diff --git a/build.gradle b/build.gradle
index e7cd42545aed8..44f3d4559ec0a 100644
--- a/build.gradle
+++ b/build.gradle
@@ -174,8 +174,8 @@ tasks.register("verifyVersions") {
  * after the backport of the backcompat code is complete.
  */
 
-boolean bwc_tests_enabled = false
-final String bwc_tests_disabled_issue = "https://github.com/elastic/elasticsearch/pull/61595" /* place a PR link here when committing bwc changes */
+boolean bwc_tests_enabled = true
+final String bwc_tests_disabled_issue = "" /* place a PR link here when committing bwc changes */
 if (bwc_tests_enabled == false) {
   if (bwc_tests_disabled_issue.isEmpty()) {
     throw new GradleException("bwc_tests_disabled_issue must be set when bwc_tests_enabled == false")
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/searchablesnapshots/SearchableSnapshotShardStats.java b/x-pack/plugin/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/searchablesnapshots/SearchableSnapshotShardStats.java
index 9ddccc69414be..0ca88493fcaa2 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/searchablesnapshots/SearchableSnapshotShardStats.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/searchablesnapshots/SearchableSnapshotShardStats.java
@@ -5,7 +5,6 @@
  */
 package org.elasticsearch.xpack.core.searchablesnapshots;
 
-import org.elasticsearch.Version;
 import org.elasticsearch.cluster.routing.ShardRouting;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.io.stream.StreamInput;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.io.stream.StreamOutput;
@@ -180,21 +179,12 @@ public CacheIndexInputStats(String fileName, long fileLength, long openCount, lo
             this.contiguousReads = new Counter(in);
             this.nonContiguousReads = new Counter(in);
             this.cachedBytesRead = new Counter(in);
-            if (in.getVersion().onOrAfter(Version.V_8_0_0)) {
-                this.indexCacheBytesRead = new Counter(in);
-            } else {
-                this.indexCacheBytesRead = new Counter(0, 0, 0, 0);
-            }
+            this.indexCacheBytesRead = new Counter(in);
             this.cachedBytesWritten = new TimedCounter(in);
             this.directBytesRead = new TimedCounter(in);
             this.optimizedBytesRead = new TimedCounter(in);
-            if (in.getVersion().onOrAfter(Version.V_8_0_0)) {
-                this.blobStoreBytesRequested = new Counter(in);
-                this.currentIndexCacheFills = in.readVLong();
-            } else {
-                this.blobStoreBytesRequested = new Counter(0, 0, 0, 0);
-                this.currentIndexCacheFills = 0;
-            }
+            this.blobStoreBytesRequested = new Counter(in);
+            this.currentIndexCacheFills = in.readVLong();
         }
 
         @Override
@@ -211,16 +201,12 @@ public void writeTo(StreamOutput out) throws IOException {
             contiguousReads.writeTo(out);
             nonContiguousReads.writeTo(out);
             cachedBytesRead.writeTo(out);
-            if (out.getVersion().onOrAfter(Version.V_8_0_0)) {
-                indexCacheBytesRead.writeTo(out);
-            }
+            indexCacheBytesRead.writeTo(out);
             cachedBytesWritten.writeTo(out);
             directBytesRead.writeTo(out);
             optimizedBytesRead.writeTo(out);
-            if (out.getVersion().onOrAfter(Version.V_8_0_0)) {
-                blobStoreBytesRequested.writeTo(out);
-                out.writeVLong(currentIndexCacheFills);
-            }
+            blobStoreBytesRequested.writeTo(out);
+            out.writeVLong(currentIndexCacheFills);
         }
 
         public String getFileName() {