diff --git a/muted-tests.yml b/muted-tests.yml
index b659f5e741584..0cd1e92efcce6 100644
--- a/muted-tests.yml
+++ b/muted-tests.yml
@@ -597,18 +597,12 @@ tests:
 - class: org.elasticsearch.action.admin.cluster.stats.SearchUsageStatsTests
   method: testToXContent
   issue: https://github.com/elastic/elasticsearch/issues/135558
-- class: org.elasticsearch.search.ccs.SparseVectorQueryBuilderCrossClusterSearchIT
-  method: testSparseVectorQueryWithCcsMinimizeRoundTripsFalse
-  issue: https://github.com/elastic/elasticsearch/issues/135559
 - class: org.elasticsearch.cluster.routing.allocation.decider.RestoreInProgressAllocationDeciderTests
   method: testCanAllocatePrimaryExistingInRestoreInProgress
   issue: https://github.com/elastic/elasticsearch/issues/135566
 - class: org.elasticsearch.xpack.esql.inference.textembedding.TextEmbeddingOperatorTests
   method: testSimpleCircuitBreaking
   issue: https://github.com/elastic/elasticsearch/issues/135569
-- class: org.elasticsearch.search.ccs.KnnVectorQueryBuilderCrossClusterSearchIT
-  method: testKnnQueryWithCcsMinimizeRoundTripsFalse
-  issue: https://github.com/elastic/elasticsearch/issues/135573
 - class: org.elasticsearch.multiproject.test.XpackWithMultipleProjectsClientYamlTestSuiteIT
   method: test {yaml=esql/60_usage/Basic ESQL usage output (telemetry) snapshot version}
   issue: https://github.com/elastic/elasticsearch/issues/135579
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/inference/src/internalClusterTest/java/org/elasticsearch/search/ccs/AbstractSemanticCrossClusterSearchTestCase.java b/x-pack/plugin/inference/src/internalClusterTest/java/org/elasticsearch/search/ccs/AbstractSemanticCrossClusterSearchTestCase.java
index 685453fa77c78..e1f72ddec5aab 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/inference/src/internalClusterTest/java/org/elasticsearch/search/ccs/AbstractSemanticCrossClusterSearchTestCase.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/inference/src/internalClusterTest/java/org/elasticsearch/search/ccs/AbstractSemanticCrossClusterSearchTestCase.java
@@ -8,6 +8,9 @@
 package org.elasticsearch.search.ccs;
 
 import org.elasticsearch.action.DocWriteResponse;
+import org.elasticsearch.action.admin.cluster.remote.RemoteInfoRequest;
+import org.elasticsearch.action.admin.cluster.remote.RemoteInfoResponse;
+import org.elasticsearch.action.admin.cluster.remote.TransportRemoteInfoAction;
 import org.elasticsearch.action.search.OpenPointInTimeRequest;
 import org.elasticsearch.action.search.OpenPointInTimeResponse;
 import org.elasticsearch.action.search.SearchRequest;
@@ -35,6 +38,7 @@
 import org.elasticsearch.search.SearchHit;
 import org.elasticsearch.search.builder.SearchSourceBuilder;
 import org.elasticsearch.test.AbstractMultiClustersTestCase;
+import org.elasticsearch.transport.RemoteConnectionInfo;
 import org.elasticsearch.xcontent.XContentBuilder;
 import org.elasticsearch.xcontent.XContentFactory;
 import org.elasticsearch.xcontent.XContentType;
@@ -56,6 +60,7 @@
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Set;
+import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
 import java.util.function.Consumer;
 import java.util.stream.Collectors;
 
@@ -92,14 +97,16 @@ protected Collection<Class<? extends Plugin>> nodePlugins(String clusterAlias) {
         return List.of(LocalStateInferencePlugin.class, TestInferenceServicePlugin.class, FakeMlPlugin.class);
     }
 
