diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/ccr/qa/multi-cluster/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ccr/AutoFollowIT.java b/x-pack/plugin/ccr/qa/multi-cluster/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ccr/AutoFollowIT.java
index 255fe889b9895..33c6a65924e9e 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/ccr/qa/multi-cluster/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ccr/AutoFollowIT.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/ccr/qa/multi-cluster/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ccr/AutoFollowIT.java
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@
 import org.elasticsearch.client.Response;
 import org.elasticsearch.client.ResponseException;
 import org.elasticsearch.client.RestClient;
-import org.elasticsearch.core.CheckedRunnable;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.Strings;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.settings.SecureString;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.settings.Settings;
@@ -22,6 +21,7 @@
 import org.elasticsearch.common.xcontent.ObjectPath;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.xcontent.XContentBuilder;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.xcontent.json.JsonXContent;
+import org.elasticsearch.core.CheckedRunnable;
 import org.elasticsearch.rest.RestStatus;
 
 import java.io.IOException;
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@
 import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.containsString;
 import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.emptyOrNullString;
 import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.equalTo;
-import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.greaterThan;
+import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.greaterThanOrEqualTo;
 import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.hasEntry;
 import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.hasKey;
 import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.hasSize;
@@ -774,38 +774,20 @@ public void testAutoFollowSearchableSnapshotsFails() throws Exception {
         }
 
         final String testPrefix = getTestName().toLowerCase(Locale.ROOT);
-        int initialNumberOfSuccessfulFollowedIndicesInFollowCluster = getNumberOfSuccessfulFollowedIndices();
-
-        final String autoFollowPattern = "pattern-" + testPrefix;
-        createAutoFollowPattern(client(), autoFollowPattern, testPrefix + "-*", "leader_cluster");
-
-        // Create a regular index on leader
-        final String regularIndex = testPrefix + "-regular";
-        {
-            try (var leaderClient = buildLeaderClient()) {
-                for (int i = 0; i < 10; i++) {
-                    var indexRequest = new Request("POST", "/" + regularIndex + "/_doc");
-                    indexRequest.addParameter("refresh", "true");
-                    indexRequest.setJsonEntity("{\"value\":" + i + "}");
-                    assertOK(leaderClient.performRequest(indexRequest));
-                }
-                verifyDocuments(leaderClient, regularIndex, 10);
-            }
-        }
+        final String repository = testPrefix + "-repository";
+        final String snapshot = testPrefix + "-snapshot";
 
-        // Create a snapshot backed index on leader
-        final String mountedIndex = testPrefix + "-mounted";
-        {
+        // Create a repository and a snapshot of a 5 docs index on leader
+        final String indexName = testPrefix + "-index";
+        try {
             try (var leaderClient = buildLeaderClient()) {
                 final String systemPropertyRepoPath = System.getProperty("tests.leader_cluster_repository_path");
                 assertThat("Missing system property [tests.leader_cluster_repository_path]",
                     systemPropertyRepoPath, not(emptyOrNullString()));
                 final String repositoryPath = systemPropertyRepoPath + '/' + testPrefix;
 
-                final String repository = testPrefix + "-repository";
                 registerRepository(leaderClient, repository, "fs", true, Settings.builder().put("location", repositoryPath).build());
 
-                final String indexName = testPrefix + "-index";
                 for (int i = 0; i < 5; i++) {
                     var indexRequest = new Request("POST", "/" + indexName + "/_doc");
                     indexRequest.addParameter("refresh", "true");
@@ -814,33 +796,56 @@ public void testAutoFollowSearchableSnapshotsFails() throws Exception {
                 }
                 verifyDocuments(leaderClient, indexName, 5);
 
-                final String snapshot = testPrefix + "-snapshot";
                 deleteSnapshot(leaderClient, repository, snapshot, true);
                 createSnapshot(leaderClient, repository, snapshot, true);
-                deleteIndex(leaderClient, indexName);
+            }
+        } finally {
+            cleanUpLeader(List.of(indexName), List.of(), List.of());
+        }
 
+        final String autoFollowPattern = "pattern-" + testPrefix;
+        final String regularIndex = testPrefix + "-regular";
+        final String mountedIndex = testPrefix + "-mounted";
+
+        try {
+            createAutoFollowPattern(client(), autoFollowPattern, testPrefix + "-*", "leader_cluster");
+
+            // Create a regular index on leader
+            try (var leaderClient = buildLeaderClient()) {
+                for (int i = 0; i < 10; i++) {
+                    var indexRequest = new Request("POST", "/" + regularIndex + "/_doc");
+                    indexRequest.addParameter("refresh", "true");
+                    indexRequest.setJsonEntity("{\"value\":" + i + "}");
+                    assertOK(leaderClient.performRequest(indexRequest));
+                }
+                verifyDocuments(leaderClient, regularIndex, 10);
+            }
+
+            // Mount the snapshot on leader
+            try (var leaderClient = buildLeaderClient()) {
                 final Request mountRequest = new Request(HttpPost.METHOD_NAME, "/_snapshot/" + repository + '/' + snapshot + "/_mount");
                 mountRequest.setJsonEntity("{\"index\": \"" + indexName + "\",\"renamed_index\": \"" + mountedIndex + "\"}");
                 final Response mountResponse = leaderClient.performRequest(mountRequest);
                 assertThat(mountResponse.getStatusLine().getStatusCode(), equalTo(RestStatus.OK.getStatus()));
                 ensureYellow(mountedIndex, leaderClient);
             }
-        }
 
-        assertLongBusy(() -> {
-            Map<?, ?> response = toMap(getAutoFollowStats());
-            assertThat(eval("auto_follow_stats.number_of_successful_follow_indices", response),
-                equalTo(initialNumberOfSuccessfulFollowedIndicesInFollowCluster + 2));
-            assertThat(eval("auto_follow_stats.recent_auto_follow_errors", response),
-                hasSize(greaterThan(0)));
-            assertThat(eval("auto_follow_stats.recent_auto_follow_errors.0.auto_follow_exception.reason", response),
-                containsString("index to follow [" + mountedIndex + "] is a searchable snapshot index and cannot be used " +
-                    "for cross-cluster replication purpose"));
-            ensureYellow(regularIndex);
-            verifyDocuments(client(), regularIndex, 10);
-        });
-
-        deleteAutoFollowPattern(client(), autoFollowPattern);
+            assertLongBusy(() -> {
+                Map<?, ?> response = toMap(getAutoFollowStats());
+                assertThat(eval("auto_follow_stats.number_of_failed_follow_indices", response),
+                    greaterThanOrEqualTo(1));
+                assertThat(eval("auto_follow_stats.recent_auto_follow_errors", response),
+                    hasSize(greaterThanOrEqualTo(1)));
+                assertThat(eval("auto_follow_stats.recent_auto_follow_errors.0.auto_follow_exception.reason", response),
+                    containsString("index to follow [" + mountedIndex + "] is a searchable snapshot index and cannot be used " +
+                        "for cross-cluster replication purpose"));
+                ensureYellow(regularIndex);
+                verifyDocuments(client(), regularIndex, 10);
+            });
+        } finally {
+            cleanUpLeader(List.of(regularIndex, mountedIndex), List.of(), List.of());
+            cleanUpFollower(List.of(regularIndex), List.of(), List.of(autoFollowPattern));
+        }
     }
 
     private int getNumberOfSuccessfulFollowedIndices() throws IOException {