diff --git a/client/rest-high-level/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/client/indexlifecycle/IndexLifecycleExplainResponse.java b/client/rest-high-level/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/client/indexlifecycle/IndexLifecycleExplainResponse.java
index f79639e244304..8bdc3b195acd0 100644
--- a/client/rest-high-level/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/client/indexlifecycle/IndexLifecycleExplainResponse.java
+++ b/client/rest-high-level/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/client/indexlifecycle/IndexLifecycleExplainResponse.java
@@ -124,15 +124,12 @@ private IndexLifecycleExplainResponse(String index, boolean managedByILM, String
                 throw new IllegalArgumentException("[" + POLICY_NAME_FIELD.getPreferredName() + "] cannot be null for managed index");
             }
             // check to make sure that step details are either all null or all set.
-            long numNull = Stream.of(phase, action, step, phaseTime, actionTime, stepTime).filter(Objects::isNull).count();
-            if (numNull > 0 && numNull < 6) {
+            long numNull = Stream.of(phase, action, step).filter(Objects::isNull).count();
+            if (numNull > 0 && numNull < 3) {
                 throw new IllegalArgumentException("managed index response must have complete step details [" +
                     PHASE_FIELD.getPreferredName() + "=" + phase + ", " +
-                    PHASE_TIME_FIELD.getPreferredName() + "=" + phaseTime + ", " +
                     ACTION_FIELD.getPreferredName() + "=" + action + ", " +
-                    ACTION_TIME_FIELD.getPreferredName() + "=" + actionTime + ", " +
-                    STEP_FIELD.getPreferredName() + "=" + step + ", " +
-                    STEP_TIME_FIELD.getPreferredName() + "=" + stepTime + "]");
+                    STEP_FIELD.getPreferredName() + "=" + step + "]");
             }
         } else {
             if (policyName != null || lifecycleDate != null || phase != null || action != null || step != null || failedStep != null
diff --git a/client/rest-high-level/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/client/indexlifecycle/IndexLifecycleExplainResponseTests.java b/client/rest-high-level/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/client/indexlifecycle/IndexLifecycleExplainResponseTests.java
index 40d9f7e194a5f..29f7a8db89f57 100644
--- a/client/rest-high-level/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/client/indexlifecycle/IndexLifecycleExplainResponseTests.java
+++ b/client/rest-high-level/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/client/indexlifecycle/IndexLifecycleExplainResponseTests.java
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ private static IndexLifecycleExplainResponse randomManagedIndexExplainResponse()
     }
 
     public void testInvalidStepDetails() {
-        final int numNull = randomIntBetween(1, 6);
+        final int numNull = randomIntBetween(1, 3);
         IllegalArgumentException exception = expectThrows(IllegalArgumentException.class, () ->
             IndexLifecycleExplainResponse.newManagedIndexResponse(randomAlphaOfLength(10),
                 randomAlphaOfLength(10),
@@ -78,9 +78,9 @@ public void testInvalidStepDetails() {
                 (numNull == 2) ? null : randomAlphaOfLength(10),
                 (numNull == 3) ? null : randomAlphaOfLength(10),
                 randomBoolean() ? null : randomAlphaOfLength(10),
-                (numNull == 4) ? null : randomNonNegativeLong(),
-                (numNull == 5) ? null : randomNonNegativeLong(),
-                (numNull == 6) ? null : randomNonNegativeLong(),
+                randomBoolean() ? null : randomNonNegativeLong(),
+                randomBoolean() ? null : randomNonNegativeLong(),
+                randomBoolean() ? null : randomNonNegativeLong(),
                 randomBoolean() ? null : new BytesArray(new RandomStepInfo(() -> randomAlphaOfLength(10)).toString()),
                 randomBoolean() ? null : PhaseExecutionInfoTests.randomPhaseExecutionInfo("")));
         assertThat(exception.getMessage(), startsWith("managed index response must have complete step details"));
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/indexlifecycle/IndexLifecycleExplainResponse.java b/x-pack/plugin/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/indexlifecycle/IndexLifecycleExplainResponse.java
index 7880703d8baa5..fd171c88539c3 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/indexlifecycle/IndexLifecycleExplainResponse.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/indexlifecycle/IndexLifecycleExplainResponse.java
@@ -113,15 +113,12 @@ private IndexLifecycleExplainResponse(String index, boolean managedByILM, String
                 throw new IllegalArgumentException("[" + POLICY_NAME_FIELD.getPreferredName() + "] cannot be null for managed index");
             }
             // check to make sure that step details are either all null or all set.
