diff --git a/corehq/ex-submodules/pillowtop/processors/elastic.py b/corehq/ex-submodules/pillowtop/processors/elastic.py
index 3e5d34c7f427..feef87ef233a 100644
--- a/corehq/ex-submodules/pillowtop/processors/elastic.py
+++ b/corehq/ex-submodules/pillowtop/processors/elastic.py
@@ -67,7 +67,7 @@ def process_change(self, change):
             get_doc_meta_object_from_document,
         )
 
-        if self.change_filter_fn and self.change_filter_fn(change):
+        if self.change_filter_fn(change):
             return
 
         if change.deleted and change.id:
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ def process_change(self, change):
             ensure_matched_revisions(change, doc)
 
         with self._datadog_timing('transform'):
-            if doc is None or (self.doc_filter_fn and self.doc_filter_fn(doc)):
+            if doc is None or self.doc_filter_fn(doc):
                 return
 
             if doc.get('doc_type') is not None and doc['doc_type'].endswith("-Deleted"):
diff --git a/corehq/pillows/case_search.py b/corehq/pillows/case_search.py
index e21b2137173a..cbfc64d5f093 100644
--- a/corehq/pillows/case_search.py
+++ b/corehq/pillows/case_search.py
@@ -20,7 +20,6 @@
 from corehq.apps.es.client import manager
 from corehq.apps.geospatial.utils import get_geo_case_property
 from corehq.form_processor.backends.sql.dbaccessors import CaseReindexAccessor
-from corehq.pillows.base import is_couch_change_for_sql_domain
 from corehq.util.doc_processor.sql import SqlDocumentProvider
 from corehq.util.log import get_traceback_string
 from corehq.util.quickcache import quickcache
@@ -31,9 +30,8 @@
     get_checkpoint_for_elasticsearch_pillow,
 )
 from pillowtop.es_utils import initialize_index_and_mapping
-from pillowtop.feed.interface import Change
 from pillowtop.pillow.interface import ConstructedPillow
-from pillowtop.processors.elastic import ElasticProcessor
+from pillowtop.processors.elastic import BulkElasticProcessor
 from pillowtop.reindexer.change_providers.case import (
     get_domain_case_change_provider,
 )
@@ -107,22 +105,14 @@ def _add_gps_smart_types(dynamic_properties, gps_props):
                 prop[GEOPOINT_VALUE] = None
 
 
-class CaseSearchPillowProcessor(ElasticProcessor):
+class CaseSearchPillowProcessor(BulkElasticProcessor):
 
-    def process_change(self, change):
-        assert isinstance(change, Change)
-        if self.change_filter_fn and self.change_filter_fn(change):
-            return
-
-        if change.metadata is not None:
-            # Comes from KafkaChangeFeed (i.e. running pillowtop)
+    def __init__(self, adapter):
+        def change_filter_fn(change):
             domain = change.metadata.domain
-        else:
-            # comes from ChangeProvider (i.e reindexing)
-            domain = change.get_document()['domain']
+            return not (domain and domain_needs_search_index(domain))
 
-        if domain and domain_needs_search_index(domain):
-            super(CaseSearchPillowProcessor, self).process_change(change)
+        super().__init__(adapter, change_filter_fn=change_filter_fn)
 
 
 def get_case_search_processor():
@@ -134,10 +124,7 @@ def get_case_search_processor():
     Writes to:
       - Case Search ES index
     """
-    return CaseSearchPillowProcessor(
-        adapter=case_search_adapter,
-        change_filter_fn=is_couch_change_for_sql_domain
-    )
+    return CaseSearchPillowProcessor(adapter=case_search_adapter)
 
 
 def _fail_gracefully_and_tell_admins():
diff --git a/corehq/pillows/tests/__init__.py b/corehq/pillows/tests/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..e69de29bb2d1
diff --git a/corehq/pillows/tests/test_case_search.py b/corehq/pillows/tests/test_case_search.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..c07a4258adc4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/corehq/pillows/tests/test_case_search.py
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+from unittest.mock import patch
+
+from attrs import define, field
+
+from pillowtop.processors import elastic
+
+from .. import case_search as mod
+
+
+class TestCaseSearchPillowProcessor:
+
+    def test_process_changes_chunk_excludes_irrelevant_changes(self):
+        changes = [FakeChange(0), FakeChange(1), FakeChange(2), FakeChange(3)]
+        adapter = FakeAdapter()
+        proc = mod.CaseSearchPillowProcessor(adapter)
+
+        def needs_search_index(domain_is_fake_change_id):
+            return domain_is_fake_change_id < 3
+
+        with (
+            patch.object(mod, 'domain_needs_search_index', needs_search_index),
+            patch.object(elastic, 'bulk_fetch_changes_docs', lambda chs: ([], [])),
+            patch.object(elastic, 'build_bulk_payload', lambda chs, *args: chs),
+        ):
+            retries, errors = proc.process_changes_chunk(changes)
+
+            # Parts of change_filter_fn tested:
+            # excluded: FakeChange(0).metadata.domain is False-ish
+            # excluded: domain_needs_search_index(FakeChange(3).metadata.domain) is False
+            assert adapter.bulk_calls == [[FakeChange(1), FakeChange(2)]]
+            assert not retries, 'excluded changes should not be retried'
+            assert not errors
+
+
+@define
+class FakeChange:
+    id = field()
+    document = True  # processed by doc_filter_fn, which is noop_filter
+
+    @property
+    def metadata(self):
+        return FakeMetadata(self.id)
+
+
+@define
+class FakeMetadata:
+    domain = field()
+
+
+@define
+class FakeAdapter:
+    index_name = "fake"
+    bulk_calls = field(factory=list)
+
+    def bulk(self, actions, raise_errors):
+        self.bulk_calls.append(actions)
+        return len(actions), []