startObject("properties");
+            {
+                b.startObject("test_field");
+                {
+                    b.field("type", "text");
+                    b.field("copy_to", "target_field");
+                }
+                b.endObject();
+                b.startObject("target_field");
+                {
+                    b.field("type", "text");
+                }
+                b.endObject();
+            }
+            b.endObject();
+        }));
+        assertNotNull(mapper);
+    }
+
+    public void testCopyToNonExistentFieldWithDynamicTrue() throws Exception {
+        // This should succeed as dynamic is true (default)
+        MapperService mapperService = createMapperService(mapping(b -> {
+            b.startObject("test_field");
+            {
+                b.field("type", "text");
+                b.field("copy_to", "missing_field");
+            }
+            b.endObject();
+        }));
+        assertNotNull(mapperService.documentMapper());
+    }
+
     @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
     public void testCopyToFieldsParsing() throws Exception {