diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/metadata/MetaDataIndexUpgradeService.java b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/metadata/MetaDataIndexUpgradeService.java
index fb077a532a3..8bbd6f09d7e 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/metadata/MetaDataIndexUpgradeService.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/metadata/MetaDataIndexUpgradeService.java
@@ -72,21 +72,25 @@ public class MetaDataIndexUpgradeService extends AbstractComponent {
     public IndexMetaData upgradeIndexMetaData(IndexMetaData indexMetaData) {
         // Throws an exception if there are too-old segments:
         if (isUpgraded(indexMetaData)) {
-            return archiveBrokenIndexSettings(indexMetaData);
+            assert indexMetaData == archiveBrokenIndexSettings(indexMetaData) : "all settings must have been upgraded before";
+            return indexMetaData;
         }
         checkSupportedVersion(indexMetaData);
         IndexMetaData newMetaData = indexMetaData;
+        // we have to run this first otherwise in we try to create IndexSettings
+        // with broken settings and fail in checkMappingsCompatibility
+        newMetaData = archiveBrokenIndexSettings(newMetaData);
+        // only run the check with the upgraded settings!!
         checkMappingsCompatibility(newMetaData);
-        newMetaData = markAsUpgraded(newMetaData);
-        return archiveBrokenIndexSettings(newMetaData);
+        return markAsUpgraded(newMetaData);
     }
 
 
     /**
      * Checks if the index was already opened by this version of Elasticsearch and doesn't require any additional checks.
      */
-    private boolean isUpgraded(IndexMetaData indexMetaData) {
-        return indexMetaData.getUpgradedVersion().onOrAfter(Version.V_3_0_0); // TODO should this be Version.CURRENT?
+    boolean isUpgraded(IndexMetaData indexMetaData) {
+        return indexMetaData.getUpgradedVersion().onOrAfter(Version.CURRENT);
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/metadata/MetaDataIndexUpgradeServiceTests.java b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/metadata/MetaDataIndexUpgradeServiceTests.java
index 6e892339960..a43da9e53fa 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/metadata/MetaDataIndexUpgradeServiceTests.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/metadata/MetaDataIndexUpgradeServiceTests.java
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import org.elasticsearch.common.settings.IndexScopedSettings;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.settings.Settings;
 import org.elasticsearch.indices.mapper.MapperRegistry;
 import org.elasticsearch.test.ESTestCase;
+import org.elasticsearch.test.VersionUtils;
 
 import java.util.Collections;
 
@@ -54,6 +55,28 @@ public class MetaDataIndexUpgradeServiceTests extends ESTestCase {
         assertSame(indexMetaData, src);
     }
 
+    public void testUpgrade() {
+        MetaDataIndexUpgradeService service = new MetaDataIndexUpgradeService(Settings.EMPTY, new MapperRegistry(Collections.emptyMap(), Collections.emptyMap()), IndexScopedSettings.DEFAULT_SCOPED_SETTINGS);
+        IndexMetaData src = newIndexMeta("foo", Settings.builder().put("index.refresh_interval", "-200").build());
+        assertFalse(service.isUpgraded(src));
+        src = service.upgradeIndexMetaData(src);
+        assertTrue(service.isUpgraded(src));
+        assertEquals("-200", src.getSettings().get("archived.index.refresh_interval"));
+        assertNull(src.getSettings().get("index.refresh_interval"));
+        assertSame(src, service.upgradeIndexMetaData(src)); // no double upgrade
+    }
+
+    public void testIsUpgraded() {
+        MetaDataIndexUpgradeService service = new MetaDataIndexUpgradeService(Settings.EMPTY, new MapperRegistry(Collections.emptyMap(), Collections.emptyMap()), IndexScopedSettings.DEFAULT_SCOPED_SETTINGS);
+        IndexMetaData src = newIndexMeta("foo", Settings.builder().put("index.refresh_interval", "-200").build());
+        assertFalse(service.isUpgraded(src));
+        Version version = VersionUtils.randomVersionBetween(random(), VersionUtils.getFirstVersion(), VersionUtils.getPreviousVersion());
+        src = newIndexMeta("foo", Settings.builder().put(IndexMetaData.SETTING_VERSION_UPGRADED, version).build());
+        assertFalse(service.isUpgraded(src));
+        src = newIndexMeta("foo", Settings.builder().put(IndexMetaData.SETTING_VERSION_UPGRADED, Version.CURRENT).build());
+        assertTrue(service.isUpgraded(src));
+    }
+
     public static IndexMetaData newIndexMeta(String name, Settings indexSettings) {
         Settings build = Settings.settingsBuilder().put(IndexMetaData.SETTING_VERSION_CREATED, Version.CURRENT)
             .put(IndexMetaData.SETTING_NUMBER_OF_REPLICAS, 1)