diff --git a/index.go b/index.go
index c083787c4..41b1559c0 100644
--- a/index.go
+++ b/index.go
@@ -353,6 +353,13 @@ type IndexCopyable interface {
 	CopyTo(d index.Directory) error
 }
 
+// IndexFileCopyable is an index supporting the transfer of a single file between
+// two indexes
+type IndexFileCopyable interface {
+	UpdateFileInBolt(key []byte, value []byte) error
+	CopyFile(file string, d index.IndexDirectory) error
+}
+
 // FileSystemDirectory is the default implementation for the
 // index.Directory interface.
 type FileSystemDirectory string
diff --git a/index/scorch/persister.go b/index/scorch/persister.go
index 35136fcd3..6f33ed41a 100644
--- a/index/scorch/persister.go
+++ b/index/scorch/persister.go
@@ -574,6 +574,11 @@ func copyToDirectory(srcPath string, d index.Directory) (int64, error) {
 		return 0, fmt.Errorf("GetWriter err: %v", err)
 	}
 
+	// skip
+	if dest == nil {
+		return 0, nil
+	}
+
 	sourceFileStat, err := os.Stat(srcPath)
 	if err != nil {
 		return 0, err
diff --git a/index/scorch/scorch.go b/index/scorch/scorch.go
index 3566baf03..9c3a9ae1d 100644
--- a/index/scorch/scorch.go
+++ b/index/scorch/scorch.go
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ package scorch
 import (
 	"encoding/json"
 	"fmt"
+	"io"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
 	"sync"
@@ -78,6 +79,8 @@ type Scorch struct {
 	persisterNotifier        chan *epochWatcher
 	rootBolt                 *bolt.DB
 	asyncTasks               sync.WaitGroup
+	// not a real searchable segment
+	centroidIndex *SegmentSnapshot
 
 	trainer trainer
 
@@ -112,6 +115,10 @@ type trainer interface {
 	loadTrainedData(*bolt.Bucket) error
 	// to fetch the internal data from the component
 	getInternal(key []byte) ([]byte, error)
+
+	// file transfer operations
+	copyFileLOCKED(file string, d index.IndexDirectory) error
+	updateBolt(snapshotsBucket *bolt.Bucket, key []byte, value []byte) error
 }
 
 type ScorchErrorType string
@@ -1041,6 +1048,65 @@ func (s *Scorch) CopyReader() index.CopyReader {
 	return rv
 }
 
+func (s *Scorch) UpdateFileInBolt(key []byte, value []byte) error {
+	tx, err := s.rootBolt.Begin(true)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+	defer func() {
+		if err != nil {
+			_ = tx.Rollback()
+		}
+	}()
+
+	snapshotsBucket, err := tx.CreateBucketIfNotExists(util.BoltSnapshotsBucket)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	// currently this is specific to centroid index file update
+	err = s.trainer.updateBolt(snapshotsBucket, key, value)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	err = tx.Commit()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	return s.rootBolt.Sync()
+}
+
+// CopyFile copies a specific file to a destination directory which has an access to a bleve index
+// doing a io.Copy() isn't enough because the file needs to be tracked in bolt file as well
+func (s *Scorch) CopyFile(file string, d index.IndexDirectory) error {
+	s.rootLock.Lock()
+	defer s.rootLock.Unlock()
+
+	dest, err := d.GetWriter(filepath.Join("store", file))
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	source, err := os.Open(filepath.Join(s.path, file))
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	defer source.Close()
+	defer dest.Close()
+	_, err = io.Copy(dest, source)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	// this code is currently specific to copying trained data but is future proofed for other files
+	// to be updated in the dest's bolt
+	err = s.trainer.copyFileLOCKED(file, d)
+	return err
+}
+
 // external API to fire a scorch event (EventKindIndexStart) externally from bleve
 func (s *Scorch) FireIndexEvent() {
 	s.fireEvent(EventKindIndexStart, 0)
diff --git a/index/scorch/train_noop.go b/index/scorch/train_noop.go
index 49b565e65..3ae5ad155 100644
--- a/index/scorch/train_noop.go
+++ b/index/scorch/train_noop.go
@@ -45,3 +45,11 @@ func (t *noopTrainer) loadTrainedData(bucket *bolt.Bucket) error {
 func (t *noopTrainer) getInternal(key []byte) ([]byte, error) {
 	return nil, nil
 }
+
+func (t *noopTrainer) copyFileLOCKED(file string, d index.IndexDirectory) error {
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (t *noopTrainer) updateBolt(snapshotsBucket *bolt.Bucket, key []byte, value []byte) error {
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/index/scorch/train_vector.go b/index/scorch/train_vector.go
index e764b68c1..f8f6ec08c 100644
--- a/index/scorch/train_vector.go
+++ b/index/scorch/train_vector.go
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 package scorch
 
