diff --git a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/shard/recovery/RecoveryTarget.java b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/shard/recovery/RecoveryTarget.java
index 54dfdcbd52f..d7438883692 100644
--- a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/shard/recovery/RecoveryTarget.java
+++ b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/shard/recovery/RecoveryTarget.java
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@ import org.elasticsearch.index.shard.IndexShardState;
 import org.elasticsearch.index.shard.ShardId;
 import org.elasticsearch.index.shard.service.IndexShard;
 import org.elasticsearch.index.shard.service.InternalIndexShard;
+import org.elasticsearch.index.store.support.AbstractStore;
 import org.elasticsearch.index.translog.Translog;
 import org.elasticsearch.indices.IndexMissingException;
 import org.elasticsearch.indices.IndicesLifecycle;
@@ -441,7 +442,8 @@ public class RecoveryTarget extends AbstractComponent {
             shard.store().writeChecksums(onGoingRecovery.checksums);
 
             for (String existingFile : shard.store().directory().listAll()) {
-                if (!request.snapshotFiles().contains(existingFile)) {
+                // don't delete snapshot file, or the checksums file (note, this is extra protection since the Store won't delete checksum)
+                if (!request.snapshotFiles().contains(existingFile) && !AbstractStore.isChecksum(existingFile)) {
                     try {
                         shard.store().directory().deleteFile(existingFile);
                     } catch (Exception e) {
diff --git a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/store/support/AbstractStore.java b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/store/support/AbstractStore.java
index 167ebeb5d24..9b41217620c 100644
--- a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/store/support/AbstractStore.java
+++ b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/store/support/AbstractStore.java
@@ -53,6 +53,10 @@ public abstract class AbstractStore extends AbstractIndexShardComponent implemen
 
     static final String CHECKSUMS_PREFIX = "_checksums-";
 
+    public static final boolean isChecksum(String name) {
+        return name.startsWith(CHECKSUMS_PREFIX);
+    }
+
     protected final IndexStore indexStore;
 
     private volatile ImmutableMap<String, StoreFileMetaData> filesMetadata = ImmutableMap.of();
@@ -100,7 +104,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractStore extends AbstractIndexShardComponent implemen
         String[] files = directory().listAll();
         IOException lastException = null;
         for (String file : files) {
-            if (file.startsWith(CHECKSUMS_PREFIX)) {
+            if (isChecksum(file)) {
                 ((StoreDirectory) directory()).deleteFileChecksum(file);
             } else {
                 try {
@@ -140,7 +144,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractStore extends AbstractIndexShardComponent implemen
     public static Map<String, String> readChecksums(Directory dir) throws IOException {
         long lastFound = -1;
         for (String name : dir.listAll()) {
-            if (!name.startsWith(CHECKSUMS_PREFIX)) {
+            if (!isChecksum(name)) {
                 continue;
             }
             long current = Long.parseLong(name.substring(CHECKSUMS_PREFIX.length()));
@@ -316,7 +320,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractStore extends AbstractIndexShardComponent implemen
 
         @Override public void deleteFile(String name) throws IOException {
             // we don't allow to delete the checksums files, only using the deleteChecksum method
-            if (name.startsWith(CHECKSUMS_PREFIX)) {
+            if (isChecksum(name)) {
                 return;
             }
             delegate.deleteFile(name);
diff --git a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/indices/store/TransportNodesListShardStoreMetaData.java b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/indices/store/TransportNodesListShardStoreMetaData.java
index 5dcca306757..ca9ea8cbc10 100644
--- a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/indices/store/TransportNodesListShardStoreMetaData.java
+++ b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/indices/store/TransportNodesListShardStoreMetaData.java
@@ -178,7 +178,7 @@ public class TransportNodesListShardStoreMetaData extends TransportNodesOperatio
                 if (file.getName().endsWith(".cks")) {
                     continue;
                 }
-                if (file.getName().startsWith("_checksums")) {
+                if (AbstractStore.isChecksum(file.getName())) {
                     continue;
                 }
                 files.put(file.getName(), new StoreFileMetaData(file.getName(), file.length(), file.lastModified(), checksums.get(file.getName())));