diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/repositories/blobstore/BlobStoreRepository.java b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/repositories/blobstore/BlobStoreRepository.java
index 58cc94026c4..b585e8feb77 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/repositories/blobstore/BlobStoreRepository.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/repositories/blobstore/BlobStoreRepository.java
@@ -1059,15 +1059,20 @@ public abstract class BlobStoreRepository extends AbstractLifecycleComponent imp
             }
         } else {
             BlobContainer testBlobContainer = blobStore().blobContainer(basePath().add(testBlobPrefix(seed)));
-            try (InputStream ignored = testBlobContainer.readBlob("master.dat")) {
-                try {
-                    BytesArray bytes = new BytesArray(seed);
-                    try (InputStream stream = bytes.streamInput()) {
-                        testBlobContainer.writeBlob("data-" + localNode.getId() + ".dat", stream, bytes.length(), true);
-                    }
-                } catch (IOException exp) {
-                    throw new RepositoryVerificationException(metadata.name(), "store location [" + blobStore() +
-                        "] is not accessible on the node [" + localNode + "]", exp);
+            try {
+                BytesArray bytes = new BytesArray(seed);
+                try (InputStream stream = bytes.streamInput()) {
+                    testBlobContainer.writeBlob("data-" + localNode.getId() + ".dat", stream, bytes.length(), true);
+                }
+            } catch (IOException exp) {
+                throw new RepositoryVerificationException(metadata.name(), "store location [" + blobStore() +
+                    "] is not accessible on the node [" + localNode + "]", exp);
+            }
+            try (InputStream masterDat = testBlobContainer.readBlob("master.dat")) {
+                final String seedRead = Streams.readFully(masterDat).utf8ToString();
+                if (seedRead.equals(seed) == false) {
+                    throw new RepositoryVerificationException(metadata.name(), "Seed read from master.dat was [" + seedRead +
+                        "] but expected seed [" + seed + "]");
                 }
             } catch (NoSuchFileException e) {
                 throw new RepositoryVerificationException(metadata.name(), "a file written by master to the store [" + blobStore() +