diff --git a/server/jetstream_cluster.go b/server/jetstream_cluster.go
index 725b842ab8d..f6e148f566d 100644
--- a/server/jetstream_cluster.go
+++ b/server/jetstream_cluster.go
@@ -1413,13 +1413,13 @@ func (js *jetStream) monitorCluster() {
 					go checkHealth()
 					continue
 				}
-				if didSnap, didStreamRemoval, _, err := js.applyMetaEntries(ce.Entries, ru); err == nil {
+				if didSnap, err := js.applyMetaEntries(ce.Entries, ru); err == nil {
 					var nb uint64
 					// Some entries can fail without an error when shutting down, don't move applied forward.
 					if !js.isShuttingDown() {
 						_, nb = n.Applied(ce.Index)
 					}
-					if js.hasPeerEntries(ce.Entries) || didStreamRemoval || (didSnap && !isLeader) {
+					if js.hasPeerEntries(ce.Entries) || (didSnap && !isLeader) {
 						doSnapshot()
 					} else if nb > compactSizeMin && time.Since(lastSnapTime) > minSnapDelta {
 						doSnapshot()
@@ -1998,8 +1998,8 @@ func (ca *consumerAssignment) recoveryKey() string {
 	return ca.Client.serviceAccount() + ksep + ca.Stream + ksep + ca.Name
 }
 
-func (js *jetStream) applyMetaEntries(entries []*Entry, ru *recoveryUpdates) (bool, bool, bool, error) {
-	var didSnap, didRemoveStream, didRemoveConsumer bool
+func (js *jetStream) applyMetaEntries(entries []*Entry, ru *recoveryUpdates) (bool, error) {
+	var didSnap bool
 	isRecovering := js.isMetaRecovering()
 
 	for _, e := range entries {
@@ -2021,7 +2021,7 @@ func (js *jetStream) applyMetaEntries(entries []*Entry, ru *recoveryUpdates) (bo
 				sa, err := decodeStreamAssignment(js.srv, buf[1:])
 				if err != nil {
 					js.srv.Errorf("JetStream cluster failed to decode stream assignment: %q", buf[1:])
-					return didSnap, didRemoveStream, didRemoveConsumer, err
+					return didSnap, err
 				}
 				if isRecovering {
 					js.setStreamAssignmentRecovering(sa)
@@ -2035,7 +2035,7 @@ func (js *jetStream) applyMetaEntries(entries []*Entry, ru *recoveryUpdates) (bo
 				sa, err := decodeStreamAssignment(js.srv, buf[1:])
 				if err != nil {
 					js.srv.Errorf("JetStream cluster failed to decode stream assignment: %q", buf[1:])
-					return didSnap, didRemoveStream, didRemoveConsumer, err
+					return didSnap, err
 				}
 				if isRecovering {
 					js.setStreamAssignmentRecovering(sa)
@@ -2047,13 +2047,12 @@ func (js *jetStream) applyMetaEntries(entries []*Entry, ru *recoveryUpdates) (bo
 					delete(ru.removeConsumers, key)
 				} else {
 					js.processStreamRemoval(sa)
-					didRemoveStream = true
 				}
 			case assignConsumerOp:
 				ca, err := decodeConsumerAssignment(buf[1:])
 				if err != nil {
 					js.srv.Errorf("JetStream cluster failed to decode consumer assignment: %q", buf[1:])
-					return didSnap, didRemoveStream, didRemoveConsumer, err
+					return didSnap, err
 				}
 				if isRecovering {
 					js.setConsumerAssignmentRecovering(ca)
@@ -2073,7 +2072,7 @@ func (js *jetStream) applyMetaEntries(entries []*Entry, ru *recoveryUpdates) (bo
 				ca, err := decodeConsumerAssignmentCompressed(buf[1:])
 				if err != nil {
 					js.srv.Errorf("JetStream cluster failed to decode compressed consumer assignment: %q", buf[1:])
-					return didSnap, didRemoveStream, didRemoveConsumer, err
+					return didSnap, err
 				}
 				if isRecovering {
 					js.setConsumerAssignmentRecovering(ca)
@@ -2093,7 +2092,7 @@ func (js *jetStream) applyMetaEntries(entries []*Entry, ru *recoveryUpdates) (bo
 				ca, err := decodeConsumerAssignment(buf[1:])
 				if err != nil {
 					js.srv.Errorf("JetStream cluster failed to decode consumer assignment: %q", buf[1:])
-					return didSnap, didRemoveStream, didRemoveConsumer, err
+					return didSnap, err
 				}
 				if isRecovering {
 					js.setConsumerAssignmentRecovering(ca)
@@ -2108,13 +2107,12 @@ func (js *jetStream) applyMetaEntries(entries []*Entry, ru *recoveryUpdates) (bo
 					}
 				} else {
 					js.processConsumerRemoval(ca)
-					didRemoveConsumer = true
 				}
 			case updateStreamOp:
 				sa, err := decodeStreamAssignment(js.srv, buf[1:])
 				if err != nil {
 					js.srv.Errorf("JetStream cluster failed to decode stream assignment: %q", buf[1:])
-					return didSnap, didRemoveStream, didRemoveConsumer, err
+					return didSnap, err
 				}
 				if isRecovering {
 					js.setStreamAssignmentRecovering(sa)
@@ -2124,16 +2122,13 @@ func (js *jetStream) applyMetaEntries(entries []*Entry, ru *recoveryUpdates) (bo
 					delete(ru.removeStreams, key)
 				} else {
 					js.processUpdateStreamAssignment(sa)
-					// Since an update can be lowering replica count, we want upper layer to treat
-					// similar to a removal and snapshot to collapse old entries.
-					didRemoveStream = true
 				}
 			default:
 				panic(fmt.Sprintf("JetStream Cluster Unknown meta entry op type: %v", entryOp(buf[0])))
 			}
 		}
 	}
-	return didSnap, didRemoveStream, didRemoveConsumer, nil
+	return didSnap, nil
 }
 
