diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/blob-cache/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/blobcache/shared/SharedBlobCacheService.java b/x-pack/plugin/blob-cache/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/blobcache/shared/SharedBlobCacheService.java
index 847779c9066c4..695e96850e8e1 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/blob-cache/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/blobcache/shared/SharedBlobCacheService.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/blob-cache/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/blobcache/shared/SharedBlobCacheService.java
@@ -681,7 +681,7 @@ void populateAndRead(
                 final List<SparseFileTracker.Gap> gaps = tracker.waitForRange(
                     rangeToWrite,
                     rangeToRead,
-                    ActionListener.runBefore(listener, resource::close).delegateFailureAndWrap((l, success) -> {
+                    ActionListener.runAfter(listener, resource::close).delegateFailureAndWrap((l, success) -> {
                         var ioRef = io;
                         assert regionOwners.get(ioRef) == this;
                         final int start = Math.toIntExact(rangeToRead.start());