diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/AbstractSearchAsyncAction.java b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/AbstractSearchAsyncAction.java
index 22da82dfeb681..8caf615dc1d07 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/AbstractSearchAsyncAction.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/AbstractSearchAsyncAction.java
@@ -116,8 +116,8 @@ abstract class AbstractSearchAsyncAction<Result extends SearchPhaseResult> exten
                 iterators.add(iterator);
             }
         }
-        this.toSkipShardsIts = new GroupShardsIterator<>(toSkipIterators, false);
-        this.shardsIts = new GroupShardsIterator<>(iterators, false);
+        this.toSkipShardsIts = new GroupShardsIterator<>(toSkipIterators);
+        this.shardsIts = new GroupShardsIterator<>(iterators);
         // we need to add 1 for non active partition, since we count it in the total. This means for each shard in the iterator we sum up
         // it's number of active shards but use 1 as the default if no replica of a shard is active at this point.
         // on a per shards level we use shardIt.remaining() to increment the totalOps pointer but add 1 for the current shard result
diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/CanMatchPreFilterSearchPhase.java b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/CanMatchPreFilterSearchPhase.java
index aba32d2c850a0..59debedbcf8d0 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/CanMatchPreFilterSearchPhase.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/CanMatchPreFilterSearchPhase.java
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ private GroupShardsIterator<SearchShardIterator> getIterator(CanMatchSearchPhase
             return shardsIts;
         }
         FieldSortBuilder fieldSort = FieldSortBuilder.getPrimaryFieldSortOrNull(source);
-        return new GroupShardsIterator<>(sortShards(shardsIts, results.minAndMaxes, fieldSort.order()), false);
+        return new GroupShardsIterator<>(sortShards(shardsIts, results.minAndMaxes, fieldSort.order()));
     }
 
     private static List<SearchShardIterator> sortShards(GroupShardsIterator<SearchShardIterator> shardsIts,
@@ -122,7 +122,7 @@ private static List<SearchShardIterator> sortShards(GroupShardsIterator<SearchSh
         return IntStream.range(0, shardsIts.size())
             .boxed()
             .sorted(shardComparator(shardsIts, minAndMaxes,  order))
-            .map(ord -> shardsIts.get(ord))
+            .map(shardsIts::get)
             .collect(Collectors.toList());
     }
 
diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/TransportSearchAction.java b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/TransportSearchAction.java
index 24f0e04371588..2f7e8e338ea24 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/TransportSearchAction.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/TransportSearchAction.java
@@ -553,10 +553,10 @@ static GroupShardsIterator<SearchShardIterator> mergeShardsIterators(GroupShards
         for (ShardIterator shardIterator : localShardsIterator) {
             shards.add(new SearchShardIterator(localClusterAlias, shardIterator.shardId(), shardIterator.getShardRoutings(), localIndices));
         }
-        return new GroupShardsIterator<>(shards);
+        return GroupShardsIterator.sortAndCreate(shards);
     }
 
-    private AbstractSearchAsyncAction searchAsyncAction(SearchTask task, SearchRequest searchRequest,
+    private AbstractSearchAsyncAction<? extends SearchPhaseResult> searchAsyncAction(SearchTask task, SearchRequest searchRequest,
                                                         GroupShardsIterator<SearchShardIterator> shardIterators,
                                                         SearchTimeProvider timeProvider,
                                                         BiFunction<String, String, Transport.Connection> connectionLookup,
@@ -572,8 +572,19 @@ private AbstractSearchAsyncAction searchAsyncAction(SearchTask task, SearchReque
             return new CanMatchPreFilterSearchPhase(logger, searchTransportService, connectionLookup,
                 aliasFilter, concreteIndexBoosts, indexRoutings, executor, searchRequest, listener, shardIterators,
                 timeProvider, clusterStateVersion, task, (iter) -> {
-                AbstractSearchAsyncAction action = searchAsyncAction(task, searchRequest, iter, timeProvider, connectionLookup,
-                    clusterStateVersion, aliasFilter, concreteIndexBoosts, indexRoutings, listener, false, clusters);
+                AbstractSearchAsyncAction<? extends SearchPhaseResult> action = searchAsyncAction(
+                    task,
+                    searchRequest,
+                    iter,
+                    timeProvider,
+                    connectionLookup,
+                    clusterStateVersion,
+                    aliasFilter,
+                    concreteIndexBoosts,
+                    indexRoutings,
+                    listener,
+                    false,
+                    clusters);
                 return new SearchPhase(action.getName()) {
                     @Override
                     public void run() {
diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/routing/GroupShardsIterator.java b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/routing/GroupShardsIterator.java
index a9904c96d020f..1cb105ac775e3 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/routing/GroupShardsIterator.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/routing/GroupShardsIterator.java
@@ -35,19 +35,19 @@ public final class GroupShardsIterator<ShardIt extends ShardIterator> implements
     private final List<ShardIt> iterators;
 
