diff --git a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/gateway/local/LocalIndexShardGateway.java b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/gateway/local/LocalIndexShardGateway.java
index 891056957d7..fe26f5ab9a7 100644
--- a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/gateway/local/LocalIndexShardGateway.java
+++ b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/gateway/local/LocalIndexShardGateway.java
@@ -144,15 +144,24 @@ public class LocalIndexShardGateway extends AbstractIndexShardComponent implemen
         try {
             InputStreamStreamInput si = new InputStreamStreamInput(new FileInputStream(recoveringTranslogFile));
             while (true) {
-                int opSize = si.readInt();
-                Translog.Operation operation = TranslogStreams.readTranslogOperation(si);
+                Translog.Operation operation;
+                try {
+                    int opSize = si.readInt();
+                    operation = TranslogStreams.readTranslogOperation(si);
+                } catch (EOFException e) {
+                    // ignore, not properly written the last op
+                    break;
+                } catch (IOException e) {
+                    // ignore, not properly written last op
+                    break;
+                }
                 recoveryStatus.translog().addTranslogOperations(1);
                 indexShard.performRecoveryOperation(operation);
             }
-        } catch (EOFException e) {
-            // ignore this exception, its fine
-        } catch (IOException e) {
-            // ignore this as well
+        } catch (Throwable e) {
+            // we failed to recovery, make sure to delete the translog file (and keep the recovering one)
+            indexShard.translog().close(true);
+            throw new IndexShardGatewayRecoveryException(shardId, "failed to recover shard", e);
         }
         indexShard.performRecoveryFinalization(true);
 
diff --git a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/indices/cluster/IndicesClusterStateService.java b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/indices/cluster/IndicesClusterStateService.java
index a874a442c59..924201e0ea3 100644
--- a/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/indices/cluster/IndicesClusterStateService.java
+++ b/modules/elasticsearch/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/indices/cluster/IndicesClusterStateService.java
@@ -539,7 +539,7 @@ public class IndicesClusterStateService extends AbstractLifecycleComponent<Indic
         synchronized (mutex) {
             if (indexService.hasShard(shardRouting.shardId().id())) {
                 try {
-                    indexService.cleanShard(shardRouting.shardId().id(), "recovery failure [" + ExceptionsHelper.detailedMessage(failure) + "]");
+                    indexService.removeShard(shardRouting.shardId().id(), "recovery failure [" + ExceptionsHelper.detailedMessage(failure) + "]");
                 } catch (IndexShardMissingException e) {
                     // the node got closed on us, ignore it
                 } catch (Exception e1) {
@@ -576,7 +576,7 @@ public class IndicesClusterStateService extends AbstractLifecycleComponent<Indic
                     synchronized (mutex) {
                         if (indexService.hasShard(shardId.id())) {
                             try {
-                                indexService.cleanShard(shardId.id(), "engine failure [" + ExceptionsHelper.detailedMessage(failure) + "]");
+                                indexService.removeShard(shardId.id(), "engine failure [" + ExceptionsHelper.detailedMessage(failure) + "]");
                             } catch (IndexShardMissingException e) {
                                 // the node got closed on us, ignore it
                             } catch (Exception e1) {