diff --git a/docs/changelog/104591.yaml b/docs/changelog/104591.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..0bd054385753
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/changelog/104591.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+pr: 104591
+summary: Avoid execute ESQL planning on refresh thread
+area: ES|QL
+type: bug
+issues: []
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/esql/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/esql/plugin/ComputeService.java b/x-pack/plugin/esql/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/esql/plugin/ComputeService.java
index 172fc0a3dc5c..307b17814e14 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/esql/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/esql/plugin/ComputeService.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/esql/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/esql/plugin/ComputeService.java
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@
 
 import org.elasticsearch.action.ActionListener;
 import org.elasticsearch.action.ActionListenerResponseHandler;
+import org.elasticsearch.action.ActionRunnable;
 import org.elasticsearch.action.OriginalIndices;
 import org.elasticsearch.action.search.SearchRequest;
 import org.elasticsearch.action.search.SearchShardsGroup;
@@ -22,7 +23,6 @@
 import org.elasticsearch.cluster.node.DiscoveryNode;
 import org.elasticsearch.cluster.service.ClusterService;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.util.BigArrays;
-import org.elasticsearch.common.util.concurrent.CountDown;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.util.concurrent.ThreadContext;
 import org.elasticsearch.compute.data.BlockFactory;
 import org.elasticsearch.compute.data.Page;
@@ -435,51 +435,60 @@ private void acquireSearchContexts(
         Map<Index, AliasFilter> aliasFilters,
         ActionListener<List<SearchContext>> listener
     ) {
+        final List<IndexShard> targetShards = new ArrayList<>();
         try {
-            List<IndexShard> targetShards = new ArrayList<>();
             for (ShardId shardId : shardIds) {
                 var indexShard = searchService.getIndicesService().indexServiceSafe(shardId.getIndex()).getShard(shardId.id());
                 targetShards.add(indexShard);
             }
-            if (targetShards.isEmpty()) {
-                listener.onResponse(List.of());
-                return;
+        } catch (Exception e) {
+            listener.onFailure(e);
+            return;
+        }
+        final var doAcquire = ActionRunnable.supply(listener, () -> {
+            final List<SearchContext> searchContexts = new ArrayList<>(targetShards.size());
+            boolean success = false;
+            try {
+                for (IndexShard shard : targetShards) {
+                    var aliasFilter = aliasFilters.getOrDefault(shard.shardId().getIndex(), AliasFilter.EMPTY);
+                    var shardRequest = new ShardSearchRequest(
+                        shard.shardId(),
+                        configuration.absoluteStartedTimeInMillis(),
+                        aliasFilter,
+                        clusterAlias
+                    );
+                    SearchContext context = searchService.createSearchContext(shardRequest, SearchService.NO_TIMEOUT);
+                    searchContexts.add(context);
+                }
+                for (SearchContext searchContext : searchContexts) {
+                    searchContext.preProcess();
+                }
+                success = true;
+                return searchContexts;
+            } finally {
+                if (success == false) {
+                    IOUtils.close(searchContexts);
+                }
+            }
+        });
+        final AtomicBoolean waitedForRefreshes = new AtomicBoolean();
+        try (RefCountingRunnable refs = new RefCountingRunnable(() -> {
+            if (waitedForRefreshes.get()) {
+                esqlExecutor.execute(doAcquire);
+            } else {
+                doAcquire.run();
             }
-            CountDown countDown = new CountDown(targetShards.size());
+        })) {
             for (IndexShard targetShard : targetShards) {
-                targetShard.ensureShardSearchActive(ignored -> {
-                    if (countDown.countDown()) {
-                        ActionListener.completeWith(listener, () -> {
-                            final List<SearchContext> searchContexts = new ArrayList<>(targetShards.size());
-                            boolean success = false;
-                            try {
-                                for (IndexShard shard : targetShards) {
-                                    var aliasFilter = aliasFilters.getOrDefault(shard.shardId().getIndex(), AliasFilter.EMPTY);
-                                    var shardRequest = new ShardSearchRequest(
-                                        shard.shardId(),
-                                        configuration.absoluteStartedTimeInMillis(),
-                                        aliasFilter,
-                                        clusterAlias
-                                    );
-                                    SearchContext context = searchService.createSearchContext(shardRequest, SearchService.NO_TIMEOUT);
-                                    searchContexts.add(context);
-                                }
-                                for (SearchContext searchContext : searchContexts) {
-                                    searchContext.preProcess();
-                                }
-                                success = true;
-                                return searchContexts;
-                            } finally {
-                                if (success == false) {
-                                    IOUtils.close(searchContexts);
-                                }
-                            }
-                        });
+                final Releasable ref = refs.acquire();
+                targetShard.ensureShardSearchActive(await -> {
+                    try (ref) {
+                        if (await) {
+                            waitedForRefreshes.set(true);
+                        }
                     }
                 });
             }
-        } catch (Exception e) {
-            listener.onFailure(e);
         }
     }
 
@@ -585,6 +594,7 @@ public void messageReceived(DataNodeRequest request, TransportChannel channel, T
                 configuration,
                 request.aliasFilters(),
                 ActionListener.wrap(searchContexts -> {
+                    assert ThreadPool.assertCurrentThreadPool(ESQL_THREAD_POOL_NAME);
                     var computeContext = new ComputeContext(sessionId, clusterAlias, searchContexts, configuration, null, exchangeSink);
                     runCompute(parentTask, computeContext, request.plan(), ActionListener.wrap(driverProfiles -> {
                         // don't return until all pages are fetched