diff --git a/.buildkite/pipelines/intake.template.yml b/.buildkite/pipelines/intake.template.yml
index a2b16b8f94fff..af95e9cf9a0a5 100644
--- a/.buildkite/pipelines/intake.template.yml
+++ b/.buildkite/pipelines/intake.template.yml
@@ -72,6 +72,8 @@ steps:
           buildDirectory: /dev/shm/bk
         env:
           BWC_VERSION: "{{matrix.BWC_VERSION}}"
+  - label: bc-upgrade
+    command: ".buildkite/scripts/run-bc-upgrade-tests.sh"
   - group: lucene-compat
     steps:
       - label: "{{matrix.LUCENE_VERSION}} / lucene-compat"
diff --git a/.buildkite/pipelines/intake.yml b/.buildkite/pipelines/intake.yml
index 5b660e7742047..b2560bb717769 100644
--- a/.buildkite/pipelines/intake.yml
+++ b/.buildkite/pipelines/intake.yml
@@ -72,6 +72,11 @@ steps:
           buildDirectory: /dev/shm/bk
         env:
           BWC_VERSION: "{{matrix.BWC_VERSION}}"
+  - label: bc-upgrade
+    command: ".buildkite/scripts/run-bc-upgrade-tests.sh"
+    agents:
+      image: "docker.elastic.co/ci-agent-images/eck-region/buildkite-agent:1.5"
+      memory: "4G"
   - group: lucene-compat
     steps:
       - label: "{{matrix.LUCENE_VERSION}} / lucene-compat"
diff --git a/.buildkite/scripts/run-bc-upgrade-tests.sh b/.buildkite/scripts/run-bc-upgrade-tests.sh
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..94343a2d5fb21
--- /dev/null
+++ b/.buildkite/scripts/run-bc-upgrade-tests.sh
@@ -0,0 +1,69 @@
+#!/bin/bash
+
+#
+# Copyright Elasticsearch B.V. and/or licensed to Elasticsearch B.V. under one
+# or more contributor license agreements. Licensed under the "Elastic License
+# 2.0", the "GNU Affero General Public License v3.0 only", and the "Server Side
+# Public License v 1"; you may not use this file except in compliance with, at
+# your election, the "Elastic License 2.0", the "GNU Affero General Public
+# License v3.0 only", or the "Server Side Public License, v 1".
+#
+
+set -euo pipefail
+
+# Select the most recent build from the current branch.
+# We collect snapshots, order by date, then collect BCs, order by date, and concat them; then we select the last.
+# So if we have one (or more) BC, we will always prefer to use that. Otherwise we will use the latest snapshot.
+MANIFEST_URL="$(curl -s https://artifacts.elastic.co/releases/TfEVhiaBGqR64ie0g0r0uUwNAbEQMu1Z/future-releases/stack.json |
+jq ".releases[] |
+select(.branch == \"$BUILDKITE_BRANCH\") |
+select(.active_release == true) |
+((.snapshots | to_entries | sort_by(.value.completed_at)) +
+(.build_candidates | to_entries | sort_by(.value.completed_at))) |
+last | .value.manifest_url")"
+
+if [[ -z "$MANIFEST_URL" ]]; then
+   echo "No snapshots or build candidates for branch [$BUILDKITE_BRANCH]."
+   echo "Skipping BC upgrade tests."
+   exit 0
+fi
+
+MANIFEST="$(curl -s "$MANIFEST_URL")"
+if [[ -z "$MANIFEST" ]]; then
+   echo "Cannot get the build manifest from [$MANIFEST_URL]"
+   exit 1
+fi
+
+CURRENT_VERSION=$(sed -n 's/^elasticsearch[[:space:]]*=[[:space:]]*\(.*\)/\1/p' build-tools-internal/version.properties)
+
+BC_VERSION=$(echo "$MANIFEST" | jq -r .version)
+BC_BUILD_ID=$(echo "$MANIFEST" | jq -r .build_id)
+BC_COMMIT_HASH=$(echo "$MANIFEST" | jq -r .projects.elasticsearch.commit_hash)
+
+if [ "$CURRENT_VERSION-SNAPSHOT" != "$BC_VERSION" ]; then
+    echo "Version [$BC_VERSION] of BC (or snapshot) does not match current version [$CURRENT_VERSION] of branch [$BUILDKITE_BRANCH]."
+    echo "Skipping BC upgrade tests."
+    exit 0
+fi
+
+echo "Running BC upgrade tests on $BUILDKITE_BRANCH [$BC_VERSION] using BC (or snapshot) build of commit [$BC_COMMIT_HASH] with build id [$BC_BUILD_ID]."
+
+cat <<EOF | buildkite-agent pipeline upload
+steps:
+    - label: bc-upgrade $BC_BUILD_ID -> $BUILDKITE_BRANCH
+      command: .ci/scripts/run-gradle.sh -Dbwc.checkout.align=true -Dorg.elasticsearch.build.cache.push=true -Dignore.tests.seed -Dscan.capture-file-fingerprints -Dtests.bwc.main.version=${BC_VERSION} -Dtests.bwc.refspec.main=${BC_COMMIT_HASH} bcUpgradeTest -Dtests.jvm.argline="-Des.serverless_transport=true"
+      timeout_in_minutes: 300
+      agents:
+        provider: gcp
+        image: family/elasticsearch-ubuntu-2004
+        machineType: n1-standard-32
+        buildDirectory: /dev/shm/bk
+        preemptible: true
+      retry:
+        automatic:
+          - exit_status: "-1"
+            limit: 3
+            signal_reason: none
+          - signal_reason: agent_stop
+            limit: 3
+EOF