diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/indices/refresh/TransportShardRefreshAction.java b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/indices/refresh/TransportShardRefreshAction.java
index 6b77a39c32ffe..2286f64648185 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/indices/refresh/TransportShardRefreshAction.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/indices/refresh/TransportShardRefreshAction.java
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@
 import org.elasticsearch.cluster.service.ClusterService;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.io.stream.StreamInput;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.settings.Settings;
+import org.elasticsearch.index.engine.Engine;
 import org.elasticsearch.index.shard.IndexShard;
 import org.elasticsearch.indices.IndicesService;
 import org.elasticsearch.injection.guice.Inject;
@@ -125,17 +126,16 @@ public void onPrimaryOperationComplete(
             IndexShardRoutingTable indexShardRoutingTable,
             ActionListener<Void> listener
         ) {
-            assert replicaRequest.primaryRefreshResult.refreshed() : "primary has not refreshed";
-            UnpromotableShardRefreshRequest unpromotableReplicaRequest = new UnpromotableShardRefreshRequest(
-                indexShardRoutingTable,
-                replicaRequest.primaryRefreshResult.primaryTerm(),
-                replicaRequest.primaryRefreshResult.generation(),
-                false
-            );
+            var primaryTerm = replicaRequest.primaryRefreshResult.primaryTerm();
+            assert Engine.UNKNOWN_PRIMARY_TERM < primaryTerm : primaryTerm;
+
+            var generation = replicaRequest.primaryRefreshResult.generation();
+            assert Engine.RefreshResult.UNKNOWN_GENERATION < generation : generation;
+
             transportService.sendRequest(
                 transportService.getLocalNode(),
                 TransportUnpromotableShardRefreshAction.NAME,
-                unpromotableReplicaRequest,
+                new UnpromotableShardRefreshRequest(indexShardRoutingTable, primaryTerm, generation, false),
                 new ActionListenerResponseHandler<>(listener.safeMap(r -> null), in -> ActionResponse.Empty.INSTANCE, refreshExecutor)
             );
         }