diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/store/Store.java b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/store/Store.java
index ccaae9d5f79df..d70fd7a990138 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/store/Store.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/store/Store.java
@@ -241,7 +241,6 @@ final void ensureOpen() {
      * Note that this method requires the caller verify it has the right to access the store and
      * no concurrent file changes are happening. If in doubt, you probably want to use one of the following:
      *
-     * {@link #readMetadataSnapshot(Path, ShardId, NodeEnvironment.ShardLocker, Logger)} to read a meta data while locking
      * {@link IndexShard#snapshotStoreMetadata()} to safely read from an existing shard
      * {@link IndexShard#acquireLastIndexCommit(boolean)} to get an {@link IndexCommit} which is safe to use but has to be freed
      * @param commit the index commit to read the snapshot from or <code>null</code> if the latest snapshot should be read from the
@@ -265,7 +264,6 @@ public MetadataSnapshot getMetadata(IndexCommit commit) throws IOException {
      * Note that this method requires the caller verify it has the right to access the store and
      * no concurrent file changes are happening. If in doubt, you probably want to use one of the following:
      *
-     * {@link #readMetadataSnapshot(Path, ShardId, NodeEnvironment.ShardLocker, Logger)} to read a meta data while locking
      * {@link IndexShard#snapshotStoreMetadata()} to safely read from an existing shard
      * {@link IndexShard#acquireLastIndexCommit(boolean)} to get an {@link IndexCommit} which is safe to use but has to be freed
      *
@@ -456,18 +454,16 @@ private void closeInternal() {
      *
      * @throws IOException if the index we try to read is corrupted
      */
-    public static MetadataSnapshot readMetadataSnapshot(Path indexLocation, ShardId shardId, NodeEnvironment.ShardLocker shardLocker,
-                                                        Logger logger) throws IOException {
-        try (ShardLock lock = shardLocker.lock(shardId, TimeUnit.SECONDS.toMillis(5));
-             Directory dir = new SimpleFSDirectory(indexLocation)) {
+    public static MetadataSnapshot readMetadataSnapshot(Path indexLocation, ShardId shardId, Logger logger, ShardLock shardLock)
+        throws IOException {
+        assert shardLock.isOpen();
+        try (Directory dir = new SimpleFSDirectory(indexLocation)) {
             failIfCorrupted(dir, shardId);
             return new MetadataSnapshot(null, dir, logger);
         } catch (IndexNotFoundException ex) {
             // that's fine - happens all the time no need to log
         } catch (FileNotFoundException | NoSuchFileException ex) {
             logger.info("Failed to open / find files while reading metadata snapshot");
-        } catch (ShardLockObtainFailedException ex) {
-            logger.info(() -> new ParameterizedMessage("{}: failed to obtain shard lock", shardId), ex);
         }
         return MetadataSnapshot.EMPTY;
     }
diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/indices/store/TransportNodesListShardStoreMetaData.java b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/indices/store/TransportNodesListShardStoreMetaData.java
index d91bba2ada929..fa5ce6e6533da 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/indices/store/TransportNodesListShardStoreMetaData.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/indices/store/TransportNodesListShardStoreMetaData.java
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@
 
 package org.elasticsearch.indices.store;
 
+import org.apache.logging.log4j.message.ParameterizedMessage;
 import org.elasticsearch.ElasticsearchException;
 import org.elasticsearch.action.ActionListener;
 import org.elasticsearch.action.FailedNodeException;
@@ -42,6 +43,7 @@
 import org.elasticsearch.common.xcontent.NamedXContentRegistry;
 import org.elasticsearch.env.NodeEnvironment;
 import org.elasticsearch.env.ShardLock;
+import org.elasticsearch.env.ShardLockObtainFailedException;
 import org.elasticsearch.gateway.AsyncShardFetch;
 import org.elasticsearch.index.IndexService;
 import org.elasticsearch.index.IndexSettings;
@@ -139,20 +141,23 @@ private StoreFilesMetaData listStoreMetaData(ShardId shardId) throws IOException
                 logger.trace("{} node doesn't have meta data for the requests index, responding with empty", shardId);
                 return new StoreFilesMetaData(shardId, Store.MetadataSnapshot.EMPTY);
             }
-            final IndexSettings indexSettings = indexService != null ? indexService.getIndexSettings() : new IndexSettings(metaData, settings);
-            final ShardPath shardPath;
-            try (ShardLock ignored = nodeEnv.shardLock(shardId, TimeUnit.SECONDS.toMillis(5))) {
-                shardPath = ShardPath.loadShardPath(logger, nodeEnv, shardId, indexSettings);
-            }
-            if (shardPath == null) {
-                return new StoreFilesMetaData(shardId, Store.MetadataSnapshot.EMPTY);
-            }
+            final IndexSettings indexSettings
+                = indexService != null ? indexService.getIndexSettings() : new IndexSettings(metaData, settings);
+
             // note that this may fail if it can't get access to the shard lock. Since we check above there is an active shard, this means:
-            // 1) a shard is being constructed, which means the master will not use a copy of this replica
-            // 2) A shard is shutting down and has not cleared it's content within lock timeout. In this case the master may not
+            // 1) a shard is being constructed, which means the master will not use a copy of this replica.
+            // 2) a shard is shutting down and has not cleared its content within the lock timeout. In this case the master may not
             //    reuse local resources.
-            return new StoreFilesMetaData(shardId, Store.readMetadataSnapshot(shardPath.resolveIndex(), shardId,
-                nodeEnv::shardLock, logger));
+            try (ShardLock shardLock = nodeEnv.shardLock(shardId, TimeUnit.SECONDS.toMillis(5))) {
+                final ShardPath shardPath = ShardPath.loadShardPath(logger, nodeEnv, shardId, indexSettings);
+                if (shardPath != null) {
+                    return new StoreFilesMetaData(shardId,
+                        Store.readMetadataSnapshot(shardPath.resolveIndex(), shardId, logger, shardLock));
+                }
+            } catch (ShardLockObtainFailedException ex) {
+                logger.info(() -> new ParameterizedMessage("{}: failed to obtain shard lock", shardId), ex);
+            }
+            return new StoreFilesMetaData(shardId, Store.MetadataSnapshot.EMPTY);
         } finally {
             TimeValue took = new TimeValue(System.nanoTime() - startTimeNS, TimeUnit.NANOSECONDS);
             if (exists) {