diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/StepListener.java b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/StepListener.java
index efbf8c755d5..160ba23da24 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/StepListener.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/StepListener.java
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import org.elasticsearch.common.util.concurrent.EsExecutors;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.util.concurrent.FutureUtils;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.util.concurrent.ListenableFuture;
 
+import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
 import java.util.function.Consumer;
 
 /**
@@ -84,6 +85,6 @@ public final class StepListener<Response> implements ActionListener<Response> {
         if (delegate.isDone() == false) {
             throw new IllegalStateException("step is not completed yet");
         }
-        return FutureUtils.get(delegate);
+        return FutureUtils.get(delegate, 0L, TimeUnit.NANOSECONDS); // this future is done already - use a non-blocking method.
     }
 }
diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/indices/flush/SyncedFlushService.java b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/indices/flush/SyncedFlushService.java
index e1cd85faaef..9bc4e4ead12 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/indices/flush/SyncedFlushService.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/indices/flush/SyncedFlushService.java
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import org.apache.logging.log4j.message.ParameterizedMessage;
 import org.elasticsearch.ElasticsearchException;
 import org.elasticsearch.Version;
 import org.elasticsearch.action.ActionListener;
+import org.elasticsearch.action.StepListener;
 import org.elasticsearch.action.admin.indices.flush.FlushRequest;
 import org.elasticsearch.action.admin.indices.flush.SyncedFlushResponse;
 import org.elasticsearch.action.support.IndicesOptions;
@@ -219,56 +220,40 @@ public class SyncedFlushService implements IndexEventListener {
                 return;
             }
 
-            final ActionListener<Map<String, PreSyncedFlushResponse>> presyncListener =
-                new ActionListener<Map<String, PreSyncedFlushResponse>>() {
-                @Override
-                public void onResponse(final Map<String, PreSyncedFlushResponse> presyncResponses) {
-                    if (presyncResponses.isEmpty()) {
-                        actionListener.onResponse(new ShardsSyncedFlushResult(shardId, totalShards,
-                            "all shards failed to commit on pre-sync"));
-                        return;
-                    }
-                    final ActionListener<InFlightOpsResponse> inflightOpsListener = new ActionListener<InFlightOpsResponse>() {
-                        @Override
-                        public void onResponse(InFlightOpsResponse response) {
-                            final int inflight = response.opCount();
-                            assert inflight >= 0;
-                            if (inflight != 0) {
-                                actionListener.onResponse(new ShardsSyncedFlushResult(shardId, totalShards, "[" + inflight +
-                                    "] ongoing operations on primary"));
-                            } else {
-                                // 3. now send the sync request to all the shards;
-                                final String sharedSyncId = sharedExistingSyncId(presyncResponses);
-                                if (sharedSyncId != null) {
-                                    assert presyncResponses.values().stream().allMatch(r -> r.existingSyncId.equals(sharedSyncId)) :
-                                        "Not all shards have the same existing sync id [" + sharedSyncId + "], responses [" +
-                                            presyncResponses + "]";
-                                    reportSuccessWithExistingSyncId(shardId, sharedSyncId, activeShards, totalShards,
-                                        presyncResponses, actionListener);
-                                }else {
-                                    String syncId = UUIDs.randomBase64UUID();
-                                    sendSyncRequests(syncId, activeShards, state, presyncResponses, shardId, totalShards, actionListener);
-                                }
-                            }
-                        }
-
-                        @Override
-                        public void onFailure(Exception e) {
-                            actionListener.onFailure(e);
-                        }
-                    };
-                    // 2. fetch in flight operations
-                    getInflightOpsCount(shardId, state, shardRoutingTable, inflightOpsListener);
-                }
-
-                @Override
-                public void onFailure(Exception e) {
-                    actionListener.onFailure(e);
-                }
-            };
-
             // 1. send pre-sync flushes to all replicas
-            sendPreSyncRequests(activeShards, state, shardId, presyncListener);
+            final StepListener<Map<String, PreSyncedFlushResponse>> presyncStep = new StepListener<>();
+            sendPreSyncRequests(activeShards, state, shardId, presyncStep);
+
+            // 2. fetch in flight operations
+            final StepListener<InFlightOpsResponse> inflightOpsStep = new StepListener<>();
+            presyncStep.whenComplete(presyncResponses -> {
+                if (presyncResponses.isEmpty()) {
+                    actionListener.onResponse(new ShardsSyncedFlushResult(shardId, totalShards, "all shards failed to commit on pre-sync"));
+                } else {
+                    getInflightOpsCount(shardId, state, shardRoutingTable, inflightOpsStep);
+                }
+            }, actionListener::onFailure);
+
+            // 3. now send the sync request to all the shards
+            inflightOpsStep.whenComplete(inFlightOpsResponse -> {
+                final Map<String, PreSyncedFlushResponse> presyncResponses = presyncStep.result();
+                final int inflight = inFlightOpsResponse.opCount();
+                assert inflight >= 0;
+                if (inflight != 0) {
+                    actionListener.onResponse(
+                        new ShardsSyncedFlushResult(shardId, totalShards, "[" + inflight + "] ongoing operations on primary"));
+                } else {
+                    final String sharedSyncId = sharedExistingSyncId(presyncResponses);
+                    if (sharedSyncId != null) {
+                        assert presyncResponses.values().stream().allMatch(r -> r.existingSyncId.equals(sharedSyncId)) :
+                            "Not all shards have the same existing sync id [" + sharedSyncId + "], responses [" + presyncResponses + "]";
+                        reportSuccessWithExistingSyncId(shardId, sharedSyncId, activeShards, totalShards, presyncResponses, actionListener);
+                    }else {
+                        String syncId = UUIDs.randomBase64UUID();
+                        sendSyncRequests(syncId, activeShards, state, presyncResponses, shardId, totalShards, actionListener);
+                    }
+                }
+            }, actionListener::onFailure);
         } catch (Exception e) {
             actionListener.onFailure(e);
         }