diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/indexlifecycle/ClientStep.java b/x-pack/plugin/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/indexlifecycle/ClientStep.java
index 7474af79635..179a1edefef 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/indexlifecycle/ClientStep.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/indexlifecycle/ClientStep.java
@@ -23,9 +23,9 @@ public class ClientStep<RequestBuilder extends ActionRequestBuilder, Response ex
     private Exception returnedException;
     private boolean returnedSuccess;
 
-    public ClientStep(String name, String action, String phase, String index, Step nextStep, RequestBuilder requestBuilder,
+    public ClientStep(String name, String action, String phase, String index, StepKey nextStepKey, RequestBuilder requestBuilder,
                       Function<ClusterState, Boolean> checkComplete, Function<Response, Boolean> checkSuccess) {
-        super(name, action, phase, nextStep);
+        super(name, action, phase, nextStepKey);
         this.requestBuilder = requestBuilder;
         this.checkComplete = checkComplete;
         this.checkSuccess = checkSuccess;
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/indexlifecycle/ClusterStateUpdateStep.java b/x-pack/plugin/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/indexlifecycle/ClusterStateUpdateStep.java
index 4fc63424fc1..eab7ac564e9 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/indexlifecycle/ClusterStateUpdateStep.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/indexlifecycle/ClusterStateUpdateStep.java
@@ -18,8 +18,8 @@ import java.util.function.LongSupplier;
 public class ClusterStateUpdateStep extends Step {
     private final Function<ClusterState, ClusterState> updateTask;
 
-    public ClusterStateUpdateStep(String name, String index, String phase, String action, Step nextStep, Function<ClusterState, ClusterState> updateTask) {
-        super(name, action, phase, nextStep);
+    public ClusterStateUpdateStep(String name, String index, String phase, String action, StepKey nextStepKey, Function<ClusterState, ClusterState> updateTask) {
+        super(name, action, phase, nextStepKey);
         this.updateTask = updateTask;
     }
 
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/indexlifecycle/ConditionalWaitStep.java b/x-pack/plugin/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/indexlifecycle/ConditionalWaitStep.java
index 25d2e666c2f..fe675ccc8b9 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/indexlifecycle/ConditionalWaitStep.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/indexlifecycle/ConditionalWaitStep.java
@@ -18,8 +18,8 @@ import java.util.function.LongSupplier;
 public class ConditionalWaitStep extends Step {
     private final Function<ClusterState, Boolean> condition;
 
-    public ConditionalWaitStep(String name, String phase, String action, Step nextStep, Function<ClusterState, Boolean> condition) {
-        super(name, action, phase, nextStep);
+    public ConditionalWaitStep(String name, String phase, String action, StepKey nextStepKey, Function<ClusterState, Boolean> condition) {
+        super(name, action, phase, nextStepKey);
         this.condition = condition;
     }
 
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/indexlifecycle/PhaseAfterStep.java b/x-pack/plugin/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/indexlifecycle/PhaseAfterStep.java
index 1f7bb25067c..6eeef3ddcaf 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/indexlifecycle/PhaseAfterStep.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/indexlifecycle/PhaseAfterStep.java
@@ -10,8 +10,8 @@ import org.elasticsearch.common.unit.TimeValue;
 public class PhaseAfterStep extends Step {
     private final TimeValue after;
 
-    public PhaseAfterStep(String phase, String action, String name, TimeValue after, Step nextStep) {
-        super(name, action, phase, nextStep);
+    public PhaseAfterStep(String phase, String action, String name, TimeValue after, StepKey nextStepKey) {
+        super(name, action, phase, nextStepKey);
         this.after = after;
     }
 }
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/indexlifecycle/Step.java b/x-pack/plugin/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/indexlifecycle/Step.java
index dbe847663b0..57de63d3778 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/indexlifecycle/Step.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/indexlifecycle/Step.java
@@ -23,13 +23,13 @@ public class Step {
     private final String name;
     private final String action;
     private final String phase;
-    private final Step nextStep;
+    private final StepKey nextStepKey;
 