     /**
-     * Constructs a enw GroupShardsIterator from the given list.
+     * Constructs a new sorted GroupShardsIterator from the given list. Items are sorted based on their natural ordering.
+     * @see PlainShardIterator#compareTo(ShardIterator)
+     * @see org.elasticsearch.action.search.SearchShardIterator#compareTo(ShardIterator)
      */
-    public GroupShardsIterator(List<ShardIt> iterators) {
-        this(iterators, true);
+    public static <ShardIt extends ShardIterator> GroupShardsIterator<ShardIt> sortAndCreate(List<ShardIt> iterators) {
+        CollectionUtil.timSort(iterators);
+        return new GroupShardsIterator<>(iterators);
     }
 
     /**
      * Constructs a new GroupShardsIterator from the given list.
      */
-    public GroupShardsIterator(List<ShardIt> iterators, boolean useSort) {
-        if (useSort) {
-            CollectionUtil.timSort(iterators);
-        }
+    public GroupShardsIterator(List<ShardIt> iterators) {
         this.iterators = iterators;
     }
 
diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/routing/OperationRouting.java b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/routing/OperationRouting.java
index 6d9397db3b377..bc5d51b918796 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/routing/OperationRouting.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/routing/OperationRouting.java
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ public GroupShardsIterator<ShardIterator> searchShards(ClusterState clusterState
                 set.add(iterator);
             }
         }
-        return new GroupShardsIterator<>(new ArrayList<>(set));
+        return GroupShardsIterator.sortAndCreate(new ArrayList<>(set));
     }
 
     private static final Map<String, Set<String>> EMPTY_ROUTING = Collections.emptyMap();
diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/routing/RoutingTable.java b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/routing/RoutingTable.java
index b595efb3a5b4b..f54e31292d6aa 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/routing/RoutingTable.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/routing/RoutingTable.java
@@ -260,7 +260,7 @@ private GroupShardsIterator<ShardIterator> allSatisfyingPredicateShardsGrouped(S
                 }
             }
         }
-        return new GroupShardsIterator<>(set);
+        return GroupShardsIterator.sortAndCreate(set);
     }
 
     public ShardsIterator allShards(String[] indices) {
@@ -321,7 +321,7 @@ public GroupShardsIterator<ShardIterator> activePrimaryShardsGrouped(String[] in
                 }
             }
         }
-        return new GroupShardsIterator<>(set);
+        return GroupShardsIterator.sortAndCreate(set);
     }
 
     @Override
diff --git a/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/routing/GroupShardsIteratorTests.java b/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/routing/GroupShardsIteratorTests.java
index f7fe59e501b33..45c57a0cdce84 100644
--- a/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/routing/GroupShardsIteratorTests.java
+++ b/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/routing/GroupShardsIteratorTests.java
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ public void testSize() {
             ShardId shardId = new ShardId(index, 1);
             list.add(new PlainShardIterator(shardId, randomShardRoutings(shardId, 0)));
         }
-        GroupShardsIterator iter = new GroupShardsIterator<>(list);
+        GroupShardsIterator<ShardIterator> iter = new GroupShardsIterator<>(list);
         assertEquals(7, iter.totalSizeWith1ForEmpty());
         assertEquals(5, iter.size());
         assertEquals(6, iter.totalSize());
@@ -106,13 +106,24 @@ public void testIterate() {
         }
 