-            long numNull = Stream.of(phase, action, step, phaseTime, actionTime, stepTime).filter(Objects::isNull).count();
-            if (numNull > 0 && numNull < 6) {
+            long numNull = Stream.of(phase, action, step).filter(Objects::isNull).count();
+            if (numNull > 0 && numNull < 3) {
                 throw new IllegalArgumentException("managed index response must have complete step details [" +
                     PHASE_FIELD.getPreferredName() + "=" + phase + ", " +
-                    PHASE_TIME_FIELD.getPreferredName() + "=" + phaseTime + ", " +
                     ACTION_FIELD.getPreferredName() + "=" + action + ", " +
-                    ACTION_TIME_FIELD.getPreferredName() + "=" + actionTime + ", " +
-                    STEP_FIELD.getPreferredName() + "=" + step + ", " +
-                    STEP_TIME_FIELD.getPreferredName() + "=" + stepTime + "]");
+                    STEP_FIELD.getPreferredName() + "=" + step + "]");
             }
         } else {
             if (policyName != null || lifecycleDate != null || phase != null || action != null || step != null || failedStep != null
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/indexlifecycle/IndexLifecycleExplainResponseTests.java b/x-pack/plugin/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/indexlifecycle/IndexLifecycleExplainResponseTests.java
index 6381dd1ae4177..4b483dcf03945 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/indexlifecycle/IndexLifecycleExplainResponseTests.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/indexlifecycle/IndexLifecycleExplainResponseTests.java
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ private static IndexLifecycleExplainResponse randomManagedIndexExplainResponse()
     }
 
     public void testInvalidStepDetails() {
-        final int numNull = randomIntBetween(1, 6);
+        final int numNull = randomIntBetween(1, 3);
         IllegalArgumentException exception = expectThrows(IllegalArgumentException.class, () ->
             IndexLifecycleExplainResponse.newManagedIndexResponse(randomAlphaOfLength(10),
                 randomAlphaOfLength(10),
@@ -69,9 +69,9 @@ public void testInvalidStepDetails() {
                 (numNull == 2) ? null : randomAlphaOfLength(10),
                 (numNull == 3) ? null : randomAlphaOfLength(10),
                 randomBoolean() ? null : randomAlphaOfLength(10),
-                (numNull == 4) ? null : randomNonNegativeLong(),
-                (numNull == 5) ? null : randomNonNegativeLong(),
-                (numNull == 6) ? null : randomNonNegativeLong(),
+                randomBoolean() ? null : randomNonNegativeLong(),
+                randomBoolean() ? null : randomNonNegativeLong(),
+                randomBoolean() ? null : randomNonNegativeLong(),
                 randomBoolean() ? null : new BytesArray(new RandomStepInfo(() -> randomAlphaOfLength(10)).toString()),
                 randomBoolean() ? null : PhaseExecutionInfoTests.randomPhaseExecutionInfo("")));
         assertThat(exception.getMessage(), startsWith("managed index response must have complete step details"));
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ protected IndexLifecycleExplainResponse mutateInstance(IndexLifecycleExplainResp
         BytesReference stepInfo = instance.getStepInfo();
         PhaseExecutionInfo phaseExecutionInfo = instance.getPhaseExecutionInfo();
         if (managed) {
-            switch (between(0, 7)) {
+            switch (between(0, 10)) {
             case 0:
                 index = index + randomAlphaOfLengthBetween(1, 5);
                 break;
@@ -120,11 +120,17 @@ protected IndexLifecycleExplainResponse mutateInstance(IndexLifecycleExplainResp
                 phase = randomAlphaOfLengthBetween(1, 5);
                 action = randomAlphaOfLengthBetween(1, 5);
                 step = randomAlphaOfLengthBetween(1, 5);
+                break;
+            case 3:
                 phaseTime = randomValueOtherThan(phaseTime, () -> randomLongBetween(0, 100000));
+                break;
+            case 4:
                 actionTime = randomValueOtherThan(actionTime, () -> randomLongBetween(0, 100000));
+                break;
+            case 5:
                 stepTime = randomValueOtherThan(stepTime, () -> randomLongBetween(0, 100000));
                 break;
-            case 3:
+            case 6:
                 if (Strings.hasLength(failedStep) == false) {
                     failedStep = randomAlphaOfLength(10);
                 } else if (randomBoolean()) {
@@ -133,10 +139,10 @@ protected IndexLifecycleExplainResponse mutateInstance(IndexLifecycleExplainResp
                     failedStep = null;
                 }
                 break;
-            case 4:
+            case 7:
                 policyTime = randomValueOtherThan(policyTime, () -> randomLongBetween(0, 100000));
                 break;
-            case 5:
+            case 8:
                 if (Strings.hasLength(stepInfo) == false) {
                     stepInfo = new BytesArray(randomByteArrayOfLength(100));
                 } else if (randomBoolean()) {
@@ -146,10 +152,10 @@ protected IndexLifecycleExplainResponse mutateInstance(IndexLifecycleExplainResp
                     stepInfo = null;
                 }
                 break;
-            case 6:
+            case 9:
                 phaseExecutionInfo = randomValueOtherThan(phaseExecutionInfo, () -> PhaseExecutionInfoTests.randomPhaseExecutionInfo(""));
                 break;
-            case 7:
+            case 10:
                 return IndexLifecycleExplainResponse.newUnmanagedIndexResponse(index);
             default:
                 throw new AssertionError("Illegal randomisation branch");