diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/indices/forcemerge/TransportForceMergeAction.java b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/indices/forcemerge/TransportForceMergeAction.java
index da08b78d711cf..7a866792d167a 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/indices/forcemerge/TransportForceMergeAction.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/indices/forcemerge/TransportForceMergeAction.java
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@
 import org.elasticsearch.action.ActionListener;
 import org.elasticsearch.action.ActionRunnable;
 import org.elasticsearch.action.support.ActionFilters;
+import org.elasticsearch.action.support.SubscribableListener;
 import org.elasticsearch.action.support.broadcast.BroadcastResponse;
 import org.elasticsearch.action.support.broadcast.node.TransportBroadcastByNodeAction;
 import org.elasticsearch.cluster.ClusterState;
@@ -92,12 +93,16 @@ protected void shardOperation(
         ActionListener<TransportBroadcastByNodeAction.EmptyResult> listener
     ) {
         assert (task instanceof CancellableTask) == false; // TODO: add cancellation handling here once the task supports it
-        threadPool.executor(ThreadPool.Names.FORCE_MERGE).execute(ActionRunnable.supply(listener, () -> {
+        SubscribableListener.<IndexShard>newForked(l -> {
             IndexShard indexShard = indicesService.indexServiceSafe(shardRouting.shardId().getIndex())
                 .getShard(shardRouting.shardId().id());
-            indexShard.forceMerge(request);
-            return EmptyResult.INSTANCE;
-        }));
+            indexShard.ensureMutable(l.map(unused -> indexShard));
+        }).<EmptyResult>andThen((l, indexShard) -> {
+            threadPool.executor(ThreadPool.Names.FORCE_MERGE).execute(ActionRunnable.supply(l, () -> {
+                indexShard.forceMerge(request);
+                return EmptyResult.INSTANCE;
+            }));
+        }).addListener(listener);
     }
 
     /**