diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/metadata/SystemIndexMetadataUpgradeService.java b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/metadata/SystemIndexMetadataUpgradeService.java
index f3e20291ccdae..c2960f0cb6285 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/metadata/SystemIndexMetadataUpgradeService.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/metadata/SystemIndexMetadataUpgradeService.java
@@ -104,6 +104,7 @@ public ClusterState execute(ClusterState currentState) throws Exception {
                     boolean isHidden = indexMetadata.getSettings().getAsBoolean(IndexMetadata.SETTING_INDEX_HIDDEN, false);
                     if (isSystem && isHidden == false) {
                         builder.settings(Settings.builder().put(indexMetadata.getSettings()).put(IndexMetadata.SETTING_INDEX_HIDDEN, true));
+                        builder.settingsVersion(builder.settingsVersion() + 1);
                         updated = true;
                     }
                     if (isSystem && indexMetadata.getAliases().values().stream().anyMatch(a -> Boolean.FALSE.equals(a.isHidden()))) {
diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/IndexService.java b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/IndexService.java
index d5b7ced702ff3..325678f93904a 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/IndexService.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/IndexService.java
@@ -784,9 +784,9 @@ public synchronized void updateMetadata(final IndexMetadata currentIndexMetadata
             final long currentSettingsVersion = currentIndexMetadata.getSettingsVersion();
             final long newSettingsVersion = newIndexMetadata.getSettingsVersion();
             if (currentSettingsVersion == newSettingsVersion) {
-                assert updateIndexSettings == false;
+                assert updateIndexSettings == false : "No index updates are expected as index settings version has not changed";
             } else {
-                assert updateIndexSettings;
+                assert updateIndexSettings : "Index updates are expected as index settings version has changed";
                 assert currentSettingsVersion < newSettingsVersion
                     : "expected current settings version ["
                         + currentSettingsVersion