diff --git a/server/src/internalClusterTest/java/org/opensearch/indices/replication/SegmentReplicationIT.java b/server/src/internalClusterTest/java/org/opensearch/indices/replication/SegmentReplicationIT.java
index b08c47ec991d8..54bd9d7d0b444 100644
--- a/server/src/internalClusterTest/java/org/opensearch/indices/replication/SegmentReplicationIT.java
+++ b/server/src/internalClusterTest/java/org/opensearch/indices/replication/SegmentReplicationIT.java
@@ -502,7 +502,6 @@ public void testCancellation() throws Exception {
         assertDocCounts(docCount, primaryNode);
     }
 
-    @AwaitsFix(bugUrl = "https://github.com/opensearch-project/OpenSearch/issues/5669")
     public void testStartReplicaAfterPrimaryIndexesDocs() throws Exception {
         final String primaryNode = internalCluster().startNode(featureFlagSettings());
         createIndex(INDEX_NAME, Settings.builder().put(indexSettings()).put(IndexMetadata.SETTING_NUMBER_OF_REPLICAS, 0).build());
diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/opensearch/index/shard/IndexShard.java b/server/src/main/java/org/opensearch/index/shard/IndexShard.java
index ed27ad7edd7d2..f1e1b67f02e10 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/opensearch/index/shard/IndexShard.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/opensearch/index/shard/IndexShard.java
@@ -73,6 +73,7 @@
 import org.opensearch.cluster.routing.RecoverySource;
 import org.opensearch.cluster.routing.RecoverySource.SnapshotRecoverySource;
 import org.opensearch.cluster.routing.ShardRouting;
+import org.opensearch.cluster.routing.ShardRoutingState;
 import org.opensearch.common.Booleans;
 import org.opensearch.common.CheckedConsumer;
 import org.opensearch.common.CheckedFunction;
@@ -1438,15 +1439,13 @@ public ReplicationCheckpoint getLatestReplicationCheckpoint() {
         }
     }
 
+
     /**
-     * Checks if checkpoint should be processed
-     *
-     * @param requestCheckpoint       received checkpoint that is checked for processing
-     * @return true if checkpoint should be processed
+     * Checks if this shard is able to perform segment replication.
+     * @return - True if the shard is able to perform segment replication.
      */
-    public final boolean shouldProcessCheckpoint(ReplicationCheckpoint requestCheckpoint) {
-        if (state().equals(IndexShardState.STARTED) == false) {
-            logger.trace(() -> new ParameterizedMessage("Ignoring new replication checkpoint - shard is not started {}", state()));
+    public boolean isSegmentReplicationAllowed() {
+        if (indexSettings.isSegRepEnabled() == false) {
             return false;
         }
         if (getReplicationTracker().isPrimaryMode()) {
@@ -1457,6 +1456,27 @@ public final boolean shouldProcessCheckpoint(ReplicationCheckpoint requestCheckp
             logger.warn("Ignoring new replication checkpoint - primary shard cannot receive any checkpoints.");
             return false;
         }
+        if (state().equals(IndexShardState.STARTED) == false && (state() == IndexShardState.POST_RECOVERY && shardRouting.state() == ShardRoutingState.INITIALIZING) == false) {
+            logger.warn(() -> new ParameterizedMessage("Ignoring new replication checkpoint - shard is not started or recovering {} {}", state(), shardRouting.state()));
+            return false;
+        }
+        if (getReplicationEngine().isEmpty()) {
+            logger.warn(() -> new ParameterizedMessage("Ignoring checkpoint, attempting to perform segrep with wrong engine type {}", getEngine().getClass()));
+            return false;
+        }
+        return true;
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Checks if checkpoint should be processed
+     *
+     * @param requestCheckpoint       received checkpoint that is checked for processing
+     * @return true if checkpoint should be processed
+     */
+    public final boolean shouldProcessCheckpoint(ReplicationCheckpoint requestCheckpoint) {
+        if (isSegmentReplicationAllowed() == false) {
+            return false;
+        }
         ReplicationCheckpoint localCheckpoint = getLatestReplicationCheckpoint();
         if (localCheckpoint.isAheadOf(requestCheckpoint)) {
             logger.trace(
diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/opensearch/indices/cluster/IndicesClusterStateService.java b/server/src/main/java/org/opensearch/indices/cluster/IndicesClusterStateService.java
index 83f4e0c7cbed9..e8adcbdc1c89a 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/opensearch/indices/cluster/IndicesClusterStateService.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/opensearch/indices/cluster/IndicesClusterStateService.java
@@ -47,7 +47,6 @@
 import org.opensearch.cluster.node.DiscoveryNode;
 import org.opensearch.cluster.node.DiscoveryNodes;
 import org.opensearch.cluster.routing.ShardRouting;
-import org.opensearch.cluster.routing.ShardRoutingState;
 import org.opensearch.cluster.routing.RoutingTable;
 import org.opensearch.cluster.routing.IndexShardRoutingTable;
 import org.opensearch.cluster.routing.RoutingNode;
@@ -811,11 +810,7 @@ private void forceSegmentReplication(
         StepListener<Void> forceSegRepListener
     ) {
         IndexShard indexShard = (IndexShard) indexService.getShardOrNull(shardRouting.id());
-        if (indexShard != null
-            && indexShard.indexSettings().isSegRepEnabled()
-            && shardRouting.primary() == false
-            && shardRouting.state() == ShardRoutingState.INITIALIZING
-            && indexShard.state() == IndexShardState.POST_RECOVERY) {
+        if (indexShard != null && indexShard.isSegmentReplicationAllowed()) {
             segmentReplicationTargetService.startReplication(
                 ReplicationCheckpoint.empty(shardRouting.shardId()),
                 indexShard,
diff --git a/server/src/test/java/org/opensearch/index/shard/SegmentReplicationIndexShardTests.java b/server/src/test/java/org/opensearch/index/shard/SegmentReplicationIndexShardTests.java
index a5c514c9bb4c7..5a0ae7fbc466f 100644
--- a/server/src/test/java/org/opensearch/index/shard/SegmentReplicationIndexShardTests.java
+++ b/server/src/test/java/org/opensearch/index/shard/SegmentReplicationIndexShardTests.java
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 import org.opensearch.index.IndexSettings;
 import org.opensearch.index.engine.DocIdSeqNoAndSource;
 import org.opensearch.index.engine.InternalEngine;
+import org.opensearch.index.engine.InternalEngineFactory;
 import org.opensearch.index.engine.NRTReplicationEngine;
 import org.opensearch.index.engine.NRTReplicationEngineFactory;
 import org.opensearch.index.mapper.MapperService;
@@ -90,6 +91,12 @@ public void testReplicationCheckpointNotNullForSegRep() throws IOException {
         closeShards(indexShard);
     }
 
+    public void testIsSegmentReplicationAllowed_WrongEngineType() throws IOException {
+        final IndexShard indexShard = newStartedShard(false, settings, new InternalEngineFactory());
+        assertFalse(indexShard.isSegmentReplicationAllowed());
+        closeShards(indexShard);
+    }
+
     public void testSegmentReplication_Index_Update_Delete() throws Exception {
         String mappings = "{ \"" + MapperService.SINGLE_MAPPING_NAME + "\": { \"properties\": { \"foo\": { \"type\": \"keyword\"} }}}";
         try (ReplicationGroup shards = createGroup(2, settings, mappings, new NRTReplicationEngineFactory())) {