diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/support/SubscribableListener.java b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/support/SubscribableListener.java
index f0ff1d3b93268..a091cc55ea6c0 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/support/SubscribableListener.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/support/SubscribableListener.java
@@ -190,13 +190,20 @@ public final void addListener(ActionListener<T> listener) {
      *                      then it will be completed using the given executor. If the subscribing listener is completed immediately then
      *                      this completion happens on the subscribing thread.
      *                      <p>
-     *                      In other words, if you want to ensure that {@code listener} is completed using a particular executor, then you
-     *                      must do both of:
+     *                      This behaviour may seem complex at first sight, but it is like this to allow callers to ensure that
+     *                      {@code listener} is completed using a particular executor much more cheaply than simply always forking the
+     *                      completion task to the desired executor. To ensure that {@code listener} is completed using a particular
+     *                      executor, do both of the following:
      *                      <ul>
      *                      <li>Pass the desired executor in as {@code executor}, and</li>
      *                      <li>Invoke {@link #addListener} using that executor.</li>
      *                      </ul>
      *                      <p>
+     *                      If you really want to fork the completion task to a specific executor in all circumstances, wrap the supplied
+     *                      {@code listener} in a {@link ThreadedActionListener} yourself. But do note that this can be surprisingly
+     *                      expensive, and it's almost always not the right approach, so it is deliberate that there is no convenient method
+     *                      on {@link SubscribableListener} which does this for you.
+     *                      <p>
      *                      If {@code executor} rejects the execution of the completion of the subscribing listener then the result is
      *                      discarded and the subscribing listener is completed with a rejection exception on the thread which completes
      *                      this listener.
@@ -480,13 +487,19 @@ public <U> SubscribableListener<U> andThen(CheckedBiConsumer<ActionListener<U>,
      * The threading of the {@code nextStep} callback is the same as for listeners added with {@link #addListener}: if this listener is
      * already complete then {@code nextStep} is invoked on the thread calling {@link #andThen} and in its thread context, but if this
      * listener is incomplete then {@code nextStep} is invoked using {@code executor}, in a thread context captured when {@link #andThen}
-     * was called. In other words, if you want to ensure that {@code nextStep} is invoked using a particular executor, then you must do
-     * both of:
+     * was called. This behaviour may seem complex at first sight but it is like this to allow callers to ensure that {@code nextStep} runs
+     * using a particular executor much more cheaply than simply always forking its execution. To ensure that {@code nextStep} is invoked
+     * using a particular executor, do both of the following:
      * <ul>
      * <li>Pass the desired executor in as {@code executor}, and</li>
      * <li>Invoke {@link #andThen} using that executor.</li>
      * </ul>
      * <p>
+     * If you really want to fork the execution of the next step in the sequence to a specific executor in all circumstances, explicitly
+     * call {@link Executor#execute} within {@code nextStep} yourself. But do note that this can be surprisingly expensive, and it's almost
+     * always not the right approach, so it is deliberate that there is no convenient method on {@link SubscribableListener} which does this
+     * for you.
+     * <p>
      * If {@code executor} rejects the execution of {@code nextStep} then the result is discarded and the returned listener is completed
      * with a rejection exception on the thread which completes this listener. Likewise if this listener is completed exceptionally but
      * {@code executor} rejects the execution of the completion of the returned listener then the returned listener is completed with a