diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/gateway/ClusterStateUpdaters.java b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/gateway/ClusterStateUpdaters.java
index 8d8e661b3a010..9c16bcd9d2cc2 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/gateway/ClusterStateUpdaters.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/gateway/ClusterStateUpdaters.java
@@ -143,6 +143,7 @@ public static ClusterState hideStateIfNotRecovered(ClusterState state) {
                 .coordinationMetadata(state.metadata().coordinationMetadata())
                 .build();
 
+            assert state.routingTable().indicesRouting().isEmpty() : "routing table is not empty: " + state.routingTable().indicesRouting();
             return ClusterState.builder(state).metadata(metadata).blocks(blocks.build()).build();
         }
         return state;