diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/opensearch/cluster/routing/IndexRoutingTable.java b/server/src/main/java/org/opensearch/cluster/routing/IndexRoutingTable.java
index b12698c8a320e..6e7bf8dd7006b 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/opensearch/cluster/routing/IndexRoutingTable.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/opensearch/cluster/routing/IndexRoutingTable.java
@@ -457,7 +457,7 @@ public Builder initializeAsRemoteStoreRestore(
             boolean forceRecoverAllPrimaries
         ) {
             final UnassignedInfo unassignedInfo = new UnassignedInfo(
-                UnassignedInfo.Reason.EXISTING_INDEX_RESTORED,
+                UnassignedInfo.Reason.REMOTE_METADATA_RECOVERED,
                 "restore_source[remote_store]"
             );
             assert indexMetadata.getIndex().equals(index);
diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/opensearch/cluster/routing/UnassignedInfo.java b/server/src/main/java/org/opensearch/cluster/routing/UnassignedInfo.java
index 5e748df5eed2d..7602efe342628 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/opensearch/cluster/routing/UnassignedInfo.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/opensearch/cluster/routing/UnassignedInfo.java
@@ -147,7 +147,9 @@ public enum Reason {
         /**
          * Unassigned as a result of closing an index.
          */
-        INDEX_CLOSED
+        INDEX_CLOSED,
+
+        REMOTE_METADATA_RECOVERED
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/opensearch/index/shard/StoreRecovery.java b/server/src/main/java/org/opensearch/index/shard/StoreRecovery.java
index c0211e1257c8e..f01abd2af5e96 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/opensearch/index/shard/StoreRecovery.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/opensearch/index/shard/StoreRecovery.java
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@
 import org.opensearch.cluster.metadata.MappingMetadata;
 import org.opensearch.cluster.routing.RecoverySource;
 import org.opensearch.cluster.routing.RecoverySource.SnapshotRecoverySource;
+import org.opensearch.cluster.routing.UnassignedInfo;
 import org.opensearch.common.UUIDs;
 import org.opensearch.common.lucene.Lucene;
 import org.opensearch.common.unit.TimeValue;
@@ -434,6 +435,9 @@ private boolean canRecover(IndexShard indexShard) {
             // got closed on us, just ignore this recovery
             return false;
         }
+        if (indexShard.shardRouting.unassignedInfo().getReason() == UnassignedInfo.Reason.REMOTE_METADATA_RECOVERED) {
+            return false;
+        }
         if (indexShard.routingEntry().primary() == false) {
             throw new IndexShardRecoveryException(shardId, "Trying to recover when the shard is in backup state", null);
         }