diff --git a/test/framework/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/replication/ESIndexLevelReplicationTestCase.java b/test/framework/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/replication/ESIndexLevelReplicationTestCase.java
index 58fea953850..c4881d06351 100644
--- a/test/framework/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/replication/ESIndexLevelReplicationTestCase.java
+++ b/test/framework/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/replication/ESIndexLevelReplicationTestCase.java
@@ -164,6 +164,8 @@ public abstract class ESIndexLevelReplicationTestCase extends IndexShardTestCase
         private final AtomicInteger replicaId = new AtomicInteger();
         private final AtomicInteger docId = new AtomicInteger();
         boolean closed = false;
+        private ReplicationTargets replicationTargets;
+
         private final PrimaryReplicaSyncer primaryReplicaSyncer = new PrimaryReplicaSyncer(Settings.EMPTY,
             new TaskManager(Settings.EMPTY, threadPool, Collections.emptySet()),
             (request, parentTask, primaryAllocationId, primaryTerm, listener) -> {
@@ -277,6 +279,7 @@ public abstract class ESIndexLevelReplicationTestCase extends IndexShardTestCase
             for (final IndexShard replica : replicas) {
                 recoverReplica(replica);
             }
+            computeReplicationTargets();
         }
 
         public IndexShard addReplica() throws IOException {
@@ -320,8 +323,9 @@ public abstract class ESIndexLevelReplicationTestCase extends IndexShardTestCase
          */
         public Future<PrimaryReplicaSyncer.ResyncTask> promoteReplicaToPrimary(IndexShard replica) throws IOException {
             PlainActionFuture<PrimaryReplicaSyncer.ResyncTask> fut = new PlainActionFuture<>();
-            promoteReplicaToPrimary(replica,
-                (shard, listener) -> primaryReplicaSyncer.resync(shard,
+            promoteReplicaToPrimary(replica, (shard, listener) -> {
+                computeReplicationTargets();
+                primaryReplicaSyncer.resync(shard,
                     new ActionListener<PrimaryReplicaSyncer.ResyncTask>() {
                         @Override
                         public void onResponse(PrimaryReplicaSyncer.ResyncTask resyncTask) {
@@ -334,7 +338,8 @@ public abstract class ESIndexLevelReplicationTestCase extends IndexShardTestCase
                             listener.onFailure(e);
                             fut.onFailure(e);
                         }
-                    }));
+                    });
+            });
             return fut;
         }
 
@@ -370,6 +375,7 @@ public abstract class ESIndexLevelReplicationTestCase extends IndexShardTestCase
             final boolean removed = replicas.remove(replica);
             if (removed) {
                 updateAllocationIDsOnPrimary();
+                computeReplicationTargets();
             }
             return removed;
         }
@@ -392,6 +398,7 @@ public abstract class ESIndexLevelReplicationTestCase extends IndexShardTestCase
             ESIndexLevelReplicationTestCase.this.recoverUnstartedReplica(replica, primary, targetSupplier, markAsRecovering, inSyncIds,
                 routingTable);
             ESIndexLevelReplicationTestCase.this.startReplicaAfterRecovery(replica, primary, inSyncIds, routingTable);
+            computeReplicationTargets();
         }
 
         public synchronized DiscoveryNode getPrimaryNode() {
@@ -468,6 +475,7 @@ public abstract class ESIndexLevelReplicationTestCase extends IndexShardTestCase
 
         public synchronized void reinitPrimaryShard() throws IOException {
             primary = reinitShard(primary);
+            computeReplicationTargets();
         }
 
         public void syncGlobalCheckpoint() {
@@ -486,6 +494,24 @@ public abstract class ESIndexLevelReplicationTestCase extends IndexShardTestCase
                 currentClusterStateVersion.incrementAndGet(),
                 activeIds(), routingTable(Function.identity()), Collections.emptySet());
         }
+
+        private synchronized void computeReplicationTargets() {
+            this.replicationTargets = new ReplicationTargets(primary, replicas);
+        }
+
+        private synchronized ReplicationTargets getReplicationTargets() {
+            return replicationTargets;
+        }
+    }
+
+    static final class ReplicationTargets {
+        final IndexShard primary;
+        final List<IndexShard> replicas;
+
+        ReplicationTargets(IndexShard primary, List<IndexShard> replicas) {
+            this.primary = primary;
+            this.replicas = Collections.unmodifiableList(replicas);
+        }
     }
 
