diff --git a/src/helpers/create_index.js b/src/helpers/create_index.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..fad7514
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/helpers/create_index.js
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+var schema = {
+  payload: { type: 'object', enabled: false },
+  priority: { type: 'short' },
+  process_timeout: { type: 'long' },
+  process_expiration: { type: 'date' },
+  created_at: { type: 'date' },
+  started_at: { type: 'date' },
+  completed_at: { type: 'date' },
+  attempts: { type: 'short' },
+  max_attempts: { type: 'short' },
+  status: { type: 'string', index: 'not_analyzed' },
+  output_content_type: { type: 'string', index: 'not_analyzed' },
+  output: { type: 'object', enabled: false }
+};
+
+export default function createIndex(client, indexName) {
+  const indexBody = {
+    mappings: {
+      _default_: {
+        properties: schema
+      }
+    }
+  };
+
+  return client.indices.exists({
+    index: indexName,
+  })
+  .then((exists) => {
+    if (!exists) {
+      return client.indices.create({
+        ignore: 400,
+        index: indexName,
+        body: indexBody
+      })
+      .then(() => true);
+    }
+    return exists;
+  });
+}
diff --git a/test/src/helpers/create_index.js b/test/src/helpers/create_index.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..09e26e1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/src/helpers/create_index.js
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+import expect from 'expect.js';
+import sinon from 'sinon';
+import createIndex from '../../../lib/helpers/create_index';
+import elasticsearchMock from '../../fixtures/elasticsearch';
+
+describe('Create Index', function () {
+  let client;
+  let createSpy;
+
+  beforeEach(function () {
+    client = new elasticsearchMock.Client();
+    createSpy = sinon.spy(client.indices, 'create');
+  });
+
+  it('should create the index', function () {
+    const indexName = 'test-index';
+    const result = createIndex(client, indexName);
+
+    return result
+    .then(function () {
+      sinon.assert.callCount(createSpy, 1);
+      expect(createSpy.getCall(0).args[0]).to.have.property('index', indexName);
+    });
+  });
+
+  it('should create the default mappings', function () {
+    const indexName = 'test-index';
+    const result = createIndex(client, indexName);
+
+    return result
+    .then(function () {
+      const payload = createSpy.getCall(0).args[0];
+      sinon.assert.callCount(createSpy, 1);
+      expect(payload).to.have.property('body');
+      expect(payload.body).to.have.property('mappings');
+      expect(payload.body.mappings).to.have.property('_default_');
+      expect(payload.body.mappings._default_).to.have.property('properties');
+    });
+  });
+});