diff --git a/server/src/internalClusterTest/java/org/opensearch/indices/replication/SegmentReplicationIT.java b/server/src/internalClusterTest/java/org/opensearch/indices/replication/SegmentReplicationIT.java
index 2cd46e326dcfb..2ceb4e0908df3 100644
--- a/server/src/internalClusterTest/java/org/opensearch/indices/replication/SegmentReplicationIT.java
+++ b/server/src/internalClusterTest/java/org/opensearch/indices/replication/SegmentReplicationIT.java
@@ -237,14 +237,10 @@ public void testReplicationAfterPrimaryRefreshAndFlush() throws Exception {
 
     public void testIndexReopenClose() throws Exception {
         final String primary = internalCluster().startNode();
-        createIndex(INDEX_NAME);
-        ensureYellowAndNoInitializingShards(INDEX_NAME);
         final String replica = internalCluster().startNode();
+        createIndex(INDEX_NAME);
         ensureGreen(INDEX_NAME);
 
-        client().prepareIndex(INDEX_NAME).setId("1").setSource("foo", "bar").setRefreshPolicy(WriteRequest.RefreshPolicy.IMMEDIATE).get();
-        refresh(INDEX_NAME);
-
         final int initialDocCount = scaledRandomIntBetween(100, 200);
         try (
             BackgroundIndexer indexer = new BackgroundIndexer(
@@ -263,11 +259,18 @@ public void testIndexReopenClose() throws Exception {
             waitForReplicaUpdate();
         }
 
+        assertHitCount(client(primary).prepareSearch(INDEX_NAME).setSize(0).setPreference("_only_local").get(), initialDocCount);
+        assertHitCount(client(replica).prepareSearch(INDEX_NAME).setSize(0).setPreference("_only_local").get(), initialDocCount);
+
         logger.info("--> Closing the index ");
         client().admin().indices().prepareClose(INDEX_NAME).get();
 
         logger.info("--> Opening the index");
         client().admin().indices().prepareOpen(INDEX_NAME).get();
+
+        ensureGreen(INDEX_NAME);
+        assertHitCount(client(primary).prepareSearch(INDEX_NAME).setSize(0).setPreference("_only_local").get(), initialDocCount);
+        assertHitCount(client(replica).prepareSearch(INDEX_NAME).setSize(0).setPreference("_only_local").get(), initialDocCount);
     }
 
     public void testMultipleShards() throws Exception {