diff --git a/test/framework/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/test/VersionUtils.java b/test/framework/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/test/VersionUtils.java
index 9fde8b66a1f..766fc80ba56 100644
--- a/test/framework/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/test/VersionUtils.java
+++ b/test/framework/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/test/VersionUtils.java
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ public class VersionUtils {
 
         Version last = versions.remove(versions.size() - 1);
         assert last.equals(current) : "The highest version must be the current one "
-            + "but was [" + versions.get(versions.size() - 1) + "] and current was [" + current + "]";
+            + "but was [" + last + "] and current was [" + current + "]";
 
         if (current.revision != 0) {
             /* If we are in a stable branch there should be no unreleased version constants
diff --git a/test/framework/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/VersionUtilsTests.java b/test/framework/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/VersionUtilsTests.java
index 67a9a40f0fc..3c8b349792b 100644
--- a/test/framework/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/VersionUtilsTests.java
+++ b/test/framework/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/VersionUtilsTests.java
@@ -28,9 +28,9 @@ import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.LinkedHashSet;
 import java.util.List;
 
-import static java.util.Collections.singletonList;
 import static java.util.stream.Collectors.toCollection;
 import static java.util.stream.Collectors.toList;
+import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.containsString;
 import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.equalTo;
 import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.greaterThanOrEqualTo;
 import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.lessThanOrEqualTo;
@@ -305,6 +305,24 @@ public class VersionUtilsTests extends ESTestCase {
             TestNewMinorBranchIn6x.V_6_2_0)));
     }
 
+    public static class TestIncorrectCurrentVersion {
+        public static final Version V_5_3_0 = Version.fromString("5.3.0");
+        public static final Version V_5_3_1 = Version.fromString("5.3.1");
+        public static final Version V_5_4_0 = Version.fromString("5.4.0");
+        public static final Version V_5_4_1 = Version.fromString("5.4.1");
+        public static final Version CURRENT = V_5_4_1;
+    }
+
+    public void testIncorrectCurrentVersion() {
+        Version previousVersion = TestIncorrectCurrentVersion.V_5_4_0;
+        AssertionError error = expectThrows(AssertionError.class, () ->
+            VersionUtils.resolveReleasedVersions(previousVersion, TestIncorrectCurrentVersion.class));
+
+        String message = error.getMessage();
+        assertThat(message, containsString(TestIncorrectCurrentVersion.CURRENT.toString()));
+        assertThat(message, containsString(previousVersion.toString()));
+    }
+
     /**
      * Tests that {@link Version#minimumCompatibilityVersion()} and {@link VersionUtils#allReleasedVersions()}
      * agree with the list of wire and index compatible versions we build in gradle.