diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/opensearch/index/shard/CheckpointRefreshListener.java b/server/src/main/java/org/opensearch/index/shard/CheckpointRefreshListener.java
index ac6754bf6a74a..96d74bea85920 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/opensearch/index/shard/CheckpointRefreshListener.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/opensearch/index/shard/CheckpointRefreshListener.java
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ public void beforeRefresh() throws IOException {
 
     @Override
     public void afterRefresh(boolean didRefresh) throws IOException {
-        if (didRefresh) {
+        if (didRefresh && shard.getReplicationTracker().isPrimaryMode()) {
             publisher.publish(shard);
         }
     }
diff --git a/server/src/test/java/org/opensearch/index/shard/IndexShardTests.java b/server/src/test/java/org/opensearch/index/shard/IndexShardTests.java
index 57c2289c848ef..a0e84e2b4085a 100644
--- a/server/src/test/java/org/opensearch/index/shard/IndexShardTests.java
+++ b/server/src/test/java/org/opensearch/index/shard/IndexShardTests.java
@@ -206,7 +206,10 @@
 import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.nullValue;
 import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.oneOf;
 import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.sameInstance;
+import static org.mockito.ArgumentMatchers.any;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.mock;
+import static org.mockito.Mockito.times;
+import static org.mockito.Mockito.verify;
 import static org.opensearch.cluster.routing.TestShardRouting.newShardRouting;
 import static org.opensearch.common.lucene.Lucene.cleanLuceneIndex;
 import static org.opensearch.common.xcontent.ToXContent.EMPTY_PARAMS;
@@ -728,9 +731,9 @@ public void testOperationPermitsOnPrimaryShards() throws Exception {
             final long newPrimaryTerm = indexShard.getPendingPrimaryTerm() + between(1, 1000);
             CountDownLatch latch = new CountDownLatch(1);
             indexShard.updateShardState(primaryRouting, newPrimaryTerm, (shard, listener) -> {
-                assertThat(TestTranslog.getCurrentTerm(getTranslog(indexShard)), equalTo(newPrimaryTerm));
-                latch.countDown();
-            },
+                    assertThat(TestTranslog.getCurrentTerm(getTranslog(indexShard)), equalTo(newPrimaryTerm));
+                    latch.countDown();
+                },
                 0L,
                 Collections.singleton(indexShard.routingEntry().allocationId().getId()),
                 new IndexShardRoutingTable.Builder(indexShard.shardId()).addShard(primaryRouting).build()
@@ -3522,7 +3525,43 @@ public void testCheckpointRefreshListenerWithNull() throws IOException {
     }
 
     /**
-     * creates a new initializing shard. The shard will will be put in its proper path under the
+     * here we are starting a new primary shard in PrimaryMode and testing if the shard publishes checkpoint after refresh.
+     */
+    public void testPublishCheckpointOnPrimaryMode() throws IOException {
+        final SegmentReplicationCheckpointPublisher mock = mock(SegmentReplicationCheckpointPublisher.class);
+        IndexShard shard = newStartedShard(p -> newShard(mock), true);
+        CheckpointRefreshListener refreshListener = new CheckpointRefreshListener(shard, mock);
+        refreshListener.afterRefresh(true);
+
+        // verify checkpoint is published
+        verify(mock, times(1)).publish(any());
+        closeShards(shard);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * here we are starting a new primary shard in PrimaryMode intially and starting relocation handoff. Later we complete relocation handoff then shard is no longer
+     * in PrimaryMode, and we test if the shard does not publish checkpoint after refresh.
+     */
+    public void testPublishCheckpointAfterRelocationHandOff() throws IOException {
+        final SegmentReplicationCheckpointPublisher mock = mock(SegmentReplicationCheckpointPublisher.class);
+        IndexShard shard = newStartedShard(p -> newShard(mock), true);
+        CheckpointRefreshListener refreshListener = new CheckpointRefreshListener(shard, mock);
+        String id = shard.routingEntry().allocationId().getId();
+
+        // Starting relocation handoff
+        shard.getReplicationTracker().startRelocationHandoff(id);
+
+        // Completing relocation handoff
+        shard.getReplicationTracker().completeRelocationHandoff();
+        refreshListener.afterRefresh(true);
+
+        // verify checkpoint is not published
+        verify(mock, times(0)).publish(any());
+        closeShards(shard);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * creates a new initializing shard. The shard will be put in its proper path under the
      * current node id the shard is assigned to.
      * @param checkpointPublisher               Segment Replication Checkpoint Publisher to publish checkpoint
      */