diff --git a/modules/parent-join/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/join/query/ChildQuerySearchIT.java b/modules/parent-join/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/join/query/ChildQuerySearchIT.java
index d92ff102fe8..8520b632056 100644
--- a/modules/parent-join/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/join/query/ChildQuerySearchIT.java
+++ b/modules/parent-join/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/join/query/ChildQuerySearchIT.java
@@ -59,7 +59,6 @@ import java.util.Locale;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Set;
 
-import static org.apache.lucene.util.LuceneTestCase.AwaitsFix;
 import static org.elasticsearch.common.xcontent.XContentFactory.jsonBuilder;
 import static org.elasticsearch.common.xcontent.support.XContentMapValues.extractValue;
 import static org.elasticsearch.index.query.QueryBuilders.boolQuery;
@@ -86,7 +85,6 @@ import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.containsString;
 import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.equalTo;
 import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.is;
 
-@AwaitsFix(bugUrl = "https://github.com/elastic/elasticsearch/issues/37266")
 public class ChildQuerySearchIT extends ParentChildTestCase {
 
     public void testMultiLevelChild() throws Exception {
diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/SearchPhaseController.java b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/SearchPhaseController.java
index 8fada8938f8..418d95b2077 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/SearchPhaseController.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/SearchPhaseController.java
@@ -760,13 +760,7 @@ public final class SearchPhaseController {
             if (trackTotalHitsUpTo == SearchContext.TRACK_TOTAL_HITS_DISABLED) {
                 return null;
             } else if (trackTotalHitsUpTo == SearchContext.TRACK_TOTAL_HITS_ACCURATE) {
-                // NORELEASE The assertion below has been replaced by a runtime exception in order to debug
-                // https://github.com/elastic/elasticsearch/issues/37179.
-                // The assertion should be restored and the exception removed when this issue is solved.
-                // assert totalHitsRelation == Relation.EQUAL_TO;
-                if (totalHitsRelation != Relation.EQUAL_TO) {
-                    throw new IllegalStateException("Expected accurate total hits but got " + new TotalHits(totalHits, totalHitsRelation));
-                }
+                assert totalHitsRelation == Relation.EQUAL_TO;
                 return new TotalHits(totalHits, totalHitsRelation);
             } else {
                 if (totalHits < trackTotalHitsUpTo) {
diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/search/query/TopDocsCollectorContext.java b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/search/query/TopDocsCollectorContext.java
index 4f648666f55..6312fd3856b 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/search/query/TopDocsCollectorContext.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/search/query/TopDocsCollectorContext.java
@@ -264,8 +264,7 @@ abstract class TopDocsCollectorContext extends QueryCollectorContext {
 
         @Override
         void postProcess(QuerySearchResult result) throws IOException {
-            final TopDocs topDocs = topDocsSupplier.get();
-            topDocs.totalHits = totalHitsSupplier.get();
+            final TopDocs topDocs = new TopDocs(totalHitsSupplier.get(), topDocsSupplier.get().scoreDocs);
             result.topDocs(new TopDocsAndMaxScore(topDocs, maxScoreSupplier.get()),
                 sortAndFormats == null ? null : sortAndFormats.formats);
         }
@@ -292,11 +291,11 @@ abstract class TopDocsCollectorContext extends QueryCollectorContext {
 
         @Override
         void postProcess(QuerySearchResult result) throws IOException {
-            final TopDocs topDocs = topDocsSupplier.get();
+            final TopDocs topDocs = new TopDocs(totalHitsSupplier.get(), topDocsSupplier.get().scoreDocs);
             final float maxScore;
             if (scrollContext.totalHits == null) {
                 // first round
-                topDocs.totalHits = scrollContext.totalHits = totalHitsSupplier.get();
+                scrollContext.totalHits = topDocs.totalHits;
                 maxScore = scrollContext.maxScore = maxScoreSupplier.get();
             } else {
                 // subsequent round: the total number of hits and