diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/ml/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ml/MlDailyMaintenanceService.java b/x-pack/plugin/ml/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ml/MlDailyMaintenanceService.java
index f453c802691..1a9ff34522f 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/ml/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ml/MlDailyMaintenanceService.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/ml/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ml/MlDailyMaintenanceService.java
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@ import org.elasticsearch.common.util.concurrent.EsRejectedExecutionException;
 import org.elasticsearch.persistent.PersistentTasksCustomMetadata;
 import org.elasticsearch.threadpool.Scheduler;
 import org.elasticsearch.threadpool.ThreadPool;
+import org.elasticsearch.xpack.core.ml.MlMetadata;
 import org.elasticsearch.xpack.core.ml.action.DeleteExpiredDataAction;
 
 import java.time.Clock;
@@ -123,6 +124,10 @@ public class MlDailyMaintenanceService implements Releasable {
 
     private void triggerTasks() {
         try {
+            if (MlMetadata.getMlMetadata(clusterService.state()).isUpgradeMode()) {
+                LOGGER.warn("skipping scheduled [ML] maintenance tasks because upgrade mode is enabled");
+                return;
+            }
             LOGGER.info("triggering scheduled [ML] maintenance tasks");
             executeAsyncWithOrigin(client, ML_ORIGIN, DeleteExpiredDataAction.INSTANCE, new DeleteExpiredDataAction.Request(),
                 ActionListener.wrap(
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/ml/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ml/MlDailyMaintenanceServiceTests.java b/x-pack/plugin/ml/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ml/MlDailyMaintenanceServiceTests.java
index 7b0bbbdbfef..b3718366983 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/ml/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ml/MlDailyMaintenanceServiceTests.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/ml/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ml/MlDailyMaintenanceServiceTests.java
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import org.elasticsearch.persistent.PersistentTasksCustomMetadata;
 import org.elasticsearch.test.ESTestCase;
 import org.elasticsearch.threadpool.TestThreadPool;
 import org.elasticsearch.threadpool.ThreadPool;
+import org.elasticsearch.xpack.core.ml.MlMetadata;
 import org.elasticsearch.xpack.core.ml.action.DeleteExpiredDataAction;
 import org.junit.After;
 import org.junit.Before;
@@ -28,6 +29,8 @@ import static org.elasticsearch.mock.orig.Mockito.verify;
 import static org.mockito.Matchers.any;
 import static org.mockito.Matchers.same;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.mock;
+import static org.mockito.Mockito.times;
+import static org.mockito.Mockito.verifyNoMoreInteractions;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.when;
 
 public class MlDailyMaintenanceServiceTests extends ESTestCase {
@@ -43,11 +46,6 @@ public class MlDailyMaintenanceServiceTests extends ESTestCase {
         client = mock(Client.class);
         when(client.threadPool()).thenReturn(threadPool);
         clusterService = mock(ClusterService.class);
-        ClusterState state = ClusterState.builder(new ClusterName("MlDailyMaintenanceServiceTests"))
-            .metadata(Metadata.builder().putCustom(PersistentTasksCustomMetadata.TYPE, PersistentTasksCustomMetadata.builder().build()))
-            .nodes(DiscoveryNodes.builder().build())
-            .build();
-        when(clusterService.state()).thenReturn(state);
         mlAssignmentNotifier = mock(MlAssignmentNotifier.class);
     }
 
@@ -57,6 +55,8 @@ public class MlDailyMaintenanceServiceTests extends ESTestCase {
     }
 
     public void testScheduledTriggering() throws InterruptedException {
+        when(clusterService.state()).thenReturn(createClusterState(false));
+
         int triggerCount = randomIntBetween(2, 4);
         CountDownLatch latch = new CountDownLatch(triggerCount);
         try (MlDailyMaintenanceService service = createService(latch, client)) {
@@ -68,10 +68,33 @@ public class MlDailyMaintenanceServiceTests extends ESTestCase {
         verify(mlAssignmentNotifier, Mockito.atLeast(triggerCount - 1)).auditUnassignedMlTasks(any(), any());
     }
 
+    public void testScheduledTriggeringWhileUpgradeModeIsEnabled() throws InterruptedException {
+        when(clusterService.state()).thenReturn(createClusterState(true));
+
+        int triggerCount = randomIntBetween(2, 4);
+        CountDownLatch latch = new CountDownLatch(triggerCount);
+        try (MlDailyMaintenanceService service = createService(latch, client)) {
+            service.start();
+            latch.await(5, TimeUnit.SECONDS);
+        }
+
+        verify(clusterService, times(triggerCount - 1)).state();
+        verifyNoMoreInteractions(client, clusterService, mlAssignmentNotifier);
+    }
+
     private MlDailyMaintenanceService createService(CountDownLatch latch, Client client) {
         return new MlDailyMaintenanceService(threadPool, client, clusterService, mlAssignmentNotifier, () -> {
                 latch.countDown();
                 return TimeValue.timeValueMillis(100);
             });
     }
+
+    private static ClusterState createClusterState(boolean isUpgradeMode) {
+        return ClusterState.builder(new ClusterName("MlDailyMaintenanceServiceTests"))
+            .metadata(Metadata.builder()
+                .putCustom(PersistentTasksCustomMetadata.TYPE, PersistentTasksCustomMetadata.builder().build())
+                .putCustom(MlMetadata.TYPE, new MlMetadata.Builder().isUpgradeMode(isUpgradeMode).build()))
+            .nodes(DiscoveryNodes.builder().build())
+            .build();
+    }
 }