diff --git a/elx-common/src/main/java/org/xbib/elx/common/AbstractAdminClient.java b/elx-common/src/main/java/org/xbib/elx/common/AbstractAdminClient.java
index 203fdb2..8ad0db5 100644
--- a/elx-common/src/main/java/org/xbib/elx/common/AbstractAdminClient.java
+++ b/elx-common/src/main/java/org/xbib/elx/common/AbstractAdminClient.java
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractAdminClient extends AbstractBasicClient implements
         }
         DeleteIndexRequest deleteIndexRequest = new DeleteIndexRequest().indices(index);
         client.execute(DeleteIndexAction.INSTANCE, deleteIndexRequest).actionGet();
-        waitForCluster("YELLOW", 30L, TimeUnit.SECONDS);
+        waitForCluster("GREEN", 30L, TimeUnit.MINUTES);
         return this;
     }
 
@@ -229,7 +229,6 @@ public abstract class AbstractAdminClient extends AbstractBasicClient implements
         if (index.equals(fullIndexName)) {
             return new EmptyIndexShiftResult(); // nothing to shift to
         }
-        waitForCluster("YELLOW", 30L, TimeUnit.SECONDS);
         // two situations: 1. a new alias 2. there is already an old index with the alias
         Optional<String> oldIndex = resolveAlias(index).stream().sorted().findFirst();
         Map<String, String> oldAliasMap = oldIndex.map(this::getAliases).orElse(null);
@@ -410,7 +409,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractAdminClient extends AbstractBasicClient implements
         if (forceMergeResponse.getFailedShards() > 0) {
             throw new IllegalStateException("failed shards after force merge: " + forceMergeResponse.getFailedShards());
         }
-        waitForCluster("GREEN", 300L, TimeUnit.SECONDS);
+        waitForCluster("GREEN", 30L, TimeUnit.MINUTES);
         return true;
     }
 
@@ -422,7 +421,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractAdminClient extends AbstractBasicClient implements
         UpdateSettingsRequest updateSettingsRequest = new UpdateSettingsRequest(index)
                 .settings(updateSettingsBuilder).timeout(toTimeValue(timeout, timeUnit));
         client.execute(UpdateSettingsAction.INSTANCE, updateSettingsRequest).actionGet();
-        waitForCluster("GREEN", 300L, TimeUnit.SECONDS);
+        waitForCluster("GREEN", 30L, TimeUnit.MINUTES);
     }
 
     @Override
diff --git a/elx-common/src/main/java/org/xbib/elx/common/AbstractBulkClient.java b/elx-common/src/main/java/org/xbib/elx/common/AbstractBulkClient.java
index 55ad8f8..14c6ffc 100644
--- a/elx-common/src/main/java/org/xbib/elx/common/AbstractBulkClient.java
+++ b/elx-common/src/main/java/org/xbib/elx/common/AbstractBulkClient.java
@@ -114,8 +114,7 @@ public abstract class AbstractBulkClient extends AbstractBasicClient implements
             logger.warn("index creation of {} not acknowledged", index);
             return;
         }
-        // we really need state GREEN. If yellow, we may trigger shard write errors and queue will exceed quickly.
-        waitForCluster("GREEN", 300L, TimeUnit.SECONDS);
+        waitForCluster("GREEN", 30L, TimeUnit.MINUTES);
     }
 
     @Override
diff --git a/gradle.properties b/gradle.properties
index d58c194..78d430f 100644
--- a/gradle.properties
+++ b/gradle.properties
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 group = org.xbib
 name = elx
-version = 2.2.1.43
+version = 2.2.1.44
 
 gradle.wrapper.version = 6.6.1
 xbib-metrics.version = 2.1.0