diff --git a/build.gradle b/build.gradle
index 5521cecbfc3e6..8176f88dab74c 100644
--- a/build.gradle
+++ b/build.gradle
@@ -220,8 +220,8 @@ task verifyVersions {
  * after the backport of the backcompat code is complete.
  */
 
-boolean bwc_tests_enabled = false
-final String bwc_tests_disabled_issue = "https://github.com/elastic/elasticsearch/pull/53268" /* place a PR link here when committing bwc changes */
+boolean bwc_tests_enabled = true
+final String bwc_tests_disabled_issue = "" /* place a PR link here when committing bwc changes */
 if (bwc_tests_enabled == false) {
   if (bwc_tests_disabled_issue.isEmpty()) {
     throw new GradleException("bwc_tests_disabled_issue must be set when bwc_tests_enabled == false")
diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/cluster/snapshots/restore/RestoreSnapshotRequest.java b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/cluster/snapshots/restore/RestoreSnapshotRequest.java
index 5280e900387e4..1c6d72c948b14 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/cluster/snapshots/restore/RestoreSnapshotRequest.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/cluster/snapshots/restore/RestoreSnapshotRequest.java
@@ -94,7 +94,7 @@ public RestoreSnapshotRequest(StreamInput in) throws IOException {
         includeGlobalState = in.readBoolean();
         partial = in.readBoolean();
         includeAliases = in.readBoolean();
-        if (in.getVersion().before(Version.V_8_0_0)) {
+        if (in.getVersion().before(Version.V_7_7_0)) {
             readSettingsFromStream(in); // formerly the unused settings field
         }
         indexSettings = readSettingsFromStream(in);
@@ -114,7 +114,7 @@ public void writeTo(StreamOutput out) throws IOException {
         out.writeBoolean(includeGlobalState);
         out.writeBoolean(partial);
         out.writeBoolean(includeAliases);
-        if (out.getVersion().before(Version.V_8_0_0)) {
+        if (out.getVersion().before(Version.V_7_7_0)) {
             writeSettingsToStream(Settings.EMPTY, out); // formerly the unused settings field
         }
         writeSettingsToStream(indexSettings, out);