-    protected void setupTwoClusters(TestIndexInfo localIndexInfo, TestIndexInfo remoteIndexInfo) throws IOException {
+    protected void setupTwoClusters(TestIndexInfo localIndexInfo, TestIndexInfo remoteIndexInfo) throws Exception {
         setupCluster(LOCAL_CLUSTER, localIndexInfo);
         setupCluster(REMOTE_CLUSTER, remoteIndexInfo);
+        waitUntilRemoteClusterConnected(REMOTE_CLUSTER);
     }
 
     protected void setupCluster(String clusterAlias, TestIndexInfo indexInfo) throws IOException {
         final Client client = client(clusterAlias);
         final String indexName = indexInfo.name();
+        final int dataNodeCount = cluster(clusterAlias).numDataNodes();
 
         for (var entry : indexInfo.inferenceEndpoints().entrySet()) {
             String inferenceId = entry.getKey();
@@ -117,13 +124,13 @@ protected void setupCluster(String clusterAlias, TestIndexInfo indexInfo) throws
             createInferenceEndpoint(client, minimalServiceSettings.taskType(), inferenceId, serviceSettings);
         }
 
-        Settings indexSettings = indexSettings(randomIntBetween(2, 5), randomIntBetween(0, 1)).build();
+        Settings indexSettings = indexSettings(randomIntBetween(1, dataNodeCount), 0).build();
         assertAcked(client.admin().indices().prepareCreate(indexName).setSettings(indexSettings).setMapping(indexInfo.mappings()));
         assertFalse(
             client.admin()
                 .cluster()
                 .prepareHealth(TEST_REQUEST_TIMEOUT, indexName)
-                .setWaitForYellowStatus()
+                .setWaitForGreenStatus()
                 .setTimeout(TimeValue.timeValueSeconds(10))
                 .get()
                 .isTimedOut()
@@ -140,6 +147,18 @@ protected void setupCluster(String clusterAlias, TestIndexInfo indexInfo) throws
         assertThat(refreshResponse.getStatus(), is(RestStatus.OK));
     }
 
+    protected void waitUntilRemoteClusterConnected(String clusterAlias) throws Exception {
+        RemoteInfoRequest request = new RemoteInfoRequest();
+        assertBusy(() -> {
+            RemoteInfoResponse response = client().execute(TransportRemoteInfoAction.TYPE, request).actionGet(TEST_REQUEST_TIMEOUT);
+            boolean connected = response.getInfos()
+                .stream()
+                .filter(i -> i.getClusterAlias().equals(clusterAlias))
+                .anyMatch(RemoteConnectionInfo::isConnected);
+            assertThat(connected, is(true));
+        }, 30, TimeUnit.SECONDS);
+    }
+
     protected BytesReference openPointInTime(String[] indices, TimeValue keepAlive) {
         OpenPointInTimeRequest request = new OpenPointInTimeRequest(indices).keepAlive(keepAlive);
         final OpenPointInTimeResponse response = client().execute(TransportOpenPointInTimeAction.TYPE, request).actionGet();
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/inference/src/internalClusterTest/java/org/elasticsearch/search/ccs/MatchQueryBuilderCrossClusterSearchIT.java b/x-pack/plugin/inference/src/internalClusterTest/java/org/elasticsearch/search/ccs/MatchQueryBuilderCrossClusterSearchIT.java
index a83f7fa80e461..d92f0f6ef7373 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/inference/src/internalClusterTest/java/org/elasticsearch/search/ccs/MatchQueryBuilderCrossClusterSearchIT.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/inference/src/internalClusterTest/java/org/elasticsearch/search/ccs/MatchQueryBuilderCrossClusterSearchIT.java
@@ -17,7 +17,6 @@
 import org.elasticsearch.search.builder.SearchSourceBuilder;
 import org.junit.Before;
 
-import java.io.IOException;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Set;
@@ -151,7 +150,7 @@ public void testMatchQueryWithCcsMinimizeRoundTripsFalse() throws Exception {
         );
     }
 
-    private void configureClusters() throws IOException {
+    private void configureClusters() throws Exception {
         final String commonInferenceId = "common-inference-id";
         final String localInferenceId = "local-inference-id";
         final String remoteInferenceId = "remote-inference-id";