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 f250b0a939319..333c8c0b087ab 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
@@ -765,7 +765,6 @@ public void onFailure(Exception e) {
         assertTrue(latch.await(30L, TimeUnit.SECONDS));
     }
 
-    @AwaitsFix(bugUrl = "https://github.com/elastic/elasticsearch/issues/46021")
     public void testAddSnapshotLifecyclePolicy() throws Exception {
         RestHighLevelClient client = highLevelClient();
 
@@ -1057,6 +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 de25a1c6af31b..a2ad9e32fd5d7 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
@@ -6,7 +6,6 @@
 
 package org.elasticsearch.xpack.slm;
 
-import org.apache.lucene.util.LuceneTestCase;
 import org.elasticsearch.action.ActionFuture;
 import org.elasticsearch.action.admin.cluster.snapshots.get.GetSnapshotsResponse;
 import org.elasticsearch.action.admin.cluster.snapshots.status.SnapshotStatus;
@@ -124,7 +123,6 @@ public void testSnapshotInProgress() throws Exception {
         }
     }
 
-    @LuceneTestCase.AwaitsFix(bugUrl = "https://github.com/elastic/elasticsearch/issues/48441")
     public void testRetentionWhileSnapshotInProgress() throws Exception {
         final String indexName = "test";
         final String policyId = "slm-policy";
@@ -144,8 +142,7 @@ 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());
@@ -213,13 +210,8 @@ 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 (RepositoryException e) {
-                    // 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
-                    throw new AssertionError(e);
                 } catch (SnapshotMissingException e) {
                     // Great, we wanted it to be deleted!
                 }
@@ -383,6 +375,18 @@ 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()