diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/opensearch/cluster/metadata/IndexMetadata.java b/server/src/main/java/org/opensearch/cluster/metadata/IndexMetadata.java
index f41e81177d06d..39a470a205511 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/opensearch/cluster/metadata/IndexMetadata.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/opensearch/cluster/metadata/IndexMetadata.java
@@ -582,7 +582,9 @@ public static APIBlock readFrom(StreamInput input) throws IOException {
     public static final Setting<Long> SETTING_INDEX_CREATION_DATE = Setting.longSetting(
         SETTING_CREATION_DATE,
         -1L,
+        -1L,
         Property.IndexScope,
+        Property.NodeScope,
         Property.UnmodifiableOnRestore
     );
     /**
diff --git a/server/src/test/java/org/opensearch/index/IndexSettingsTests.java b/server/src/test/java/org/opensearch/index/IndexSettingsTests.java
index 474ec73d5fe61..cbc9d8856a27e 100644
--- a/server/src/test/java/org/opensearch/index/IndexSettingsTests.java
+++ b/server/src/test/java/org/opensearch/index/IndexSettingsTests.java
@@ -608,7 +608,7 @@ public void testTranslogGenerationSizeThreshold() {
     }
 
     public void testPrivateSettingsValidation() {
-        final Settings settings = Settings.builder().put(IndexMetadata.SETTING_CREATION_DATE, System.currentTimeMillis()).build();
+        final Settings settings = Settings.builder().put(IndexMetadata.SETTING_VERSION_UPGRADED, Version.V_EMPTY).build();
         final IndexScopedSettings indexScopedSettings = new IndexScopedSettings(settings, IndexScopedSettings.BUILT_IN_INDEX_SETTINGS);
 
         {
@@ -617,7 +617,7 @@ public void testPrivateSettingsValidation() {
                 SettingsException.class,
                 () -> indexScopedSettings.validate(settings, randomBoolean())
             );
-            assertThat(e, hasToString(containsString("unknown setting [index.creation_date]")));
+            assertThat(e, hasToString(containsString("unknown setting [index.version.upgraded]")));
         }
 
         {
@@ -626,7 +626,7 @@ public void testPrivateSettingsValidation() {
                 SettingsException.class,
                 () -> indexScopedSettings.validate(settings, randomBoolean(), false, randomBoolean())
             );
-            assertThat(e, hasToString(containsString("unknown setting [index.creation_date]")));
+            assertThat(e, hasToString(containsString("unknown setting [index.version.upgraded]")));
         }
 
         // nothing should happen since we are ignoring private settings
diff --git a/test/framework/src/main/java/org/opensearch/test/InternalSettingsPlugin.java b/test/framework/src/main/java/org/opensearch/test/InternalSettingsPlugin.java
index 986cfd9c5b613..96919f65f88fc 100644
--- a/test/framework/src/main/java/org/opensearch/test/InternalSettingsPlugin.java
+++ b/test/framework/src/main/java/org/opensearch/test/InternalSettingsPlugin.java
@@ -31,7 +31,6 @@
 
 package org.opensearch.test;
 
-import org.opensearch.cluster.metadata.IndexMetadata;
 import org.opensearch.common.settings.Setting;
 import org.opensearch.common.settings.Setting.Property;
 import org.opensearch.common.unit.TimeValue;
@@ -59,13 +58,6 @@ public final class InternalSettingsPlugin extends Plugin {
         Property.IndexScope,
         Property.NodeScope
     );
-    public static final Setting<Long> INDEX_CREATION_DATE_SETTING = Setting.longSetting(
-        IndexMetadata.SETTING_CREATION_DATE,
-        -1,
-        -1,
-        Property.IndexScope,
-        Property.NodeScope
-    );
     public static final Setting<TimeValue> TRANSLOG_RETENTION_CHECK_INTERVAL_SETTING = Setting.timeSetting(
         "index.translog.retention.check_interval",
         new TimeValue(10, TimeUnit.MINUTES),
@@ -78,7 +70,6 @@ public final class InternalSettingsPlugin extends Plugin {
     public List<Setting<?>> getSettings() {
         return Arrays.asList(
             MERGE_ENABLED,
-            INDEX_CREATION_DATE_SETTING,
             PROVIDED_NAME_SETTING,
             TRANSLOG_RETENTION_CHECK_INTERVAL_SETTING,
             RemoteConnectionStrategy.REMOTE_MAX_PENDING_CONNECTION_LISTENERS,