 func (rg *raftGroup) isMember(id string) bool {
diff --git a/server/jetstream_cluster_1_test.go b/server/jetstream_cluster_1_test.go
index 512296a9d6a..50b73756b11 100644
--- a/server/jetstream_cluster_1_test.go
+++ b/server/jetstream_cluster_1_test.go
@@ -6641,13 +6641,13 @@ func TestJetStreamClusterMetaRecoveryUpdatesDeletesConsumers(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	// Push recovery entries that create the stream & consumer.
-	_, _, _, err := js.applyMetaEntries(create, ru)
+	_, err := js.applyMetaEntries(create, ru)
 	require_NoError(t, err)
 	require_Len(t, len(ru.updateConsumers), 1)
 
 	// Now push another recovery entry that deletes the stream. The
 	// entry that creates the consumer should now be gone.
-	_, _, _, err = js.applyMetaEntries(delete, ru)
+	_, err = js.applyMetaEntries(delete, ru)
 	require_NoError(t, err)
 	require_Len(t, len(ru.removeStreams), 1)
 	require_Len(t, len(ru.updateConsumers), 0)
@@ -6695,27 +6695,27 @@ func TestJetStreamClusterMetaRecoveryRecreateFileStreamAsMemory(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 
 	// We created a file-based stream first, but deleted it shortly after.
-	_, _, _, err := js.applyMetaEntries(createFileStream, ru)
+	_, err := js.applyMetaEntries(createFileStream, ru)
 	require_NoError(t, err)
 	require_Len(t, len(ru.addStreams), 1)
 	require_Len(t, len(ru.removeStreams), 0)
 
 	// Now push another recovery entry that deletes the stream.
 	// The file-based stream should not have been created.
-	_, _, _, err = js.applyMetaEntries(deleteFileStream, ru)
+	_, err = js.applyMetaEntries(deleteFileStream, ru)
 	require_NoError(t, err)
 	require_Len(t, len(ru.addStreams), 0)
 	require_Len(t, len(ru.removeStreams), 1)
 
 	// Now stage a memory-based stream to be created.
-	_, _, _, err = js.applyMetaEntries(createMemoryStream, ru)
+	_, err = js.applyMetaEntries(createMemoryStream, ru)
 	require_NoError(t, err)
 	require_Len(t, len(ru.addStreams), 1)
 	require_Len(t, len(ru.removeStreams), 0)
 	require_Len(t, len(ru.updateConsumers), 0)
 
 	// Also create a consumer on that memory-based stream.
-	_, _, _, err = js.applyMetaEntries(createConsumer, ru)
+	_, err = js.applyMetaEntries(createConsumer, ru)
 	require_NoError(t, err)
 	require_Len(t, len(ru.addStreams), 1)
 	require_Len(t, len(ru.removeStreams), 0)
@@ -6752,19 +6752,19 @@ func TestJetStreamClusterMetaRecoveryConsumerCreateAndRemove(t *testing.T) {
 			}
 
 			// Creating the consumer should append to update consumers list.
-			_, _, _, err := js.applyMetaEntries(createConsumer, ru)
+			_, err := js.applyMetaEntries(createConsumer, ru)
 			require_NoError(t, err)
 			require_Len(t, len(ru.updateConsumers[":TEST"]), 1)
 			require_Len(t, len(ru.removeConsumers), 0)
 
 			// Deleting the consumer should append to remove consumers list and remove from update list.
-			_, _, _, err = js.applyMetaEntries(deleteConsumer, ru)
+			_, err = js.applyMetaEntries(deleteConsumer, ru)
 			require_NoError(t, err)
 			require_Len(t, len(ru.removeConsumers[":TEST"]), 1)
 			require_Len(t, len(ru.updateConsumers[":TEST"]), 0)
 
 			// When re-creating the consumer, add to update list and remove from remove list.
-			_, _, _, err = js.applyMetaEntries(createConsumer, ru)
+			_, err = js.applyMetaEntries(createConsumer, ru)
 			require_NoError(t, err)
 			require_Len(t, len(ru.updateConsumers[":TEST"]), 1)
 			require_Len(t, len(ru.removeConsumers[":TEST"]), 0)