 import (
+	"bytes"
 	"fmt"
 	"os"
 	"path/filepath"
@@ -281,3 +282,46 @@ func (t *vectorTrainer) getCentroidIndex(field string) (*faiss.IndexImpl, error)
 	}
 	return coarseQuantizer, nil
 }
+
+func (t *vectorTrainer) copyFileLOCKED(file string, d index.IndexDirectory) error {
+	if strings.HasSuffix(file, index.CentroidIndexFileName) {
+		// centroid index file - this is outside the snapshots domain so the bolt update is different
+		err := d.UpdateFileInBolt(util.BoltTrainerKey, []byte(file))
+		if err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("error updating dest index bolt: %w", err)
+		}
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (t *vectorTrainer) updateBolt(snapshotsBucket *bolt.Bucket, key []byte, value []byte) error {
+	if bytes.Equal(key, util.BoltTrainerKey) {
+		trainerBucket, err := snapshotsBucket.CreateBucketIfNotExists(util.BoltTrainerKey)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+		if trainerBucket == nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("trainer bucket not found")
+		}
+
+		// guard against duplicate updates
+		existingValue := trainerBucket.Get(util.BoltPathKey)
+		if existingValue != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("key already exists %v %v", t.parent.path, string(existingValue))
+		}
+
+		err = trainerBucket.Put(util.BoltPathKey, value)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+
+		// update the centroid index pointer
+		t.centroidIndex, err = t.parent.loadSegment(trainerBucket)
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/index_alias_impl.go b/index_alias_impl.go
index 2839752e2..ee7fbf2a6 100644
--- a/index_alias_impl.go
+++ b/index_alias_impl.go
@@ -106,6 +106,7 @@ func (i *indexAliasImpl) IndexSynonym(id string, collection string, definition *
 func (i *indexAliasImpl) Train(batch *Batch) error {
 	i.mutex.RLock()
 	defer i.mutex.RUnlock()
+
 	if !i.open {
 		return ErrorIndexClosed
 	}
diff --git a/index_impl.go b/index_impl.go
index ffe1c21a8..47026ffa6 100644
--- a/index_impl.go
+++ b/index_impl.go
@@ -1593,3 +1593,35 @@ func (i *indexImpl) buildTopNCollector(ctx context.Context, req *SearchRequest,
 	}
 	return newCollector(), nil
 }
+
+func (i *indexImpl) CopyFile(file string, d index.IndexDirectory) (err error) {
+	i.mutex.RLock()
+	defer i.mutex.RUnlock()
+
+	if !i.open {
+		return ErrorIndexClosed
+	}
+
+	copyIndex, ok := i.i.(index.IndexFileCopyable)
+	if !ok {
+		return fmt.Errorf("index implementation does not support copy reader")
+	}
+
+	return copyIndex.CopyFile(file, d)
+}
+
+func (i *indexImpl) UpdateFileInBolt(key []byte, value []byte) error {
+	i.mutex.RLock()
+	defer i.mutex.RUnlock()
+
+	if !i.open {
+		return ErrorIndexClosed
+	}
+
+	copyIndex, ok := i.i.(index.IndexFileCopyable)
+	if !ok {
+		return fmt.Errorf("index implementation does not support file copy")
+	}
+
+	return copyIndex.UpdateFileInBolt(key, value)
+}