diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/opensearch/cluster/ClusterChangedEvent.java b/server/src/main/java/org/opensearch/cluster/ClusterChangedEvent.java
index 28085dd6e3860..e25b6d4637e09 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/opensearch/cluster/ClusterChangedEvent.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/opensearch/cluster/ClusterChangedEvent.java
@@ -207,6 +207,18 @@ public boolean blocksChanged() {
         return state.blocks() != previousState.blocks();
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Returns <code>true</code> if a version upgrade has taken place in the cluster
+     */
+    public boolean clusterUpgraded() {
+        // previous state was mixed version cluster and current state is not - which indicates upgrade is completed
+        if ((previousState.nodes().getMinNodeVersion() != previousState.nodes().getMaxNodeVersion())
+            && (state.nodes().getMinNodeVersion() == state.nodes().getMaxNodeVersion())) {
+            return true;
+        }
+        return false;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Returns <code>true</code> iff the local node is the mater node of the cluster.
      */
diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/opensearch/index/codec/CodecService.java b/server/src/main/java/org/opensearch/index/codec/CodecService.java
index 83d01f7558110..e4f176c33414a 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/opensearch/index/codec/CodecService.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/opensearch/index/codec/CodecService.java
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@
 import org.opensearch.common.collect.MapBuilder;
 import org.opensearch.index.mapper.MapperService;
 
+import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.Map;
 
@@ -60,7 +61,8 @@ public class CodecService {
     public static final String BEST_COMPRESSION_CODEC = "best_compression";
     /** the raw unfiltered lucene default. useful for testing */
     public static final String LUCENE_DEFAULT_CODEC = "lucene_default";
-    public static Map<Version, String> opensearchVersionToLuceneCodec = new HashMap<>();
+    static Map<Version, String> versionStringMap = new HashMap<>();
+    public static Map<Version, String> opensearchVersionToLuceneCodec;
 
     public CodecService(@Nullable MapperService mapperService, Logger logger) {
         loadMap();
@@ -80,10 +82,11 @@ public CodecService(@Nullable MapperService mapperService, Logger logger) {
     }
 
     public void loadMap() {
-        opensearchVersionToLuceneCodec.put(Version.fromString("3.0.0"), "Lucene95");
-        opensearchVersionToLuceneCodec.put(Version.fromString("2.8.0"), "Lucene95");
-        opensearchVersionToLuceneCodec.put(Version.fromString("2.7.1"), "Lucene95");
-        opensearchVersionToLuceneCodec.put(Version.fromString("2.7.0"), "Lucene95");
+        versionStringMap.put(Version.fromString("3.0.0"), "Lucene95");
+        versionStringMap.put(Version.fromString("2.8.0"), "Lucene95");
+        versionStringMap.put(Version.fromString("2.7.1"), "Lucene95");
+        versionStringMap.put(Version.fromString("2.7.0"), "Lucene95");
+        opensearchVersionToLuceneCodec = Collections.unmodifiableMap(new HashMap<>(versionStringMap));
     }
 
