diff --git a/muted-tests.yml b/muted-tests.yml
index d666db6772cda..5e654f26b3c5d 100644
--- a/muted-tests.yml
+++ b/muted-tests.yml
@@ -724,9 +724,6 @@ tests:
 - class: org.elasticsearch.xpack.esql.action.ExternalCsvHivePartitionedIT
   method: testCommaSeparatedResourceFirstFileWinsRoundTrips
   issue: https://github.com/elastic/elasticsearch/issues/154662
-- class: org.elasticsearch.backwards.MixedClusterClientYamlTestSuiteIT
-  method: test {p0=search.vectors/42_knn_search_bbq_flat/Test knn search}
-  issue: https://github.com/elastic/elasticsearch/issues/154705
 - class: org.elasticsearch.packaging.test.ArchiveGenerateInitialCredentialsTests
   method: test40VerifyAutogeneratedCredentials
   issue: https://github.com/elastic/elasticsearch/issues/154510
diff --git a/rest-api-spec/src/yamlRestTest/resources/rest-api-spec/test/search.vectors/180_update_dense_vector_type.yml b/rest-api-spec/src/yamlRestTest/resources/rest-api-spec/test/search.vectors/180_update_dense_vector_type.yml
index 9641e6ba84cd7..909735eb3196d 100644
--- a/rest-api-spec/src/yamlRestTest/resources/rest-api-spec/test/search.vectors/180_update_dense_vector_type.yml
+++ b/rest-api-spec/src/yamlRestTest/resources/rest-api-spec/test/search.vectors/180_update_dense_vector_type.yml
@@ -790,6 +790,10 @@ setup:
         index: test_index
         max_num_segments: 1
 
+  - do:
+      indices.refresh:
+        index: test_index
+
   - do:
       search:
         index: test_index
@@ -937,6 +941,10 @@ setup:
         index: test_index
         max_num_segments: 1
 
+  - do:
+      indices.refresh:
+        index: test_index
+
   - do:
       search:
         index: test_index
diff --git a/rest-api-spec/src/yamlRestTest/resources/rest-api-spec/test/search.vectors/210_knn_search_profile.yml b/rest-api-spec/src/yamlRestTest/resources/rest-api-spec/test/search.vectors/210_knn_search_profile.yml
index be35dcde2eff3..73d4148cd6181 100644
--- a/rest-api-spec/src/yamlRestTest/resources/rest-api-spec/test/search.vectors/210_knn_search_profile.yml
+++ b/rest-api-spec/src/yamlRestTest/resources/rest-api-spec/test/search.vectors/210_knn_search_profile.yml
@@ -85,6 +85,10 @@ setup:
       indices.forcemerge:
         index: bbq_hnsw
         max_num_segments: 1
+
+  - do:
+      indices.refresh:
+        index: bbq_hnsw
 ---
 "Profile rescored knn search":
 
diff --git a/rest-api-spec/src/yamlRestTest/resources/rest-api-spec/test/search.vectors/42_knn_search_bbq_flat.yml b/rest-api-spec/src/yamlRestTest/resources/rest-api-spec/test/search.vectors/42_knn_search_bbq_flat.yml
index df81ec8c8baf3..68fffbdd03dc3 100644
--- a/rest-api-spec/src/yamlRestTest/resources/rest-api-spec/test/search.vectors/42_knn_search_bbq_flat.yml
+++ b/rest-api-spec/src/yamlRestTest/resources/rest-api-spec/test/search.vectors/42_knn_search_bbq_flat.yml
@@ -74,6 +74,9 @@ setup:
       indices.forcemerge:
         index: bbq_flat
         max_num_segments: 1
+
+  - do:
+      indices.refresh: { }
 ---
 "Test knn search":
   - requires:
@@ -461,6 +464,10 @@ setup:
         index: bbq_flat_nested
         max_num_segments: 1
 
+  - do:
+      indices.refresh:
+        index: bbq_flat_nested
+
   - do:
       search:
         index: bbq_flat_nested
diff --git a/rest-api-spec/src/yamlRestTest/resources/rest-api-spec/test/search.vectors/42_knn_search_bbq_flat_bfloat16.yml b/rest-api-spec/src/yamlRestTest/resources/rest-api-spec/test/search.vectors/42_knn_search_bbq_flat_bfloat16.yml
index 64325ab4eea95..f6e95c3391e5c 100644
--- a/rest-api-spec/src/yamlRestTest/resources/rest-api-spec/test/search.vectors/42_knn_search_bbq_flat_bfloat16.yml
+++ b/rest-api-spec/src/yamlRestTest/resources/rest-api-spec/test/search.vectors/42_knn_search_bbq_flat_bfloat16.yml
@@ -78,6 +78,9 @@ setup:
       indices.forcemerge:
         index: bbq_flat
         max_num_segments: 1
+
+  - do:
+      indices.refresh: { }
 ---
 "Test knn search":
   - requires: