diff --git a/client/rest-high-level/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/client/documentation/ILMDocumentationIT.java b/client/rest-high-level/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/client/documentation/ILMDocumentationIT.java
index 687da75fc8265..d4273127c4426 100644
--- a/client/rest-high-level/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/client/documentation/ILMDocumentationIT.java
+++ b/client/rest-high-level/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/client/documentation/ILMDocumentationIT.java
@@ -1056,6 +1056,8 @@ private void assertSnapshotExists(final RestHighLevelClient client, final String
             } catch (Exception e) {
                 if (e.getMessage().contains("snapshot_missing_exception")) {
                     fail("snapshot does not exist: " + snapshotName);
+                } else if (e.getMessage().contains("repository_exception")) {
+                    fail("got a respository_exception, retrying. original message: " + e.getMessage());
                 }
                 throw e;
             }
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/ilm/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/slm/SLMSnapshotBlockingIntegTests.java b/x-pack/plugin/ilm/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/slm/SLMSnapshotBlockingIntegTests.java
index e47c59b07b462..60f5b22f25c06 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/ilm/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/slm/SLMSnapshotBlockingIntegTests.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/ilm/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/slm/SLMSnapshotBlockingIntegTests.java
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 import org.elasticsearch.index.query.QueryBuilders;
 import org.elasticsearch.plugins.Plugin;
 import org.elasticsearch.repositories.RepositoriesService;
+import org.elasticsearch.repositories.RepositoryException;
 import org.elasticsearch.snapshots.ConcurrentSnapshotExecutionException;
 import org.elasticsearch.snapshots.SnapshotInfo;
 import org.elasticsearch.snapshots.SnapshotMissingException;
@@ -176,8 +177,7 @@ public void testRetentionWhileSnapshotInProgress() throws Exception {
         logger.info("--> kicked off snapshot {}", completedSnapshotName);
         assertBusy(() -> {
             try {
-                SnapshotsStatusResponse s =
-                    client().admin().cluster().prepareSnapshotStatus(REPO).setSnapshots(completedSnapshotName).get();
+                SnapshotsStatusResponse s = getSnapshotStatus(completedSnapshotName);
                 assertThat("expected a snapshot but none were returned", s.getSnapshots().size(), equalTo(1));
                 SnapshotStatus status = s.getSnapshots().get(0);
                 logger.info("--> waiting for snapshot {} to be completed, got: {}", completedSnapshotName, status.getState());
@@ -245,8 +245,7 @@ public void testRetentionWhileSnapshotInProgress() throws Exception {
                 client().admin().cluster().prepareReroute().get();
                 logger.info("--> waiting for snapshot to be deleted");
                 try {
-                    SnapshotsStatusResponse s =
-                        client().admin().cluster().prepareSnapshotStatus(REPO).setSnapshots(completedSnapshotName).get();
+                    SnapshotsStatusResponse s = getSnapshotStatus(completedSnapshotName);
                     assertNull("expected no snapshot but one was returned", s.getSnapshots().get(0));
                 } catch (SnapshotMissingException e) {
                     // Great, we wanted it to be deleted!
@@ -406,6 +405,18 @@ private void testUnsuccessfulSnapshotRetention(boolean partialSuccess) throws Ex
         }
     }
 
+    private SnapshotsStatusResponse getSnapshotStatus(String snapshotName) {
+        try {
+            return client().admin().cluster().prepareSnapshotStatus(REPO).setSnapshots(snapshotName).get();
+        } catch (RepositoryException e) {
+            // Convert this to an AssertionError so that it can be retried in an assertBusy - this is often a transient error because
+            // concurrent status calls and write operations may lead to failures in determining the current repository generation
+            // TODO: Remove this hack once tracking the current repository generation has been made consistent
+            logger.warn(e);
+            throw new AssertionError(e);
+        }
+    }
+
     private void createAndPopulateIndex(String indexName) throws InterruptedException {
         logger.info("--> creating and populating index [{}]", indexName);
         assertAcked(prepareCreate(indexName, 0, Settings.builder()