diff --git a/docs/changelog/126009.yaml b/docs/changelog/126009.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..cd398938d1a1b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/changelog/126009.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+pr: 126009
+summary: Change ModelLoaderUtils.split to return the correct number of chunks and ranges.
+area: Machine Learning
+type: bug
+issues:
+ - 121799
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/ml-package-loader/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ml/packageloader/action/ModelLoaderUtils.java b/x-pack/plugin/ml-package-loader/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ml/packageloader/action/ModelLoaderUtils.java
index c1b149e4720fb..77355532d1f8e 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/ml-package-loader/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ml/packageloader/action/ModelLoaderUtils.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/ml-package-loader/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ml/packageloader/action/ModelLoaderUtils.java
@@ -336,50 +336,44 @@ static InputStream getFileInputStream(URI uri) {
      * Split a stream of size {@code sizeInBytes} into {@code numberOfStreams} +1
      * ranges aligned on {@code chunkSizeBytes} boundaries. Each range contains a
      * whole number of chunks.
-     * The first {@code numberOfStreams} ranges will be split evenly (in terms of
-     * number of chunks not the byte size), the final range split
+     * All ranges except the final range will be split approximately evenly
+     * (in terms of number of chunks not the byte size), the final range split
      * is for the single final chunk and will be no more than {@code chunkSizeBytes}
      * in size. The separate range for the final chunk is because when streaming and
      * uploading a large model definition, writing the last part has to handled
      * as a special case.
-     * Less ranges may be returned in case the stream size is too small.
+     * Fewer ranges may be returned in case the stream size is too small.
      * @param sizeInBytes The total size of the stream
      * @param numberOfStreams Divide the bulk of the size into this many streams.
      * @param chunkSizeBytes The size of each chunk
-     * @return List of {@code numberOfStreams} + 1 ranges.
+     * @return List of {@code numberOfStreams} + 1  or fewer ranges.
      */
     static List<RequestRange> split(long sizeInBytes, int numberOfStreams, long chunkSizeBytes) {
         int numberOfChunks = (int) ((sizeInBytes + chunkSizeBytes - 1) / chunkSizeBytes);
+
+        int numberOfRanges = numberOfStreams + 1;
         if (numberOfStreams > numberOfChunks) {
-            numberOfStreams = numberOfChunks;
+            numberOfRanges = numberOfChunks;
         }
         var ranges = new ArrayList<RequestRange>();
 
-        int baseChunksPerStream = numberOfChunks / numberOfStreams;
-        int remainder = numberOfChunks % numberOfStreams;
+        int baseChunksPerRange = (numberOfChunks - 1) / (numberOfRanges - 1);
+        int remainder = (numberOfChunks - 1) % (numberOfRanges - 1);
         long startOffset = 0;
         int startChunkIndex = 0;
 
-        for (int i = 0; i < numberOfStreams - 1; i++) {
-            int numChunksInStream = (i < remainder) ? baseChunksPerStream + 1 : baseChunksPerStream;
-            long rangeEnd = startOffset + (numChunksInStream * chunkSizeBytes) - 1; // range index is 0 based
-            ranges.add(new RequestRange(startOffset, rangeEnd, startChunkIndex, numChunksInStream));
-            startOffset = rangeEnd + 1; // range is inclusive start and end
-            startChunkIndex += numChunksInStream;
-        }
+        for (int i = 0; i < numberOfRanges - 1; i++) {
+            int numChunksInRange = (i < remainder) ? baseChunksPerRange + 1 : baseChunksPerRange;
 
-        // Want the final range request to be a single chunk
-        if (baseChunksPerStream > 1) {
-            int numChunksExcludingFinal = baseChunksPerStream - 1;
-            long rangeEnd = startOffset + (numChunksExcludingFinal * chunkSizeBytes) - 1;
-            ranges.add(new RequestRange(startOffset, rangeEnd, startChunkIndex, numChunksExcludingFinal));
+            long rangeEnd = startOffset + (((long) numChunksInRange) * chunkSizeBytes) - 1; // range index is 0 based
 
-            startOffset = rangeEnd + 1;
-            startChunkIndex += numChunksExcludingFinal;
+            ranges.add(new RequestRange(startOffset, rangeEnd, startChunkIndex, numChunksInRange));
+            startOffset = rangeEnd + 1; // range is inclusive start and end
+            startChunkIndex += numChunksInRange;
         }
 
         // The final range is a single chunk the end of which should not exceed sizeInBytes
-        long rangeEnd = Math.min(sizeInBytes, startOffset + (baseChunksPerStream * chunkSizeBytes)) - 1;
+        long rangeEnd = Math.min(sizeInBytes, startOffset + (baseChunksPerRange * chunkSizeBytes)) - 1;
         ranges.add(new RequestRange(startOffset, rangeEnd, startChunkIndex, 1));
 
         return ranges;