diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/shard/IndexShardOperationPermits.java b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/shard/IndexShardOperationPermits.java
index 83a372dd453..de539026e7a 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/shard/IndexShardOperationPermits.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/shard/IndexShardOperationPermits.java
@@ -25,7 +25,6 @@ import org.elasticsearch.action.ActionListener;
 import org.elasticsearch.action.support.ContextPreservingActionListener;
 import org.elasticsearch.action.support.ThreadedActionListener;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.CheckedRunnable;
-import org.elasticsearch.common.Nullable;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.lease.Releasable;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.util.concurrent.AbstractRunnable;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.util.concurrent.ThreadContext.StoredContext;
@@ -53,7 +52,7 @@ final class IndexShardOperationPermits implements Closeable {
     private final Logger logger;
     private final ThreadPool threadPool;
 
-    private static final int TOTAL_PERMITS = Integer.MAX_VALUE;
+    static final int TOTAL_PERMITS = Integer.MAX_VALUE;
     final Semaphore semaphore = new Semaphore(TOTAL_PERMITS, true); // fair to ensure a blocking thread is not starved
     private final List<ActionListener<Releasable>> delayedOperations = new ArrayList<>(); // operations that are delayed
     private volatile boolean closed;
@@ -225,8 +224,7 @@ final class IndexShardOperationPermits implements Closeable {
                     }
                     return;
                 } else {
-                    releasable = tryAcquire();
-                    assert releasable != null;
+                    releasable = acquire();
                 }
             }
         } catch (final InterruptedException e) {
@@ -237,8 +235,7 @@ final class IndexShardOperationPermits implements Closeable {
         onAcquired.onResponse(releasable);
     }
 
-    @Nullable
-    private Releasable tryAcquire() throws InterruptedException {
+    private Releasable acquire() throws InterruptedException {
         assert Thread.holdsLock(this);
         if (semaphore.tryAcquire(1, 0, TimeUnit.SECONDS)) { // the un-timed tryAcquire methods do not honor the fairness setting
             final AtomicBoolean closed = new AtomicBoolean();
@@ -247,8 +244,10 @@ final class IndexShardOperationPermits implements Closeable {
                     semaphore.release(1);
                 }
             };
+        } else {
+            // this should never happen, if it does something is deeply wrong
+            throw new IllegalStateException("failed to obtain permit but operations are not delayed");
         }
-        return null;
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/index/shard/IndexShardOperationPermitsTests.java b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/index/shard/IndexShardOperationPermitsTests.java
index ec22f9d862b..41dc8f520cc 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/index/shard/IndexShardOperationPermitsTests.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/index/shard/IndexShardOperationPermitsTests.java
@@ -533,6 +533,28 @@ public class IndexShardOperationPermitsTests extends ESTestCase {
         thread.join();
     }
 
+    public void testNoPermitsRemaining() throws InterruptedException {
+        permits.semaphore.tryAcquire(IndexShardOperationPermits.TOTAL_PERMITS, 1, TimeUnit.SECONDS);
+        final IllegalStateException e = expectThrows(
+                IllegalStateException.class,
+                () -> this.permits.acquire(
+                        new ActionListener<Releasable>() {
+                            @Override
+                            public void onResponse(Releasable releasable) {
+                                assert false;
+                            }
+
+                            @Override
+                            public void onFailure(Exception e) {
+                                assert false;
+                            }
+                        },
+                        ThreadPool.Names.GENERIC,
+                        false));
+        assertThat(e, hasToString(containsString("failed to obtain permit but operations are not delayed")));
+        permits.semaphore.release(IndexShardOperationPermits.TOTAL_PERMITS);
+    }
+
     /**
      * Returns an operation that acquires a permit and synchronizes in the following manner:
      * <ul>