diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/seqno/RetentionLeaseActions.java b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/seqno/RetentionLeaseActions.java
index 3493271e8d79d..2f9043580a6a0 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/seqno/RetentionLeaseActions.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/seqno/RetentionLeaseActions.java
@@ -28,6 +28,8 @@
 import org.elasticsearch.action.support.single.shard.TransportSingleShardAction;
 import org.elasticsearch.cluster.ClusterState;
 import org.elasticsearch.cluster.metadata.IndexNameExpressionResolver;
+import org.elasticsearch.cluster.routing.IndexShardRoutingTable;
+import org.elasticsearch.cluster.routing.PlainShardIterator;
 import org.elasticsearch.cluster.routing.ShardsIterator;
 import org.elasticsearch.cluster.service.ClusterService;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.inject.Inject;
@@ -42,6 +44,7 @@
 import org.elasticsearch.transport.TransportService;
 
 import java.io.IOException;
+import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.Objects;
 import java.util.function.Supplier;
 
@@ -84,10 +87,14 @@ abstract static class TransportRetentionLeaseAction<T extends Request<T>> extend
 
         @Override
         protected ShardsIterator shards(final ClusterState state, final InternalRequest request) {
-            return state
+            final IndexShardRoutingTable shardRoutingTable = state
                     .routingTable()
-                    .shardRoutingTable(request.concreteIndex(), request.request().getShardId().id())
-                    .primaryShardIt();
+                    .shardRoutingTable(request.concreteIndex(), request.request().getShardId().id());
+            if (shardRoutingTable.primaryShard().active()) {
+                return shardRoutingTable.primaryShardIt();
+            } else {
+                return new PlainShardIterator(request.request().getShardId(), Collections.emptyList());
+            }
         }
 
         @Override
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/ccr/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ccr/CcrRetentionLeaseIT.java b/x-pack/plugin/ccr/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ccr/CcrRetentionLeaseIT.java
index 968db14cc90f9..dceb2db9b5449 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/ccr/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ccr/CcrRetentionLeaseIT.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/ccr/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ccr/CcrRetentionLeaseIT.java
@@ -43,7 +43,6 @@
 import org.elasticsearch.plugins.Plugin;
 import org.elasticsearch.snapshots.RestoreInfo;
 import org.elasticsearch.snapshots.RestoreService;
-import org.elasticsearch.test.junit.annotations.TestLogging;
 import org.elasticsearch.test.transport.MockTransportService;
 import org.elasticsearch.transport.ConnectTransportException;
 import org.elasticsearch.transport.RemoteTransportException;
@@ -266,7 +265,6 @@ public void testRetentionLeaseIsRenewedDuringRecovery() throws Exception {
 
     }
 
-    @AwaitsFix(bugUrl = "https://github.com/elastic/elasticsearch/issues/40089")
     public void testRetentionLeasesAreNotBeingRenewedAfterRecoveryCompletes() throws Exception {
         final String leaderIndex = "leader";
         final int numberOfShards = randomIntBetween(1, 3);
@@ -463,7 +461,6 @@ public void testUnfollowRemovesRetentionLeases() throws Exception {
         }
     }
 
-    @AwaitsFix(bugUrl = "https://github.com/elastic/elasticsearch/issues/40089")
     public void testUnfollowFailsToRemoveRetentionLeases() throws Exception {
         final String leaderIndex = "leader";
         final String followerIndex = "follower";
@@ -534,7 +531,6 @@ public void testUnfollowFailsToRemoveRetentionLeases() throws Exception {
         }
     }
 
-    @AwaitsFix(bugUrl = "https://github.com/elastic/elasticsearch/issues/40089")
     public void testRetentionLeaseRenewedWhileFollowing() throws Exception {
         final String leaderIndex = "leader";
         final String followerIndex = "follower";
@@ -618,7 +614,6 @@ public void testRetentionLeaseAdvancesWhileFollowing() throws Exception {
     }
 
     @AwaitsFix(bugUrl = "https://github.com/elastic/elasticsearch/issues/39509")
-    @TestLogging(value = "org.elasticsearch.xpack.ccr:trace")
     public void testRetentionLeaseRenewalIsCancelledWhenFollowingIsPaused() throws Exception {
         final String leaderIndex = "leader";
         final String followerIndex = "follower";
@@ -748,7 +743,6 @@ public void testRetentionLeaseRenewalIsResumedWhenFollowingIsResumed() throws Ex
         assertRetentionLeaseRenewal(numberOfShards, numberOfReplicas, followerIndex, leaderIndex);
     }
 
-    @AwaitsFix(bugUrl = "https://github.com/elastic/elasticsearch/issues/40089")
     public void testRetentionLeaseIsAddedIfItDisappearsWhileFollowing() throws Exception {
         final String leaderIndex = "leader";
         final String followerIndex = "follower";