diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/engine/Engine.java b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/engine/Engine.java
index fb937ed4e9302..1452c5de49278 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/engine/Engine.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/engine/Engine.java
@@ -847,11 +847,35 @@ public void forceMerge(boolean flush) throws IOException {
      */
     public abstract IndexCommitRef acquireSafeIndexCommit() throws EngineException;
 
+    /**
+     * If the specified throwable contains a fatal error in the throwable graph, such a fatal error will be thrown. Callers should ensure
+     * that there are no catch statements that would catch an error in the stack as the fatal error here should go uncaught and be handled
+     * by the uncaught exception handler that we install during bootstrap. If the specified throwable does indeed contain a fatal error, the
+     * specified message will attempt to be logged before throwing the fatal error. If the specified throwable does not contain a fatal
+     * error, this method is a no-op.
+     *
+     * @param maybeMessage the message to maybe log
+     * @param maybeFatal   the throwable that maybe contains a fatal error
+     */
+    @SuppressWarnings("finally")
+    private void maybeDie(final String maybeMessage, final Throwable maybeFatal) {
+        ExceptionsHelper.maybeError(maybeFatal, logger).ifPresent(error -> {
+            try {
+                logger.error(maybeMessage, error);
+            } finally {
+                throw error;
+            }
+        });
+    }
+
     /**
      * fail engine due to some error. the engine will also be closed.
      * The underlying store is marked corrupted iff failure is caused by index corruption
      */
     public void failEngine(String reason, @Nullable Exception failure) {
+        if (failure != null) {
+            maybeDie(reason, failure);
+        }
         if (failEngineLock.tryLock()) {
             store.incRef();
             try {
diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/engine/InternalEngine.java b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/engine/InternalEngine.java
index 100a133042d74..0b67ab21329ef 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/engine/InternalEngine.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/engine/InternalEngine.java
@@ -1730,7 +1730,6 @@ private boolean failOnTragicEvent(AlreadyClosedException ex) {
         // we need to fail the engine. it might have already been failed before
         // but we are double-checking it's failed and closed
         if (indexWriter.isOpen() == false && indexWriter.getTragicException() != null) {
-            maybeDie("tragic event in index writer", indexWriter.getTragicException());
             failEngine("already closed by tragic event on the index writer", (Exception) indexWriter.getTragicException());
             engineFailed = true;
         } else if (translog.isOpen() == false && translog.getTragicException() != null) {
@@ -2080,34 +2079,12 @@ protected void doRun() throws Exception {
                      * confidence that the call stack does not contain catch statements that would cause the error that might be thrown
                      * here from being caught and never reaching the uncaught exception handler.
                      */
-                    maybeDie("fatal error while merging", exc);
-                    logger.error("failed to merge", exc);
                     failEngine("merge failed", new MergePolicy.MergeException(exc, dir));
                 }
             });
         }
     }
 
-    /**
-     * If the specified throwable is a fatal error, this throwable will be thrown. Callers should ensure that there are no catch statements
-     * that would catch an error in the stack as the fatal error here should go uncaught and be handled by the uncaught exception handler
-     * that we install during bootstrap. If the specified throwable is indeed a fatal error, the specified message will attempt to be logged
-     * before throwing the fatal error. If the specified throwable is not a fatal error, this method is a no-op.
-     *
-     * @param maybeMessage the message to maybe log
-     * @param maybeFatal the throwable that is maybe fatal
-     */
-    @SuppressWarnings("finally")
-    private void maybeDie(final String maybeMessage, final Throwable maybeFatal) {
-        if (maybeFatal instanceof Error) {
-            try {
-                logger.error(maybeMessage, maybeFatal);
-            } finally {
-                throw (Error) maybeFatal;
-            }
-        }
-    }
-
     /**
      * Commits the specified index writer.
      *