diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/ml/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ml/action/TransportDeleteExpiredDataAction.java b/x-pack/plugin/ml/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ml/action/TransportDeleteExpiredDataAction.java
index 6cf06695c7c91..0e1ca9dd9aec3 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/ml/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ml/action/TransportDeleteExpiredDataAction.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/ml/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ml/action/TransportDeleteExpiredDataAction.java
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 import org.elasticsearch.common.settings.Settings;
 import org.elasticsearch.threadpool.ThreadPool;
 import org.elasticsearch.transport.TransportService;
+import org.elasticsearch.xpack.core.ClientHelper;
 import org.elasticsearch.xpack.core.ml.action.DeleteExpiredDataAction;
 import org.elasticsearch.xpack.ml.MachineLearning;
 import org.elasticsearch.xpack.ml.job.retention.ExpiredForecastsRemover;
@@ -40,7 +41,7 @@ public TransportDeleteExpiredDataAction(Settings settings, ThreadPool threadPool
                                             Client client, ClusterService clusterService) {
         super(settings, DeleteExpiredDataAction.NAME, threadPool, transportService, actionFilters, indexNameExpressionResolver,
                 DeleteExpiredDataAction.Request::new);
-        this.client = client;
+        this.client = ClientHelper.clientWithOrigin(client, ClientHelper.ML_ORIGIN);
         this.clusterService = clusterService;
     }
 
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/ml/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ml/job/retention/ExpiredForecastsRemover.java b/x-pack/plugin/ml/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ml/job/retention/ExpiredForecastsRemover.java
index 30c49a834be58..75deb7bf0ae6d 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/ml/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ml/job/retention/ExpiredForecastsRemover.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/ml/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ml/job/retention/ExpiredForecastsRemover.java
@@ -45,6 +45,10 @@
  * Removes up to {@link #MAX_FORECASTS} forecasts (stats + forecasts docs) that have expired.
  * A forecast is deleted if its expiration timestamp is earlier
  * than the start of the current day (local time-zone).
+ *
+ * This is expected to be used by actions requiring admin rights. Thus,
+ * it is also expected that the provided client will be a client with the
+ * ML origin so that permissions to manage ML indices are met.
  */
 public class ExpiredForecastsRemover implements MlDataRemover {
 
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/ml/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ml/job/retention/ExpiredModelSnapshotsRemover.java b/x-pack/plugin/ml/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ml/job/retention/ExpiredModelSnapshotsRemover.java
index 3b1105774ea66..8808ed34277a4 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/ml/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ml/job/retention/ExpiredModelSnapshotsRemover.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/ml/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ml/job/retention/ExpiredModelSnapshotsRemover.java
@@ -34,6 +34,10 @@
  * of their respective job with the exception of the currently used snapshot.
  * A snapshot is deleted if its timestamp is earlier than the start of the
  * current day (local time-zone) minus the retention period.
+ *
+ * This is expected to be used by actions requiring admin rights. Thus,
+ * it is also expected that the provided client will be a client with the
+ * ML origin so that permissions to manage ML indices are met.
  */
 public class ExpiredModelSnapshotsRemover extends AbstractExpiredJobDataRemover {
 
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/ml/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ml/job/retention/ExpiredResultsRemover.java b/x-pack/plugin/ml/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ml/job/retention/ExpiredResultsRemover.java
index 3f0ca4558b570..f59fdddedecdb 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/ml/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ml/job/retention/ExpiredResultsRemover.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/ml/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/ml/job/retention/ExpiredResultsRemover.java
@@ -33,14 +33,15 @@
 import java.time.format.DateTimeFormatter;
 import java.util.Objects;
 
-import static org.elasticsearch.xpack.core.ClientHelper.ML_ORIGIN;
-import static org.elasticsearch.xpack.core.ClientHelper.executeAsyncWithOrigin;
-
 /**
  * Removes all results that have expired the configured retention time
  * of their respective job. A result is deleted if its timestamp is earlier
  * than the start of the current day (local time-zone) minus the retention
  * period.
+ *
+ * This is expected to be used by actions requiring admin rights. Thus,
+ * it is also expected that the provided client will be a client with the
+ * ML origin so that permissions to manage ML indices are met.
  */
 public class ExpiredResultsRemover extends AbstractExpiredJobDataRemover {
 
@@ -65,7 +66,7 @@ protected void removeDataBefore(Job job, long cutoffEpochMs, ActionListener<Bool
         LOGGER.debug("Removing results of job [{}] that have a timestamp before [{}]", job.getId(), cutoffEpochMs);
         DeleteByQueryRequest request = createDBQRequest(job, cutoffEpochMs);
 
-        executeAsyncWithOrigin(client, ML_ORIGIN, DeleteByQueryAction.INSTANCE, request, new ActionListener<BulkByScrollResponse>() {
+        client.execute(DeleteByQueryAction.INSTANCE, request, new ActionListener<BulkByScrollResponse>() {
             @Override
             public void onResponse(BulkByScrollResponse bulkByScrollResponse) {
                 try {