diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/indexlifecycle/RolloverStep.java b/x-pack/plugin/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/indexlifecycle/RolloverStep.java
index f95d4ffbf61..94505c620e7 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/indexlifecycle/RolloverStep.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/indexlifecycle/RolloverStep.java
@@ -45,6 +45,13 @@ public class RolloverStep extends AsyncWaitStep {
             return;
         }
 
+        if (indexMetaData.getAliases().containsKey(rolloverAlias) == false) {
+            listener.onFailure(new IllegalArgumentException(String.format(Locale.ROOT,
+                "%s [%s] does not point to index [%s]", RolloverAction.LIFECYCLE_ROLLOVER_ALIAS, rolloverAlias,
+                indexMetaData.getIndex().getName())));
+            return;
+        }
+
         RolloverRequest rolloverRequest = new RolloverRequest(rolloverAlias, null);
         if (maxAge != null) {
             rolloverRequest.addMaxIndexAgeCondition(maxAge);
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/indexlifecycle/RolloverStepTests.java b/x-pack/plugin/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/indexlifecycle/RolloverStepTests.java
index a35daa1a01d..596099e6e27 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/indexlifecycle/RolloverStepTests.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/indexlifecycle/RolloverStepTests.java
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ import org.elasticsearch.action.admin.indices.rollover.RolloverResponse;
 import org.elasticsearch.client.AdminClient;
 import org.elasticsearch.client.Client;
 import org.elasticsearch.client.IndicesAdminClient;
+import org.elasticsearch.cluster.metadata.AliasMetaData;
 import org.elasticsearch.cluster.metadata.IndexMetaData;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.unit.ByteSizeUnit;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.unit.ByteSizeValue;
@@ -113,6 +114,7 @@ public class RolloverStepTests extends AbstractStepTestCase<RolloverStep> {
     public void testPerformAction() {
         String alias = randomAlphaOfLength(5);
         IndexMetaData indexMetaData = IndexMetaData.builder(randomAlphaOfLength(10))
+            .putAlias(AliasMetaData.builder(alias))
             .settings(settings(Version.CURRENT).put(RolloverAction.LIFECYCLE_ROLLOVER_ALIAS, alias))
             .numberOfShards(randomIntBetween(1, 5)).numberOfReplicas(randomIntBetween(0, 5)).build();
 
@@ -171,6 +173,7 @@ public class RolloverStepTests extends AbstractStepTestCase<RolloverStep> {
     public void testPerformActionNotComplete() {
         String alias = randomAlphaOfLength(5);
         IndexMetaData indexMetaData = IndexMetaData.builder(randomAlphaOfLength(10))
+            .putAlias(AliasMetaData.builder(alias))
             .settings(settings(Version.CURRENT).put(RolloverAction.LIFECYCLE_ROLLOVER_ALIAS, alias))
             .numberOfShards(randomIntBetween(1, 5)).numberOfReplicas(randomIntBetween(0, 5)).build();
         RolloverStep step = createRandomInstance();
@@ -228,6 +231,7 @@ public class RolloverStepTests extends AbstractStepTestCase<RolloverStep> {
     public void testPerformActionFailure() {
         String alias = randomAlphaOfLength(5);
         IndexMetaData indexMetaData = IndexMetaData.builder(randomAlphaOfLength(10))
+            .putAlias(AliasMetaData.builder(alias))
             .settings(settings(Version.CURRENT).put(RolloverAction.LIFECYCLE_ROLLOVER_ALIAS, alias))
             .numberOfShards(randomIntBetween(1, 5)).numberOfReplicas(randomIntBetween(0, 5)).build();
         Exception exception = new RuntimeException();
@@ -309,4 +313,29 @@ public class RolloverStepTests extends AbstractStepTestCase<RolloverStep> {
             indexMetaData.getIndex().getName())));
     }
 
+    public void testPerformActionAliasDoesNotPointToIndex() {
+        String alias = randomAlphaOfLength(5);
+        IndexMetaData indexMetaData = IndexMetaData.builder(randomAlphaOfLength(10))
+            .settings(settings(Version.CURRENT).put(RolloverAction.LIFECYCLE_ROLLOVER_ALIAS, alias))
+            .numberOfShards(randomIntBetween(1, 5)).numberOfReplicas(randomIntBetween(0, 5)).build();
+        RolloverStep step = createRandomInstance();
+
+        SetOnce<Exception> exceptionThrown = new SetOnce<>();
+        step.evaluateCondition(indexMetaData, new AsyncWaitStep.Listener() {
+            @Override
+            public void onResponse(boolean complete, ToXContentObject obj) {
+                throw new AssertionError("Unexpected method call");
+            }
+
+            @Override
+            public void onFailure(Exception e) {
+                exceptionThrown.set(e);
+            }
+        });
+        assertThat(exceptionThrown.get().getClass(), equalTo(IllegalArgumentException.class));
+        assertThat(exceptionThrown.get().getMessage(), equalTo(String.format(Locale.ROOT,
+            "%s [%s] does not point to index [%s]", RolloverAction.LIFECYCLE_ROLLOVER_ALIAS, alias,
+            indexMetaData.getIndex().getName())));
+
+    }
 }