diff --git a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/type/TransportSearchDfsQueryThenFetchAction.java b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/type/TransportSearchDfsQueryThenFetchAction.java
index 13581b8ed75..f164f41d84e 100644
--- a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/type/TransportSearchDfsQueryThenFetchAction.java
+++ b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/type/TransportSearchDfsQueryThenFetchAction.java
@@ -171,8 +171,8 @@ public class TransportSearchDfsQueryThenFetchAction extends TransportSearchTypeA
             final Map<SearchShardTarget, ExtTIntArrayList> docIdsToLoad = searchPhaseController.docIdsToLoad(sortedShardList);
 
             if (docIdsToLoad.isEmpty()) {
-                releaseIrrelevantSearchContexts(queryResults, docIdsToLoad);
                 finishHim();
+                releaseIrrelevantSearchContexts(queryResults, docIdsToLoad);
             }
 
             final AtomicInteger counter = new AtomicInteger(docIdsToLoad.size());
diff --git a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/type/TransportSearchQueryThenFetchAction.java b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/type/TransportSearchQueryThenFetchAction.java
index adcc6f5b5b1..ded3b86406e 100644
--- a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/type/TransportSearchQueryThenFetchAction.java
+++ b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/type/TransportSearchQueryThenFetchAction.java
@@ -85,8 +85,8 @@ public class TransportSearchQueryThenFetchAction extends TransportSearchTypeActi
             final Map<SearchShardTarget, ExtTIntArrayList> docIdsToLoad = searchPhaseController.docIdsToLoad(sortedShardList);
 
             if (docIdsToLoad.isEmpty()) {
-                releaseIrrelevantSearchContexts(queryResults, docIdsToLoad);
                 finishHim();
+                releaseIrrelevantSearchContexts(queryResults, docIdsToLoad);
             }
 
             final AtomicInteger counter = new AtomicInteger(docIdsToLoad.size());