diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/search/SearchService.java b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/search/SearchService.java
index b08a127b4a806..07bb92815484a 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/search/SearchService.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/search/SearchService.java
@@ -585,15 +585,24 @@ final SearchContext createAndPutContext(ShardSearchRequest request) throws IOExc
                     " not be allowed in the next major version by default. You can change the  [" +
                     MAX_OPEN_SCROLL_CONTEXT.getKey() + "] setting to use a greater default value or lower the number of" +
                     " scrolls that you need to run in parallel.");
-            } else if (openScrollContexts.get() >= maxOpenScrollContext) {
+            }
+            if (openScrollContexts.incrementAndGet() > maxOpenScrollContext) {
+                openScrollContexts.decrementAndGet();
                 throw new ElasticsearchException(
                     "Trying to create too many scroll contexts. Must be less than or equal to: [" +
                         maxOpenScrollContext + "]. " + "This limit can be set by changing the ["
                         + MAX_OPEN_SCROLL_CONTEXT.getKey() + "] setting.");
             }
         }
-
-        SearchContext context = createContext(request);
+        SearchContext context = null;
+        try {
+            context = createContext(request);
+            context.addReleasable(openScrollContexts::decrementAndGet, Lifetime.CONTEXT);
+        } finally {
+            if (context == null) {
+                openScrollContexts.decrementAndGet();
+            }
+        }
         onNewContext(context);
         boolean success = false;
         try {
@@ -611,7 +620,6 @@ private void onNewContext(SearchContext context) {
         boolean success = false;
         try {
             if (context.scrollContext() != null) {
-                openScrollContexts.incrementAndGet();
                 context.indexShard().getSearchOperationListener().onNewScrollContext(context);
             }
             context.indexShard().getSearchOperationListener().onNewContext(context);
@@ -724,7 +732,6 @@ private void onFreeContext(SearchContext context) {
         assert activeContexts.containsKey(context.id()) == false;
         context.indexShard().getSearchOperationListener().onFreeContext(context);
         if (context.scrollContext() != null) {
-            openScrollContexts.decrementAndGet();
             context.indexShard().getSearchOperationListener().onFreeScrollContext(context);
         }
     }
diff --git a/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/search/SearchServiceTests.java b/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/search/SearchServiceTests.java
index b8052fc621868..a904c67a5c4be 100644
--- a/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/search/SearchServiceTests.java
+++ b/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/search/SearchServiceTests.java
@@ -489,6 +489,52 @@ public void testMaxOpenScrollContexts() throws RuntimeException, IOException {
         }
     }
 
+    public void testOpenScrollContextsConcurrently() throws Exception {
+        final int maxScrollContexts = randomIntBetween(50, 200);
+        assertAcked(client().admin().cluster().prepareUpdateSettings()
+            .setTransientSettings(Settings.builder().put(SearchService.MAX_OPEN_SCROLL_CONTEXT.getKey(), maxScrollContexts)));
+        try {
+            createIndex("index");
+            final IndicesService indicesService = getInstanceFromNode(IndicesService.class);
+            final IndexShard indexShard = indicesService.indexServiceSafe(resolveIndex("index")).getShard(0);
+
+            final SearchService searchService = getInstanceFromNode(SearchService.class);
+            Thread[] threads = new Thread[randomIntBetween(2, 8)];
+            CountDownLatch latch = new CountDownLatch(threads.length);
+            for (int i = 0; i < threads.length; i++) {
+                threads[i] = new Thread(() -> {
+                    latch.countDown();
+                    try {
+                        latch.await();
+                        for (; ; ) {
+                            try {
+                                searchService.createAndPutContext(new ShardScrollRequestTest(indexShard.shardId()));
+                            } catch (ElasticsearchException e) {
+                                assertThat(e.getMessage(), equalTo(
+                                    "Trying to create too many scroll contexts. Must be less than or equal to: " +
+                                        "[" + maxScrollContexts + "]. " +
+                                        "This limit can be set by changing the [search.max_open_scroll_context] setting."));
+                                return;
+                            }
+                        }
+                    } catch (Exception e) {
+                        throw new AssertionError(e);
+                    }
+                });
+                threads[i].setName("elasticsearch[node_s_0][search]");
+                threads[i].start();
+            }
+            for (Thread thread : threads) {
+                thread.join();
+            }
+            assertThat(searchService.getActiveContexts(), equalTo(maxScrollContexts));
+            searchService.freeAllScrollContexts();
+        } finally {
+            assertAcked(client().admin().cluster().prepareUpdateSettings()
+                .setTransientSettings(Settings.builder().putNull(SearchService.MAX_OPEN_SCROLL_CONTEXT.getKey())));
+        }
+    }
+
     public static class FailOnRewriteQueryPlugin extends Plugin implements SearchPlugin {
         @Override
         public List<QuerySpec<?>> getQueries() {