diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 5efcfee3d9d9d..752904341f2e8 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ The format is based on [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.0.0/),
 - Enabled mockTelemetryPlugin for IT and fixed OOM issues ([#13054](https://github.com/opensearch-project/OpenSearch/pull/13054))
 - Fix implement mark() and markSupported() in class FilterStreamInput ([#13098](https://github.com/opensearch-project/OpenSearch/pull/13098))
 - Fix snapshot _status API to return correct status for partial snapshots ([#12812](https://github.com/opensearch-project/OpenSearch/pull/12812))
+- Improve error messages for _stats with closed indices ([#13012](https://github.com/opensearch-project/OpenSearch/pull/13012))
 
 ### Security
 
diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/opensearch/cluster/metadata/IndexNameExpressionResolver.java b/server/src/main/java/org/opensearch/cluster/metadata/IndexNameExpressionResolver.java
index 9a3b569a7ac3d..5d0373f0b997d 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/opensearch/cluster/metadata/IndexNameExpressionResolver.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/opensearch/cluster/metadata/IndexNameExpressionResolver.java
@@ -380,7 +380,13 @@ private void checkSystemIndexAccess(Context context, Metadata metadata, Set<Inde
     private static boolean shouldTrackConcreteIndex(Context context, IndicesOptions options, IndexMetadata index) {
         if (index.getState() == IndexMetadata.State.CLOSE) {
             if (options.forbidClosedIndices() && options.ignoreUnavailable() == false) {
-                throw new IndexClosedException(index.getIndex());
+                if (options.expandWildcardsClosed() == true) {
+                    throw new IllegalArgumentException(
+                        "To expand [" + index.getState() + "] wildcard, please set forbid_closed_indices to `false`"
+                    );
+                } else {
+                    throw new IndexClosedException(index.getIndex());
+                }
             } else {
                 return options.forbidClosedIndices() == false && addIndex(index, context);
             }
diff --git a/server/src/test/java/org/opensearch/cluster/metadata/IndexNameExpressionResolverTests.java b/server/src/test/java/org/opensearch/cluster/metadata/IndexNameExpressionResolverTests.java
index 51696ca599d02..fda2f411b1994 100644
--- a/server/src/test/java/org/opensearch/cluster/metadata/IndexNameExpressionResolverTests.java
+++ b/server/src/test/java/org/opensearch/cluster/metadata/IndexNameExpressionResolverTests.java
@@ -352,6 +352,25 @@ public void testIndexOptionsWildcardExpansion() {
         assertEquals(1, results.length);
         assertThat(results, arrayContainingInAnyOrder(".hidden-closed"));
 
+        options = IndicesOptions.fromOptions(false, true, false, true, false, false, false, false);
+        context = new IndexNameExpressionResolver.Context(state, options, false);
+
+        results = indexNameExpressionResolver.concreteIndexNames(context, "foo*");
+        assertEquals(1, results.length);
+        assertEquals("foo", results[0]);
+
+        try {
+            options = IndicesOptions.fromOptions(false, true, false, true, false, true, false, false);
+            context = new IndexNameExpressionResolver.Context(state, options, false);
+
+            results = indexNameExpressionResolver.concreteIndexNames(context, "foo*");
+            assertEquals(1, results.length);
+            assertEquals("foo", results[0]);
+        } catch (IllegalArgumentException iae) {
+            String expectedMessage = "To expand [CLOSE] wildcard, please set forbid_closed_indices to `false`";
+            assertEquals(expectedMessage, iae.getMessage());
+        }
+
         // Only open
         options = IndicesOptions.fromOptions(false, true, true, false, false);
         context = new IndexNameExpressionResolver.Context(state, options, false);