diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/indexlifecycle/WaitForNoFollowersStep.java b/x-pack/plugin/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/indexlifecycle/WaitForNoFollowersStep.java
index 3cfaeba048d..958120b99b8 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/indexlifecycle/WaitForNoFollowersStep.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/indexlifecycle/WaitForNoFollowersStep.java
@@ -20,7 +20,9 @@ import org.elasticsearch.common.xcontent.XContentBuilder;
 
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.util.Arrays;
+import java.util.Collection;
 import java.util.Objects;
+import java.util.Optional;
 
 /**
  * A step that waits until the index it's used on is no longer a leader index.
@@ -57,8 +59,11 @@ public class WaitForNoFollowersStep extends AsyncWaitStep {
 
             boolean isCurrentlyLeaderIndex = Arrays.stream(indexStats.getShards())
                 .map(ShardStats::getRetentionLeaseStats)
-                .flatMap(retentionLeaseStats -> retentionLeaseStats.retentionLeases().leases().stream())
-                .anyMatch(lease -> CCR_LEASE_KEY.equals(lease.source()));
+                .map(Optional::ofNullable)
+                .map(o -> o.flatMap(stats -> Optional.ofNullable(stats.retentionLeases())))
+                .map(o -> o.flatMap(leases -> Optional.ofNullable(leases.leases())))
+                .map(o -> o.map(Collection::stream))
+                .anyMatch(lease -> lease.isPresent() && lease.get().anyMatch(l -> CCR_LEASE_KEY.equals(l.source())));
 
             if (isCurrentlyLeaderIndex) {
                 listener.onResponse(false, new Info());
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/indexlifecycle/WaitForNoFollowersStepTests.java b/x-pack/plugin/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/indexlifecycle/WaitForNoFollowersStepTests.java
index f1f3c053e23..6953455489d 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/indexlifecycle/WaitForNoFollowersStepTests.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/indexlifecycle/WaitForNoFollowersStepTests.java
@@ -132,6 +132,42 @@ public class WaitForNoFollowersStepTests extends AbstractStepTestCase<WaitForNoF
             containsString("this index is a leader index; waiting for all following indices to cease following before proceeding"));
     }
 
+    public void testNoShardStats() {
+        WaitForNoFollowersStep step = createRandomInstance();
+
+        String indexName = randomAlphaOfLengthBetween(5,10);
+
+        int numberOfShards = randomIntBetween(1, 100);
+        final IndexMetaData indexMetaData = IndexMetaData.builder(indexName)
+            .settings(settings(Version.CURRENT))
+            .numberOfShards(numberOfShards)
+            .numberOfReplicas(randomIntBetween(1, 10))
+            .build();
+
+        ShardStats sStats = new ShardStats(null, mockShardPath(), null, null, null, null);
+        ShardStats[] shardStats = new ShardStats[1];
+        shardStats[0] = sStats;
+        mockIndexStatsCall(step.getClient(), indexName, new IndexStats(indexName, "uuid", shardStats));
+
+        final SetOnce<Boolean> conditionMetHolder = new SetOnce<>();
+        final SetOnce<ToXContentObject> stepInfoHolder = new SetOnce<>();
+        step.evaluateCondition(indexMetaData, new AsyncWaitStep.Listener() {
+            @Override
+            public void onResponse(boolean conditionMet, ToXContentObject infomationContext) {
+                conditionMetHolder.set(conditionMet);
+                stepInfoHolder.set(infomationContext);
+            }
+
+            @Override
+            public void onFailure(Exception e) {
+                fail("onFailure should not be called in this test, called with exception: " + e.getMessage());
+            }
+        });
+
+        assertTrue(conditionMetHolder.get());
+        assertNull(stepInfoHolder.get());
+    }
+
     public void testFailure() {
         WaitForNoFollowersStep step = createRandomInstance();