diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/indexlifecycle/InitializePolicyContextStep.java b/x-pack/plugin/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/indexlifecycle/InitializePolicyContextStep.java
index feec3590109..157488bb5e3 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/indexlifecycle/InitializePolicyContextStep.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/indexlifecycle/InitializePolicyContextStep.java
@@ -12,7 +12,7 @@ import org.elasticsearch.common.settings.Settings;
 import org.elasticsearch.index.Index;
 
 public final class InitializePolicyContextStep extends ClusterStateActionStep {
-    public static final StepKey KEY = new StepKey("pre-phase", "pre-action", "init");
+    public static final StepKey KEY = new StepKey("new", "init", "init");
 
     public InitializePolicyContextStep(Step.StepKey key, StepKey nextStepKey) {
         super(key, nextStepKey);
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/indexlifecycle/LifecyclePolicyTests.java b/x-pack/plugin/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/indexlifecycle/LifecyclePolicyTests.java
index f739d7b5f71..1b4bbe0f4e5 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/indexlifecycle/LifecyclePolicyTests.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/indexlifecycle/LifecyclePolicyTests.java
@@ -177,7 +177,7 @@ public class LifecyclePolicyTests extends AbstractSerializingTestCase<LifecycleP
         List<Step> steps = policy.toSteps(client, nowSupplier);
         assertThat(steps.size(), equalTo(2));
         assertThat(steps.get(0), instanceOf(InitializePolicyContextStep.class));
-        assertThat(steps.get(0).getKey(), equalTo(new StepKey("pre-phase", "pre-action", "init")));
+        assertThat(steps.get(0).getKey(), equalTo(new StepKey("new", "init", "init")));
         assertThat(steps.get(0).getNextStepKey(), equalTo(TerminalPolicyStep.KEY));
         assertSame(steps.get(1), TerminalPolicyStep.INSTANCE);
     }
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/ilm/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/indexlifecycle/ExecuteStepsUpdateTaskTests.java b/x-pack/plugin/ilm/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/indexlifecycle/ExecuteStepsUpdateTaskTests.java
index 0d1ecd27063..9f4d8811dc6 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/ilm/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/indexlifecycle/ExecuteStepsUpdateTaskTests.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/ilm/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/indexlifecycle/ExecuteStepsUpdateTaskTests.java
@@ -108,8 +108,8 @@ public class ExecuteStepsUpdateTaskTests extends ESTestCase {
         IndexMetaData indexMetadata = IndexMetaData.builder(indexName)
             .settings(settings(Version.CURRENT)
                 .put(LifecycleSettings.LIFECYCLE_NAME, policyName)
-                .put(LifecycleSettings.LIFECYCLE_PHASE, "pre-phase")
-                .put(LifecycleSettings.LIFECYCLE_ACTION, "pre-action")
+                .put(LifecycleSettings.LIFECYCLE_PHASE, "new")
+                .put(LifecycleSettings.LIFECYCLE_ACTION, "init")
                 .put(LifecycleSettings.LIFECYCLE_STEP, "init"))
             .numberOfShards(randomIntBetween(1, 5)).numberOfReplicas(randomIntBetween(0, 5)).build();
         index = indexMetadata.getIndex();
@@ -133,6 +133,7 @@ public class ExecuteStepsUpdateTaskTests extends ESTestCase {
         setupIndexPolicy(allClusterPolicyName);
 
         Step startStep = policyStepsRegistry.getFirstStep(allClusterPolicyName);
+        Step afterStep = policyStepsRegistry.getStep(index, startStep.getNextStepKey());
         long now = randomNonNegativeLong();
         // test execute start till end of phase `new`
         ExecuteStepsUpdateTask task = new ExecuteStepsUpdateTask(allClusterPolicyName, index, startStep, policyStepsRegistry, () -> now);
@@ -140,16 +141,9 @@ public class ExecuteStepsUpdateTaskTests extends ESTestCase {
 
         // Update the registry so the next phase's steps are loaded
         policyStepsRegistry.update(newState, client, () -> now);
-        Step afterStep = policyStepsRegistry.getStep(index, startStep.getNextStepKey());
 
+        // verify that both the `new` phase was executed and the next phase is to begin
         StepKey currentStepKey = IndexLifecycleRunner.getCurrentStepKey(newState.metaData().index(index).getSettings());
-        assertThat(currentStepKey, equalTo(afterStep.getKey()));
-        // test execute phase-after until firstStep
-        task = new ExecuteStepsUpdateTask(allClusterPolicyName, index, afterStep, policyStepsRegistry, () -> now);
-        newState = task.execute(newState);
-        policyStepsRegistry.update(newState, client, () -> now);
-
-        currentStepKey = IndexLifecycleRunner.getCurrentStepKey(newState.metaData().index(index).getSettings());
         assertThat(currentStepKey, equalTo(firstStep.getKey()));
         // test execute all actions in same phase
         task = new ExecuteStepsUpdateTask(allClusterPolicyName, index, firstStep, policyStepsRegistry, () -> now);
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/ilm/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/indexlifecycle/PolicyStepsRegistryTests.java b/x-pack/plugin/ilm/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/indexlifecycle/PolicyStepsRegistryTests.java
index 8133e36e1ae..3ccf3e34c08 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/ilm/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/indexlifecycle/PolicyStepsRegistryTests.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/ilm/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/indexlifecycle/PolicyStepsRegistryTests.java
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ public class PolicyStepsRegistryTests extends ESTestCase {
                     .put("index.number_of_replicas", 0)
                     .put("index.version.created", Version.CURRENT.id)
                     .put(LifecycleSettings.LIFECYCLE_NAME, policyName)
-                    .put(LifecycleSettings.LIFECYCLE_PHASE, "pre-phase")))
+                    .put(LifecycleSettings.LIFECYCLE_PHASE, "new")))
             .build();
         try (XContentBuilder builder = JsonXContent.contentBuilder()) {
             builder.startObject();