     protected abstract class ReplicationAction<Request extends ReplicationRequest<Request>,
@@ -493,13 +519,13 @@ public abstract class ESIndexLevelReplicationTestCase extends IndexShardTestCase
         Response extends ReplicationResponse> {
         private final Request request;
         private ActionListener<Response> listener;
-        private final ReplicationGroup replicationGroup;
+        private final ReplicationTargets replicationTargets;
         private final String opType;
 
         protected ReplicationAction(Request request, ActionListener<Response> listener, ReplicationGroup group, String opType) {
             this.request = request;
             this.listener = listener;
-            this.replicationGroup = group;
+            this.replicationTargets = group.getReplicationTargets();
             this.opType = opType;
         }
 
@@ -523,7 +549,7 @@ public abstract class ESIndexLevelReplicationTestCase extends IndexShardTestCase
         }
 
         IndexShard getPrimaryShard() {
-            return replicationGroup.primary;
+            return replicationTargets.primary;
         }
 
         protected abstract PrimaryResult performOnPrimary(IndexShard primary, Request request) throws Exception;
@@ -534,7 +560,7 @@ public abstract class ESIndexLevelReplicationTestCase extends IndexShardTestCase
 
             @Override
             public ShardRouting routingEntry() {
-                return replicationGroup.primary.routingEntry();
+                return getPrimaryShard().routingEntry();
             }
 
             @Override
@@ -544,37 +570,37 @@ public abstract class ESIndexLevelReplicationTestCase extends IndexShardTestCase
 
             @Override
             public PrimaryResult perform(Request request) throws Exception {
-                return performOnPrimary(replicationGroup.primary, request);
+                return performOnPrimary(getPrimaryShard(), request);
             }
 
             @Override
             public void updateLocalCheckpointForShard(String allocationId, long checkpoint) {
-                replicationGroup.getPrimary().updateLocalCheckpointForShard(allocationId, checkpoint);
+                getPrimaryShard().updateLocalCheckpointForShard(allocationId, checkpoint);
             }
 
             @Override
             public void updateGlobalCheckpointForShard(String allocationId, long globalCheckpoint) {
-                replicationGroup.getPrimary().updateGlobalCheckpointForShard(allocationId, globalCheckpoint);
+                getPrimaryShard().updateGlobalCheckpointForShard(allocationId, globalCheckpoint);
             }
 
             @Override
             public long localCheckpoint() {
-                return replicationGroup.getPrimary().getLocalCheckpoint();
+                return getPrimaryShard().getLocalCheckpoint();
             }
 
             @Override
             public long globalCheckpoint() {
-                return replicationGroup.getPrimary().getGlobalCheckpoint();
+                return getPrimaryShard().getGlobalCheckpoint();
             }
 
             @Override
             public long maxSeqNoOfUpdatesOrDeletes() {
-                return replicationGroup.getPrimary().getMaxSeqNoOfUpdatesOrDeletes();
+                return getPrimaryShard().getMaxSeqNoOfUpdatesOrDeletes();
             }
 
             @Override
             public org.elasticsearch.index.shard.ReplicationGroup getReplicationGroup() {
-                return replicationGroup.primary.getReplicationGroup();
+                return getPrimaryShard().getReplicationGroup();
             }
 
         }
@@ -588,10 +614,10 @@ public abstract class ESIndexLevelReplicationTestCase extends IndexShardTestCase
                 final long globalCheckpoint,
                 final long maxSeqNoOfUpdatesOrDeletes,
                 final ActionListener<ReplicationOperation.ReplicaResponse> listener) {
-                IndexShard replica = replicationGroup.replicas.stream()
+                IndexShard replica = replicationTargets.replicas.stream()
                         .filter(s -> replicaRouting.isSameAllocation(s.routingEntry())).findFirst().get();
                 replica.acquireReplicaOperationPermit(
-                        replicationGroup.primary.getPendingPrimaryTerm(),
+                        getPrimaryShard().getPendingPrimaryTerm(),
                         globalCheckpoint,
                         maxSeqNoOfUpdatesOrDeletes,
                         new ActionListener<Releasable>() {