diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/gateway/GatewayMetaState.java b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/gateway/GatewayMetaState.java
index 1da82468997..867b7420107 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/gateway/GatewayMetaState.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/gateway/GatewayMetaState.java
@@ -234,8 +234,8 @@ public class GatewayMetaState extends AbstractComponent implements ClusterStateL
         // We successfully checked all indices for backward compatibility and found no non-upgradable indices, which
         // means the upgrade can continue. Now it's safe to overwrite index metadata with the new version.
         for (IndexMetaData indexMetaData : updateIndexMetaData) {
-            // since we still haven't upgraded the index folders, we write index state in the old folder
-            metaStateService.writeIndex("upgrade", indexMetaData, nodeEnv.resolveIndexFolder(indexMetaData.getIndex().getUUID()));
+            // since we upgraded the index folders already, write index state in the upgraded index folder
+            metaStateService.writeIndex("upgrade", indexMetaData);
         }
     }
 
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/gateway/MetaStateService.java b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/gateway/MetaStateService.java
index 0edfb563174..89192c47d09 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/gateway/MetaStateService.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/gateway/MetaStateService.java
@@ -121,18 +121,11 @@ public class MetaStateService extends AbstractComponent {
      * Writes the index state.
      */
     void writeIndex(String reason, IndexMetaData indexMetaData) throws IOException {
-        writeIndex(reason, indexMetaData, nodeEnv.indexPaths(indexMetaData.getIndex()));
-    }
-
-    /**
-     * Writes the index state in <code>locations</code>, use {@link #writeGlobalState(String, MetaData)}
-     * to write index state in index paths
-     */
-    void writeIndex(String reason, IndexMetaData indexMetaData, Path[] locations) throws IOException {
         final Index index = indexMetaData.getIndex();
         logger.trace("[{}] writing state, reason [{}]", index, reason);
         try {
-            IndexMetaData.FORMAT.write(indexMetaData, indexMetaData.getVersion(), locations);
+            IndexMetaData.FORMAT.write(indexMetaData, indexMetaData.getVersion(),
+                nodeEnv.indexPaths(indexMetaData.getIndex()));
         } catch (Throwable ex) {
             logger.warn("[{}]: failed to write index state", ex, index);
             throw new IOException("failed to write state for [" + index + "]", ex);