diff --git a/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/SearchResponseMergerTests.java b/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/SearchResponseMergerTests.java
index 26a022c0d7745..ab31c44ff2d59 100644
--- a/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/SearchResponseMergerTests.java
+++ b/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/SearchResponseMergerTests.java
@@ -396,7 +396,6 @@ public void testMergeAggs() throws InterruptedException {
         assertEquals(totalCount, bucket.getDocCount());
     }
 
-    @AwaitsFix(bugUrl = "https://github.com/elastic/elasticsearch/issues/40553")
     public void testMergeSearchHits() throws InterruptedException {
         final long currentRelativeTime = randomLong();
         final SearchTimeProvider timeProvider = new SearchTimeProvider(randomLong(), 0, () -> currentRelativeTime);
@@ -442,6 +441,7 @@ public void testMergeSearchHits() throws InterruptedException {
         float expectedMaxScore = Float.NEGATIVE_INFINITY;
         int numIndices = requestedSize == 0 ? 0 : randomIntBetween(1, requestedSize);
         Iterator<Map.Entry<String, Index[]>> indicesIterator = randomRealisticIndices(numIndices, numResponses).entrySet().iterator();
+        boolean hasHits = false;
         for (int i = 0; i < numResponses; i++) {
             Map.Entry<String, Index[]> entry = indicesIterator.next();
             String clusterAlias = entry.getKey();
@@ -465,6 +465,7 @@ public void testMergeSearchHits() throws InterruptedException {
             float maxScore = scoreSort ? numDocs * scoreFactor : Float.NaN;
             SearchHit[] hits = randomSearchHitArray(numDocs, numResponses, clusterAlias, indices, maxScore, scoreFactor,
                 sortFields, priorityQueue);
+            hasHits |= hits.length > 0;
             expectedMaxScore = Math.max(expectedMaxScore, maxScore);
 
             Object[] collapseValues = null;
@@ -514,7 +515,7 @@ public void testMergeSearchHits() throws InterruptedException {
 
         SearchHits searchHits = searchResponse.getHits();
         // the sort fields and the collapse field are not returned when hits are empty
-        if (searchHits.getHits().length > 0) {
+        if (hasHits) {
             assertArrayEquals(sortFields, searchHits.getSortFields());
             assertEquals(collapseField, searchHits.getCollapseField());
         } else {
@@ -540,7 +541,7 @@ public void testMergeSearchHits() throws InterruptedException {
         SearchHit[] hits = searchHits.getHits();
         if (collapseField != null
                 // the collapse field is not returned when hits are empty
-                && hits.length > 0) {
+                && hasHits) {
             assertEquals(hits.length, searchHits.getCollapseValues().length);
         } else {
             assertNull(searchHits.getCollapseValues());