diff --git a/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/handler/SnapPuller.java b/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/handler/SnapPuller.java
index be83de94eab..2a31d2b9000 100644
--- a/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/handler/SnapPuller.java
+++ b/solr/core/src/java/org/apache/solr/handler/SnapPuller.java
@@ -318,8 +318,25 @@ public class SnapPuller {
       long latestVersion = (Long) response.get(CMD_INDEX_VERSION);
       long latestGeneration = (Long) response.get(GENERATION);
 
+      // TODO: make sure that getLatestCommit only returns commit points for the main index (i.e. no side-car indexes)
       IndexCommit commit = core.getDeletionPolicy().getLatestCommit();
-      
+      if (commit == null) {
+        // Presumably the IndexWriter hasn't been opened yet, and hence the deletion policy hasn't been updated with commit points
+        RefCounted<SolrIndexSearcher> searcherRefCounted = null;
+        try {
+          searcherRefCounted = core.getNewestSearcher(false);
+          if (searcherRefCounted == null) {
+            LOG.warn("No open searcher found - fetch aborted");
+            return false;
+          }
+          commit = searcherRefCounted.get().getIndexReader().getIndexCommit();
+        } finally {
+          if (searcherRefCounted != null)
+            searcherRefCounted.decref();
+        }
+      }
+
+
       if (latestVersion == 0L) {
         if (forceReplication && commit.getGeneration() != 0) {
           // since we won't get the files for an empty index,