diff --git a/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/discovery/ClusterDisruptionIT.java b/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/discovery/ClusterDisruptionIT.java
index 33b6ffb9a75..fab38a2b73b 100644
--- a/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/discovery/ClusterDisruptionIT.java
+++ b/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/discovery/ClusterDisruptionIT.java
@@ -288,7 +288,6 @@ public class ClusterDisruptionIT extends AbstractDisruptionTestCase {
     }
 
     // simulate handling of sending shard failure during an isolation
-    @AwaitsFix(bugUrl = "https://github.com/elastic/elasticsearch/issues/33704")
     public void testSendingShardFailure() throws Exception {
         List<String> nodes = startCluster(3, 2);
         String masterNode = internalCluster().getMasterName();
diff --git a/test/framework/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/test/ESIntegTestCase.java b/test/framework/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/test/ESIntegTestCase.java
index fa9d4635a7d..d5d2168c7dd 100644
--- a/test/framework/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/test/ESIntegTestCase.java
+++ b/test/framework/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/test/ESIntegTestCase.java
@@ -197,6 +197,7 @@ import java.util.concurrent.ExecutionException;
 import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
 import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicInteger;
 import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicLong;
+import java.util.function.BiFunction;
 import java.util.function.BooleanSupplier;
 import java.util.function.Function;
 import java.util.stream.Collectors;
@@ -2359,17 +2360,28 @@ public abstract class ESIntegTestCase extends ESTestCase {
     }
 
     protected void assertSeqNos() throws Exception {
+        final BiFunction<ClusterState, ShardRouting, IndexShard> getInstanceShardInstance = (clusterState, shardRouting) -> {
+            if (shardRouting.assignedToNode() == false) {
+                return null;
+            }
+            final DiscoveryNode assignedNode = clusterState.nodes().get(shardRouting.currentNodeId());
+            if (assignedNode == null) {
+                return null;
+            }
+            return internalCluster().getInstance(IndicesService.class, assignedNode.getName()).getShardOrNull(shardRouting.shardId());
+        };
         assertBusy(() -> {
             final ClusterState state = clusterService().state();
             for (ObjectObjectCursor<String, IndexRoutingTable> indexRoutingTable : state.routingTable().indicesRouting()) {
                 for (IntObjectCursor<IndexShardRoutingTable> indexShardRoutingTable : indexRoutingTable.value.shards()) {
                     ShardRouting primaryShardRouting = indexShardRoutingTable.value.primaryShard();
-                    if (primaryShardRouting == null || primaryShardRouting.assignedToNode() == false) {
+                    if (primaryShardRouting == null) {
                         continue;
                     }
-                    DiscoveryNode primaryNode = state.nodes().get(primaryShardRouting.currentNodeId());
-                    IndexShard primaryShard = internalCluster().getInstance(IndicesService.class, primaryNode.getName())
-                        .indexServiceSafe(primaryShardRouting.index()).getShard(primaryShardRouting.id());
+                    final IndexShard primaryShard = getInstanceShardInstance.apply(state, primaryShardRouting);
+                    if (primaryShard == null) {
+                        continue; //just ignore - shard movement
+                    }
                     final SeqNoStats primarySeqNoStats;
                     final ObjectLongMap<String> syncGlobalCheckpoints;
                     try {
@@ -2381,12 +2393,10 @@ public abstract class ESIntegTestCase extends ESTestCase {
                     assertThat(primaryShardRouting + " should have set the global checkpoint",
                         primarySeqNoStats.getGlobalCheckpoint(), not(equalTo(SequenceNumbers.UNASSIGNED_SEQ_NO)));
                     for (ShardRouting replicaShardRouting : indexShardRoutingTable.value.replicaShards()) {
-                        if (replicaShardRouting.assignedToNode() == false) {
-                            continue;
+                        final IndexShard replicaShard = getInstanceShardInstance.apply(state, replicaShardRouting);
+                        if (replicaShard == null) {
+                            continue; //just ignore - shard movement
                         }
-                        DiscoveryNode replicaNode = state.nodes().get(replicaShardRouting.currentNodeId());
-                        IndexShard replicaShard = internalCluster().getInstance(IndicesService.class, replicaNode.getName())
-                            .indexServiceSafe(replicaShardRouting.index()).getShard(replicaShardRouting.id());
                         final SeqNoStats seqNoStats;
                         try {
                             seqNoStats = replicaShard.seqNoStats();