diff --git a/modules/parent-join/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/join/query/HasChildQueryBuilder.java b/modules/parent-join/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/join/query/HasChildQueryBuilder.java
index 1c44daea4e982..6df9f22a45298 100644
--- a/modules/parent-join/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/join/query/HasChildQueryBuilder.java
+++ b/modules/parent-join/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/join/query/HasChildQueryBuilder.java
@@ -66,7 +66,7 @@ public class HasChildQueryBuilder extends AbstractQueryBuilder<HasChildQueryBuil
     /**
      * The default minimum number of children that are required to match for the parent to be considered a match.
      */
-    public static final int DEFAULT_MIN_CHILDREN = 0;
+    public static final int DEFAULT_MIN_CHILDREN = 1;
 
     /**
      * The default value for ignore_unmapped.
@@ -133,8 +133,8 @@ protected void doWriteTo(StreamOutput out) throws IOException {
      * the maximum number of children that are required to match for the parent to be considered a match.
      */
     public HasChildQueryBuilder minMaxChildren(int minChildren, int maxChildren) {
-        if (minChildren < 0) {
-            throw new IllegalArgumentException("[" + NAME + "] requires non-negative 'min_children' field");
+        if (minChildren < 1) {
+            throw new IllegalArgumentException("[" + NAME + "] requires non-negative, non-zero 'min_children' field");
         }
         if (maxChildren < 0) {
             throw new IllegalArgumentException("[" + NAME + "] requires non-negative 'max_children' field");
diff --git a/modules/parent-join/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/join/query/HasChildQueryBuilderTests.java b/modules/parent-join/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/join/query/HasChildQueryBuilderTests.java
index 2a28e232b5eda..29561f40d6816 100644
--- a/modules/parent-join/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/join/query/HasChildQueryBuilderTests.java
+++ b/modules/parent-join/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/join/query/HasChildQueryBuilderTests.java
@@ -215,7 +215,10 @@ public void testIllegalValues() {
         int positiveValue = randomIntBetween(0, Integer.MAX_VALUE);
         HasChildQueryBuilder foo = hasChildQuery("foo", query, ScoreMode.None); // all good
         e = expectThrows(IllegalArgumentException.class, () -> foo.minMaxChildren(randomIntBetween(Integer.MIN_VALUE, -1), positiveValue));
-        assertEquals("[has_child] requires non-negative 'min_children' field", e.getMessage());
+        assertEquals("[has_child] requires non-negative, non-zero 'min_children' field", e.getMessage());
+
+        e = expectThrows(IllegalArgumentException.class, () -> foo.minMaxChildren(0, positiveValue));
+        assertEquals("[has_child] requires non-negative, non-zero 'min_children' field", e.getMessage());
 
         e = expectThrows(IllegalArgumentException.class, () -> foo.minMaxChildren(positiveValue, randomIntBetween(Integer.MIN_VALUE, -1)));
         assertEquals("[has_child] requires non-negative 'max_children' field", e.getMessage());