-    public Step(String name, String action, String phase, Step nextStep) {
+    public Step(String name, String action, String phase, StepKey nextStepKey) {
         this.name = name;
         this.action = action;
         this.phase = phase;
-        this.nextStep = nextStep;
+        this.nextStepKey = nextStepKey;
     }
 
     public String getName() {
@@ -44,12 +44,12 @@ public class Step {
         return phase;
     }
 
-    public Step getNextStep() {
-        return nextStep;
+    public StepKey getNextStepKey() {
+        return nextStepKey;
     }
 
     public boolean hasNextStep() {
-        return nextStep != null;
+        return nextStepKey != null;
     }
 
     /**
@@ -97,12 +97,12 @@ public class Step {
         long now = nowSupplier.getAsLong();
         // fetch details about next step to run and update the cluster state with this information
         Settings newLifecyclePhaseSettings = Settings.builder()
-            .put(LifecycleSettings.LIFECYCLE_PHASE, nextStep.getPhase())
+            .put(LifecycleSettings.LIFECYCLE_PHASE, nextStepKey.getPhase())
             .put(LifecycleSettings.LIFECYCLE_PHASE_TIME, now)
             .put(LifecycleSettings.LIFECYCLE_ACTION_TIME, now)
-            .put(LifecycleSettings.LIFECYCLE_ACTION, nextStep.getAction())
+            .put(LifecycleSettings.LIFECYCLE_ACTION, nextStepKey.getAction())
             .put(LifecycleSettings.LIFECYCLE_STEP_TIME, now)
-            .put(LifecycleSettings.LIFECYCLE_STEP, nextStep.getName())
+            .put(LifecycleSettings.LIFECYCLE_STEP, nextStepKey.getName())
             .build();
         return ClusterState.builder(currentState)
             .metaData(MetaData.builder(currentState.metaData())
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/index-lifecycle/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/indexlifecycle/IndexLifecycleService.java b/x-pack/plugin/index-lifecycle/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/indexlifecycle/IndexLifecycleService.java
index 61c4e1e0072..144d69e06b3 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/index-lifecycle/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/indexlifecycle/IndexLifecycleService.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/index-lifecycle/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/indexlifecycle/IndexLifecycleService.java
@@ -138,7 +138,7 @@ public class IndexLifecycleService extends AbstractComponent
                         // returns current step to execute. If settings are null, then the first step to be executed in
                         // this policy is returned.
                         Step currentStep = policyRegistry.getStep(policyName, new Step.StepKey(phase, action, stepName));
-                        return executeStepUntilAsync(currentStep, clusterState, client, nowSupplier, idxMeta.getIndex());
+                        return executeStepUntilAsync(policyName, currentStep, clusterState, client, nowSupplier, idxMeta.getIndex());
                     }
 
                     @Override
@@ -159,11 +159,11 @@ public class IndexLifecycleService extends AbstractComponent
      * @param startStep The current step that has either not been executed, or not completed before
      * @return the new ClusterState
      */
-    private ClusterState executeStepUntilAsync(Step startStep, ClusterState currentState, Client client, LongSupplier nowSupplier, Index index) {
+    private ClusterState executeStepUntilAsync(String policyName, Step startStep, ClusterState currentState, Client client, LongSupplier nowSupplier, Index index) {
         StepResult result = startStep.execute(clusterService, currentState, index, client, nowSupplier);
         while (result.isComplete() && result.indexSurvived() && startStep.hasNextStep()) {
             currentState = result.getClusterState();
-            startStep = startStep.getNextStep();
+            startStep = policyRegistry.getStep(policyName, startStep.getNextStepKey());
             result = startStep.execute(clusterService, currentState, index, client, nowSupplier);
         }
         if (result.isComplete()) {