diff --git a/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/index/replication/IndexLevelReplicationTests.java b/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/index/replication/IndexLevelReplicationTests.java
index 1e2c00e5896..f38550d7041 100644
--- a/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/index/replication/IndexLevelReplicationTests.java
+++ b/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/index/replication/IndexLevelReplicationTests.java
@@ -67,6 +67,7 @@ import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicBoolean;
 import static org.elasticsearch.index.translog.SnapshotMatchers.containsOperationsInAnyOrder;
 import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.anyOf;
 import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.containsString;
+import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.either;
 import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.equalTo;
 import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.greaterThan;
 import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.instanceOf;
@@ -261,7 +262,7 @@ public class IndexLevelReplicationTests extends ESIndexLevelReplicationTestCase
                     barrier.await();
                     indexOnReplica(replicationRequest, shards, replica2, newReplica1Term);
                 } catch (IllegalStateException ise) {
-                    assertThat(ise.getMessage(), containsString("is too old"));
+                    assertThat(ise.getMessage(), either(containsString("is too old")).or(containsString("cannot be a replication target")));
                 } catch (Exception e) {
                     throw new RuntimeException(e);
                 }
@@ -303,7 +304,7 @@ public class IndexLevelReplicationTests extends ESIndexLevelReplicationTestCase
                     indexOnReplica(replicationRequest, shards, replica, primaryPrimaryTerm);
                     successFullyIndexed.set(true);
                 } catch (IllegalStateException ise) {
-                    assertThat(ise.getMessage(), containsString("is too old"));
+                    assertThat(ise.getMessage(), either(containsString("is too old")).or(containsString("cannot be a replication target")));
                 } catch (Exception e) {
                     throw new RuntimeException(e);
                 }