     public Codec codec(String name) {
diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/opensearch/indices/replication/SegmentReplicationSourceService.java b/server/src/main/java/org/opensearch/indices/replication/SegmentReplicationSourceService.java
index 3ea45bcbf50d7..0b1c09d2bdfc1 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/opensearch/indices/replication/SegmentReplicationSourceService.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/opensearch/indices/replication/SegmentReplicationSourceService.java
@@ -174,21 +174,19 @@ public void clusterChanged(ClusterChangedEvent event) {
                 }
             }
         }
-        if (event.nodesChanged()) {
+        if (event.clusterUpgraded()) {
             List<IndexShard> indexShardList = new ArrayList<>();
             DiscoveryNodes nodes = event.state().nodes();
-            if (nodes.getMinNodeVersion().equals(nodes.getMaxNodeVersion())) {
-                for (IndexService indexService : indicesService) {
-                    if (indexService.getIndexSettings().isSegRepEnabled() && (indexService.getIndexSettings().getNumberOfReplicas() > 0)) {
-                        for (IndexShard indexShard : indexService) {
-                            try {
-                                if (indexShard.routingEntry().primary()
-                                    && (indexShard.getEngine().config().getClusterMinVersion() != nodes.getMaxNodeVersion())) {
-                                    indexShardList.add(indexShard);
-                                }
-                            } catch (AlreadyClosedException e) {
-                                logger.warn("Index shard [{}] engine is already closed.", indexShard.shardId());
+            for (IndexService indexService : indicesService) {
+                if (indexService.getIndexSettings().isSegRepEnabled() && (indexService.getIndexSettings().getNumberOfReplicas() > 0)) {
+                    for (IndexShard indexShard : indexService) {
+                        try {
+                            if (indexShard.routingEntry().primary()
+                                && (indexShard.getEngine().config().getClusterMinVersion() != nodes.getMaxNodeVersion())) {
+                                indexShardList.add(indexShard);
                             }
+                        } catch (AlreadyClosedException e) {
+                            logger.warn("Index shard [{}] engine is already closed.", indexShard.shardId());
                         }
                     }
                 }
diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/opensearch/indices/replication/SegmentReplicationTargetService.java b/server/src/main/java/org/opensearch/indices/replication/SegmentReplicationTargetService.java
index 110d1c6e4436a..1bb13bd5fec4d 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/opensearch/indices/replication/SegmentReplicationTargetService.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/opensearch/indices/replication/SegmentReplicationTargetService.java
@@ -228,7 +228,7 @@ public synchronized void onNewCheckpoint(final ReplicationCheckpoint receivedChe
                 }
             }
             final Thread thread = Thread.currentThread();
-            Version localNodeVersion = indicesService.clusterService().state().nodes().getLocalNode().getVersion();
+            Version localNodeVersion = Version.CURRENT;
             // if replica's OS version is not on or after primary version, then can ignore checkpoint
             if (localNodeVersion.onOrAfter(receivedCheckpoint.getMinVersion()) == false) {
                 logger.trace(
diff --git a/server/src/test/java/org/opensearch/index/shard/SegmentReplicationIndexShardTests.java b/server/src/test/java/org/opensearch/index/shard/SegmentReplicationIndexShardTests.java
index a887082fce879..5e4b45568e01d 100644
--- a/server/src/test/java/org/opensearch/index/shard/SegmentReplicationIndexShardTests.java
+++ b/server/src/test/java/org/opensearch/index/shard/SegmentReplicationIndexShardTests.java
@@ -335,13 +335,16 @@ public void testRejectCheckpointOnShardRoutingPrimary() throws IOException {
         closeShards(primaryShard);
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Cluster version check in onNewCheckpoint method should pass when replica version is the same as the received checkpoint version.
+     */
     public void testClusterVersionCheckOnNewCheckpointSameVersion() throws Exception {
         try (ReplicationGroup shards = createGroup(1, settings, new NRTReplicationEngineFactory(clusterService))) {
             shards.startAll();
             final IndexShard primary = shards.getPrimary();
             IndexShard replica = shards.getReplicas().get(0);
             SegmentReplicationTargetService sut;
-            sut = prepareForReplication(primary, replica);
+            sut = prepareForReplication(primary, replica, mock(TransportService.class), mock(IndicesService.class));
             SegmentReplicationTargetService spy = spy(sut);
             IndexShard spyShard = spy(replica);
             ReplicationCheckpoint checkpoint = new ReplicationCheckpoint(replica.shardId(), 0L, 0L, 0L, replica.getDefaultCodecName());
@@ -351,13 +354,16 @@ public void testClusterVersionCheckOnNewCheckpointSameVersion() throws Exception
         }
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Cluster version check in onNewCheckpoint method should pass when replica version is ahead of the received checkpoint version.
+     */
     public void testClusterVersionCheckOnNewCheckpointAheadVersion() throws Exception {
         try (ReplicationGroup shards = createGroup(1, settings, new NRTReplicationEngineFactory(clusterService))) {
             shards.startAll();
             final IndexShard primary = shards.getPrimary();
             IndexShard replica = shards.getReplicas().get(0);
             SegmentReplicationTargetService sut;
-            sut = prepareForReplication(primary, replica);
+            sut = prepareForReplication(primary, replica, mock(TransportService.class), mock(IndicesService.class));
             SegmentReplicationTargetService spy = spy(sut);
             IndexShard spyShard = spy(replica);
             ReplicationCheckpoint checkpoint = new ReplicationCheckpoint(
@@ -367,7 +373,7 @@ public void testClusterVersionCheckOnNewCheckpointAheadVersion() throws Exceptio
                 0L,
                 0L,
                 replica.getDefaultCodecName(),
-                Version.V_2_7_0
+                Version.fromId(Version.CURRENT.id - 1)
             );
             spy.onNewCheckpoint(checkpoint, spyShard);
             // passed the cluster version check and moved on to shouldProcessCheckpoint
@@ -375,6 +381,33 @@ public void testClusterVersionCheckOnNewCheckpointAheadVersion() throws Exceptio
         }
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Cluster version check in onNewCheckpoint method should fail when replica version is behind the received checkpoint version.
+     */
+    public void testClusterVersionCheckFailOnNewCheckpointBehindVersion() throws Exception {
+        try (ReplicationGroup shards = createGroup(1, settings, new NRTReplicationEngineFactory(clusterService))) {
+            shards.startAll();
+            final IndexShard primary = shards.getPrimary();
+            IndexShard replica = shards.getReplicas().get(0);
+            SegmentReplicationTargetService sut;
+            sut = prepareForReplication(primary, replica, mock(TransportService.class), mock(IndicesService.class));
+            SegmentReplicationTargetService spy = spy(sut);
+            IndexShard spyShard = spy(replica);
+            ReplicationCheckpoint checkpoint = new ReplicationCheckpoint(
+                replica.shardId(),
+                0L,
+                0L,
+                0L,
+                0L,
+                replica.getDefaultCodecName(),
+                Version.fromId(Version.CURRENT.id + 1)
+            );
+            spy.onNewCheckpoint(checkpoint, spyShard);
+            // did not pass the version check and returned before shouldProcessCheckpoint method
+            verify(spyShard, times(0)).shouldProcessCheckpoint(checkpoint);
+        }
+    }
+
     public void testReplicaReceivesGenIncrease() throws Exception {
         try (ReplicationGroup shards = createGroup(1, settings, new NRTReplicationEngineFactory(clusterService))) {
             shards.startAll();