diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/engine/CombinedDeletionPolicy.java b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/engine/CombinedDeletionPolicy.java
index 8166a0d37d429..70507fd18e7a3 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/engine/CombinedDeletionPolicy.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/index/engine/CombinedDeletionPolicy.java
@@ -51,6 +51,7 @@ public class CombinedDeletionPolicy extends IndexDeletionPolicy {
     private final LongSupplier globalCheckpointSupplier;
     private final ObjectIntHashMap<IndexCommit> snapshottedCommits; // Number of snapshots held against each commit point.
     private volatile IndexCommit safeCommit; // the most recent safe commit point - its max_seqno at most the persisted global checkpoint.
+    private volatile long maxSeqNoOfNextSafeCommit;
     private volatile IndexCommit lastCommit; // the most recent commit point
     private volatile SafeCommitInfo safeCommitInfo = SafeCommitInfo.EMPTY;
 
@@ -83,6 +84,11 @@ public void onCommit(List<? extends IndexCommit> commits) throws IOException {
             this.safeCommitInfo = SafeCommitInfo.EMPTY;
             this.lastCommit = commits.get(commits.size() - 1);
             this.safeCommit = commits.get(keptPosition);
+            if (keptPosition == commits.size() - 1) {
+                this.maxSeqNoOfNextSafeCommit = Long.MAX_VALUE;
+            } else {
+                this.maxSeqNoOfNextSafeCommit = Long.parseLong(commits.get(keptPosition + 1).getUserData().get(SequenceNumbers.MAX_SEQ_NO));
+            }
             for (int i = 0; i < keptPosition; i++) {
                 if (snapshottedCommits.containsKey(commits.get(i)) == false) {
                     deleteCommit(commits.get(i));
@@ -217,16 +223,10 @@ synchronized boolean hasSnapshottedCommits() {
     }
 
     /**
-     * Checks if the deletion policy can release some index commits with the latest global checkpoint.
+     * Checks if the deletion policy can delete some index commits with the latest global checkpoint.
      */
-    boolean hasUnreferencedCommits() throws IOException {
-        final IndexCommit lastCommit = this.lastCommit;
-        if (safeCommit != lastCommit) { // Race condition can happen but harmless
-            final long maxSeqNoFromLastCommit = Long.parseLong(lastCommit.getUserData().get(SequenceNumbers.MAX_SEQ_NO));
-            // We can clean up the current safe commit if the last commit is safe
-            return globalCheckpointSupplier.getAsLong() >= maxSeqNoFromLastCommit;
-        }
-        return false;
+    boolean hasUnreferencedCommits() {
+        return maxSeqNoOfNextSafeCommit <= globalCheckpointSupplier.getAsLong();
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/index/engine/CombinedDeletionPolicyTests.java b/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/index/engine/CombinedDeletionPolicyTests.java
index 4e82a77ce43a7..deb224f5b1895 100644
--- a/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/index/engine/CombinedDeletionPolicyTests.java
+++ b/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/index/engine/CombinedDeletionPolicyTests.java
@@ -229,22 +229,28 @@ public void testCheckUnreferencedCommits() throws Exception {
             lastCheckpoint = randomLongBetween(lastCheckpoint, lastMaxSeqNo);
             commitList.add(mockIndexCommit(lastCheckpoint, lastMaxSeqNo, translogUUID, lastTranslogGen));
         }
-        IndexCommit safeCommit = randomFrom(commitList);
-        globalCheckpoint.set(Long.parseLong(safeCommit.getUserData().get(SequenceNumbers.MAX_SEQ_NO)));
+        int safeCommitIndex = randomIntBetween(0, commitList.size() - 1);
+        globalCheckpoint.set(Long.parseLong(commitList.get(safeCommitIndex).getUserData().get(SequenceNumbers.MAX_SEQ_NO)));
         commitList.forEach(this::resetDeletion);
         indexPolicy.onCommit(commitList);
-        if (safeCommit == commitList.get(commitList.size() - 1)) {
+
+        if (safeCommitIndex == commitList.size() - 1) {
             // Safe commit is the last commit - no need to clean up
             assertThat(translogPolicy.getMinTranslogGenerationForRecovery(), equalTo(lastTranslogGen));
             assertThat(translogPolicy.getTranslogGenerationOfLastCommit(), equalTo(lastTranslogGen));
             assertThat(indexPolicy.hasUnreferencedCommits(), equalTo(false));
         } else {
-            // Advanced but not enough
-            globalCheckpoint.set(randomLongBetween(globalCheckpoint.get(), lastMaxSeqNo - 1));
-            assertThat(indexPolicy.hasUnreferencedCommits(), equalTo(false));
-            // Advanced enough
+            // Advanced but not enough for any commit after the safe commit becomes safe
+            IndexCommit nextSafeCommit = commitList.get(safeCommitIndex + 1);
+            globalCheckpoint.set(randomLongBetween(globalCheckpoint.get(),
+                Long.parseLong(nextSafeCommit.getUserData().get(SequenceNumbers.MAX_SEQ_NO)) - 1));
+            assertFalse(indexPolicy.hasUnreferencedCommits());
+            // Advanced enough for some index commit becomes safe
+            globalCheckpoint.set(randomLongBetween(
+                Long.parseLong(nextSafeCommit.getUserData().get(SequenceNumbers.MAX_SEQ_NO)), lastMaxSeqNo));
+            assertTrue(indexPolicy.hasUnreferencedCommits());
+            // Advanced enough for the last commit becomes safe
             globalCheckpoint.set(randomLongBetween(lastMaxSeqNo, Long.MAX_VALUE));
-            assertThat(indexPolicy.hasUnreferencedCommits(), equalTo(true));
             commitList.forEach(this::resetDeletion);
             indexPolicy.onCommit(commitList);
             // Safe commit is the last commit - no need to clean up