diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/alerts/AlertsStore.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/alerts/AlertsStore.java
index 3ad2aa8fc30..98cc861f9dc 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/alerts/AlertsStore.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/alerts/AlertsStore.java
@@ -198,7 +198,7 @@ public class AlertsStore extends AbstractComponent {
     private void loadAlerts() {
         assert alertMap.isEmpty() : "No alerts should reside, but there are " + alertMap.size() + " alerts.";
         RefreshResponse refreshResponse = client.admin().indices().refresh(new RefreshRequest(ALERT_INDEX)).actionGet();
-        if (refreshResponse.getSuccessfulShards() != refreshResponse.getSuccessfulShards()) {
+        if (refreshResponse.getTotalShards() != refreshResponse.getSuccessfulShards()) {
             throw new ElasticsearchException("Not all shards have been refreshed");
         }
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/alerts/actions/AlertActionManager.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/alerts/actions/AlertActionManager.java
index 918a5da1e37..2f502f31865 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/alerts/actions/AlertActionManager.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/alerts/actions/AlertActionManager.java
@@ -165,10 +165,10 @@ public class AlertActionManager extends AbstractComponent {
         return ALERT_HISTORY_INDEX_PREFIX + alertHistoryIndexTimeFormat.print(time);
     }
 
-    public void loadQueue() {
+    private void loadQueue() {
         assert actionsToBeProcessed.isEmpty() : "Queue should be empty, but contains " + actionsToBeProcessed.size() + " elements.";
         RefreshResponse refreshResponse = client.admin().indices().refresh(new RefreshRequest(ALERT_HISTORY_INDEX_PREFIX + "*")).actionGet();
-        if (refreshResponse.getSuccessfulShards() != refreshResponse.getSuccessfulShards()) {
+        if (refreshResponse.getTotalShards() != refreshResponse.getSuccessfulShards()) {
             throw new ElasticsearchException("Not all shards have been refreshed");
         }