diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/indices/recovery/RecoveryStatus.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/indices/recovery/RecoveryStatus.java
index b4d93b5716c..aaf2f7cda1a 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/indices/recovery/RecoveryStatus.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/indices/recovery/RecoveryStatus.java
@@ -186,28 +186,16 @@ public class RecoveryStatus extends AbstractRefCounted {
         }
     }
 
-    private String getTempNameForFile(String origFile) {
+    /** Get a temporary name for the provided file name. */
+    public String getTempNameForFile(String origFile) {
         return tempFilePrefix + origFile;
     }
 
-    /** return true if the give file is a temporary file name issued by this recovery */
-    private boolean isTempFile(String filename) {
-        return tempFileNames.containsKey(filename);
-    }
-
     public IndexOutput getOpenIndexOutput(String key) {
         ensureRefCount();
         return openIndexOutputs.get(key);
     }
 
-    /** returns the original file name for a temporary file name issued by this recovery */
-    private String originalNameForTempFile(String tempFile) {
-        if (!isTempFile(tempFile)) {
-            throw new ElasticsearchException("[" + tempFile + "] is not a temporary file made by this recovery");
-        }
-        return tempFile.substring(tempFilePrefix.length());
-    }
-
     /** remove and {@link org.apache.lucene.store.IndexOutput} for a given file. It is the caller's responsibility to close it */
     public IndexOutput removeOpenIndexOutputs(String name) {
         ensureRefCount();
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/indices/recovery/RecoveryTarget.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/indices/recovery/RecoveryTarget.java
index 4053d6c29c9..e1e7fba6a04 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/indices/recovery/RecoveryTarget.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/indices/recovery/RecoveryTarget.java
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@ import org.elasticsearch.indices.IndicesLifecycle;
 import org.elasticsearch.threadpool.ThreadPool;
 import org.elasticsearch.transport.*;
 
+import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicReference;
@@ -440,7 +441,9 @@ public class RecoveryTarget extends AbstractComponent {
                     }
                     // write the checksum
                     recoveryStatus.legacyChecksums().add(request.metadata());
-                    store.directory().sync(Collections.singleton(request.name()));
+                    final String temporaryFileName = recoveryStatus.getTempNameForFile(request.name());
+                    assert Arrays.asList(store.directory().listAll()).contains(temporaryFileName);
+                    store.directory().sync(Collections.singleton(temporaryFileName));
                     IndexOutput remove = recoveryStatus.removeOpenIndexOutputs(request.name());
                     recoveryStatus.state().getIndex().addRecoveredFileCount(1);
                     assert remove == null || remove == indexOutput; // remove maybe null if we got finished