diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/indices/recovery/PeerRecoveryTargetService.java b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/indices/recovery/PeerRecoveryTargetService.java
index 8ef1ec1ae7249..5874fd423a541 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/indices/recovery/PeerRecoveryTargetService.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/indices/recovery/PeerRecoveryTargetService.java
@@ -309,25 +309,6 @@ public RecoveryResponse read(StreamInput in) throws IOException {
         }
     }
 
-    /**
-     * Obtains a snapshot of the store metadata for the recovery target.
-     *
-     * @param recoveryTarget the target of the recovery
-     * @return a snapshot of the store metadata
-     */
-    private static Store.MetadataSnapshot getStoreMetadataSnapshot(final Logger logger, final RecoveryTarget recoveryTarget) {
-        try {
-            return recoveryTarget.indexShard().snapshotStoreMetadata();
-        } catch (final org.apache.lucene.index.IndexNotFoundException e) {
-            // happens on an empty folder. no need to log
-            logger.trace("{} shard folder empty, recovering all files", recoveryTarget);
-            return Store.MetadataSnapshot.EMPTY;
-        } catch (final IOException e) {
-            logger.warn("error while listing local files, recovering as if there are none", e);
-            return Store.MetadataSnapshot.EMPTY;
-        }
-    }
-
     /**
      * Prepare the start recovery request.
      *
@@ -343,7 +324,24 @@ public static StartRecoveryRequest getStartRecoveryRequest(Logger logger, Discov
         final StartRecoveryRequest request;
         logger.trace("{} collecting local files for [{}]", recoveryTarget.shardId(), recoveryTarget.sourceNode());
 
-        final Store.MetadataSnapshot metadataSnapshot = getStoreMetadataSnapshot(logger, recoveryTarget);
+        Store.MetadataSnapshot metadataSnapshot;
+        try {
+            metadataSnapshot = recoveryTarget.indexShard().snapshotStoreMetadata();
+        } catch (final org.apache.lucene.index.IndexNotFoundException e) {
+            // happens on an empty folder. no need to log
+            assert startingSeqNo == UNASSIGNED_SEQ_NO : startingSeqNo;
+            logger.trace("{} shard folder empty, recovering all files", recoveryTarget);
+            metadataSnapshot = Store.MetadataSnapshot.EMPTY;
+        } catch (final IOException e) {
+            if (startingSeqNo != UNASSIGNED_SEQ_NO) {
+                logger.warn(new ParameterizedMessage("error while listing local files, resetting the starting sequence number from {} " +
+                    "to unassigned and recovering as if there are none", startingSeqNo), e);
+                startingSeqNo = UNASSIGNED_SEQ_NO;
+            } else {
+                logger.warn("error while listing local files, recovering as if there are none", e);
+            }
+            metadataSnapshot = Store.MetadataSnapshot.EMPTY;
+        }
         logger.trace("{} local file count [{}]", recoveryTarget.shardId(), metadataSnapshot.size());
         request = new StartRecoveryRequest(
             recoveryTarget.shardId(),
diff --git a/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/indices/recovery/PeerRecoveryTargetServiceTests.java b/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/indices/recovery/PeerRecoveryTargetServiceTests.java
index 9fcbce104967e..81eb2bc20eaa0 100644
--- a/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/indices/recovery/PeerRecoveryTargetServiceTests.java
+++ b/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/indices/recovery/PeerRecoveryTargetServiceTests.java
@@ -258,4 +258,24 @@ public void testClosedIndexSkipsLocalRecovery() throws Exception {
         assertThat(replica.getLastKnownGlobalCheckpoint(), equalTo(UNASSIGNED_SEQ_NO));
         closeShards(replica);
     }
+
+    public void testResetStartingSeqNoIfLastCommitCorrupted() throws Exception {
+        IndexShard shard = newStartedShard(false);
+        populateRandomData(shard);
+        DiscoveryNode pNode = new DiscoveryNode("foo", buildNewFakeTransportAddress(),
+            Collections.emptyMap(), Collections.emptySet(), Version.CURRENT);
+        DiscoveryNode rNode = new DiscoveryNode("foo", buildNewFakeTransportAddress(),
+            Collections.emptyMap(), Collections.emptySet(), Version.CURRENT);
+        shard = reinitShard(shard, ShardRoutingHelper.initWithSameId(shard.routingEntry(), RecoverySource.PeerRecoverySource.INSTANCE));
+        shard.markAsRecovering("peer recovery", new RecoveryState(shard.routingEntry(), pNode, rNode));
+        shard.prepareForIndexRecovery();
+        long startingSeqNo = shard.recoverLocallyUpToGlobalCheckpoint();
+        shard.store().markStoreCorrupted(new IOException("simulated"));
+        RecoveryTarget recoveryTarget = new RecoveryTarget(shard, null, null);
+        StartRecoveryRequest request = PeerRecoveryTargetService.getStartRecoveryRequest(logger, rNode, recoveryTarget, startingSeqNo);
+        assertThat(request.startingSeqNo(), equalTo(UNASSIGNED_SEQ_NO));
+        assertThat(request.metadataSnapshot().size(), equalTo(0));
+        recoveryTarget.decRef();
+        closeShards(shard);
+    }
 }