         Collections.shuffle(list, random());
-        List<ShardIterator> actualIterators = new ArrayList<>();
-        GroupShardsIterator<ShardIterator> iter = new GroupShardsIterator<>(list);
-        for (ShardIterator shardsIterator : iter) {
-            actualIterators.add(shardsIterator);
+        {
+            GroupShardsIterator<ShardIterator> unsorted = new GroupShardsIterator<>(list);
+            GroupShardsIterator<ShardIterator> iter = new GroupShardsIterator<>(list);
+            List<ShardIterator> actualIterators = new ArrayList<>();
+            for (ShardIterator shardsIterator : iter) {
+                actualIterators.add(shardsIterator);
+            }
+            assertEquals(actualIterators, list);
+        }
+        {
+            GroupShardsIterator<ShardIterator> iter = GroupShardsIterator.sortAndCreate(list);
+            List<ShardIterator> actualIterators = new ArrayList<>();
+            for (ShardIterator shardsIterator : iter) {
+                actualIterators.add(shardsIterator);
+            }
+            CollectionUtil.timSort(actualIterators);
+            assertEquals(actualIterators, list);
         }
-        CollectionUtil.timSort(actualIterators);
-        assertEquals(actualIterators, list);
     }
 
     public void testOrderingWithSearchShardIterators() {
@@ -123,7 +134,7 @@ public void testOrderingWithSearchShardIterators() {
         String[] clusters = generateRandomStringArray(5, 10, false, false);
         Arrays.sort(clusters);
 
-        List<SearchShardIterator> expected = new ArrayList<>();
+        List<SearchShardIterator> sorted = new ArrayList<>();
         int numShards = randomIntBetween(1, 10);
         for (int i = 0; i < numShards; i++) {
             for (String index : indices) {
@@ -131,23 +142,33 @@ public void testOrderingWithSearchShardIterators() {
                     ShardId shardId = new ShardId(index, uuid, i);
                     SearchShardIterator shardIterator = new SearchShardIterator(null, shardId,
                         GroupShardsIteratorTests.randomShardRoutings(shardId), OriginalIndicesTests.randomOriginalIndices());
-                    expected.add(shardIterator);
+                    sorted.add(shardIterator);
                     for (String cluster : clusters) {
                         SearchShardIterator remoteIterator = new SearchShardIterator(cluster, shardId,
                             GroupShardsIteratorTests.randomShardRoutings(shardId), OriginalIndicesTests.randomOriginalIndices());
-                        expected.add(remoteIterator);
+                        sorted.add(remoteIterator);
                     }
                 }
             }
         }
 
-        List<SearchShardIterator> shuffled = new ArrayList<>(expected);
+        List<SearchShardIterator> shuffled = new ArrayList<>(sorted);
         Collections.shuffle(shuffled, random());
-        List<ShardIterator> actualIterators = new ArrayList<>();
-        GroupShardsIterator<SearchShardIterator> iter = new GroupShardsIterator<>(shuffled);
-        for (SearchShardIterator searchShardIterator : iter) {
-            actualIterators.add(searchShardIterator);
+        {
+            List<ShardIterator> actualIterators = new ArrayList<>();
+            GroupShardsIterator<SearchShardIterator> iter = new GroupShardsIterator<>(shuffled);
+            for (SearchShardIterator searchShardIterator : iter) {
+                actualIterators.add(searchShardIterator);
+            }
+            assertEquals(shuffled, actualIterators);
+        }
+        {
+            List<ShardIterator> actualIterators = new ArrayList<>();
+            GroupShardsIterator<SearchShardIterator> iter = GroupShardsIterator.sortAndCreate(shuffled);
+            for (SearchShardIterator searchShardIterator : iter) {
+                actualIterators.add(searchShardIterator);
+            }
+            assertEquals(sorted, actualIterators);
         }
-        assertEquals(expected, actualIterators);
     }
 }