diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/ml/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ml/action/TransportOpenJobAction.java b/x-pack/plugin/ml/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ml/action/TransportOpenJobAction.java
index 745aa6a8ce152..5dfa1af529776 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/ml/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ml/action/TransportOpenJobAction.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/ml/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ml/action/TransportOpenJobAction.java
@@ -55,6 +55,7 @@
 import org.elasticsearch.xpack.core.ml.job.config.JobTaskState;
 import org.elasticsearch.xpack.core.ml.job.config.JobUpdate;
 import org.elasticsearch.xpack.core.ml.job.persistence.AnomalyDetectorsIndex;
+import org.elasticsearch.xpack.core.ml.job.persistence.ElasticsearchMappings;
 import org.elasticsearch.xpack.core.ml.utils.ExceptionsHelper;
 import org.elasticsearch.xpack.ml.MachineLearning;
 import org.elasticsearch.xpack.ml.MlConfigMigrationEligibilityCheck;
@@ -97,13 +98,14 @@ public class TransportOpenJobAction extends TransportMasterNodeAction<OpenJobAct
     private final JobConfigProvider jobConfigProvider;
     private final MlMemoryTracker memoryTracker;
     private final MlConfigMigrationEligibilityCheck migrationEligibilityCheck;
+    private final Client client;
 
     @Inject
     public TransportOpenJobAction(Settings settings, TransportService transportService, ThreadPool threadPool,
                                   XPackLicenseState licenseState, ClusterService clusterService,
                                   PersistentTasksService persistentTasksService, ActionFilters actionFilters,
                                   IndexNameExpressionResolver indexNameExpressionResolver,
-                                  JobConfigProvider jobConfigProvider, MlMemoryTracker memoryTracker) {
+                                  JobConfigProvider jobConfigProvider, MlMemoryTracker memoryTracker, Client client) {
         super(OpenJobAction.NAME, transportService, clusterService, threadPool, actionFilters,OpenJobAction.Request::new,
             indexNameExpressionResolver);
         this.licenseState = licenseState;
@@ -111,6 +113,7 @@ public TransportOpenJobAction(Settings settings, TransportService transportServi
         this.jobConfigProvider = jobConfigProvider;
         this.memoryTracker = memoryTracker;
         this.migrationEligibilityCheck = new MlConfigMigrationEligibilityCheck(settings, clusterService);
+        this.client = client;
     }
 
     /**
@@ -224,7 +227,7 @@ protected void masterOperation(Task task, OpenJobAction.Request request, Cluster
             ActionListener<NodeAcknowledgedResponse> clearJobFinishTime = ActionListener.wrap(
                 response -> {
                     if (response.isAcknowledged()) {
-                        clearJobFinishedTime(response, jobParams.getJobId(), listener);
+                        clearJobFinishedTime(response, state, jobParams.getJobId(), listener);
                     } else {
                         listener.onResponse(response);
                     }
@@ -309,17 +312,33 @@ public void onTimeout(TimeValue timeout) {
         });
     }
 
-    private void clearJobFinishedTime(NodeAcknowledgedResponse response, String jobId, ActionListener<NodeAcknowledgedResponse> listener) {
-        JobUpdate update = new JobUpdate.Builder(jobId).setClearFinishTime(true).build();
-
-        jobConfigProvider.updateJob(jobId, update, null, ActionListener.wrap(
-                job -> listener.onResponse(response),
-                e  -> {
-                    logger.error("[" + jobId + "] Failed to clear finished_time", e);
-                    // Not a critical error so continue
-                    listener.onResponse(response);
-                }
-        ));
+    private void clearJobFinishedTime(NodeAcknowledgedResponse response,
+                                      ClusterState clusterState,
+                                      String jobId,
+                                      ActionListener<NodeAcknowledgedResponse> listener) {
+        final JobUpdate update = new JobUpdate.Builder(jobId).setClearFinishTime(true).build();
+        ActionListener<Job> clearedTimeListener = ActionListener.wrap(
+            job -> listener.onResponse(response),
+            e -> {
+                logger.error(new ParameterizedMessage("[{}] Failed to clear finished_time", jobId), e);
+                // Not a critical error so continue
+                listener.onResponse(response);
+            }
+        );
+        ActionListener<Boolean> mappingsUpdatedListener = ActionListener.wrap(
+            mappingUpdateResponse -> jobConfigProvider.updateJob(jobId, update, null, clearedTimeListener),
+            e -> {
+                logger.error(new ParameterizedMessage("[{}] Failed to update mapping; not clearing finished_time", jobId), e);
+                // Not a critical error so continue without attempting to clear finish time
+                listener.onResponse(response);
+            }
+        );
+        ElasticsearchMappings.addDocMappingIfMissing(
+            MlConfigIndex.indexName(),
+            MlConfigIndex::mapping,
+            client,
+            clusterState,
+            mappingsUpdatedListener);
     }
 
     private void cancelJobStart(PersistentTasksCustomMetadata.PersistentTask<OpenJobAction.JobParams> persistentTask, Exception exception,