diff --git a/openmetadata-service/src/main/java/org/openmetadata/service/search/DefaultRecreateHandler.java b/openmetadata-service/src/main/java/org/openmetadata/service/search/DefaultRecreateHandler.java
index eb80fbcca6a1..f0660a4e3e59 100644
--- a/openmetadata-service/src/main/java/org/openmetadata/service/search/DefaultRecreateHandler.java
+++ b/openmetadata-service/src/main/java/org/openmetadata/service/search/DefaultRecreateHandler.java
@@ -43,6 +43,8 @@ public class DefaultRecreateHandler implements RecreateIndexHandler {
   private static final String TRANSLOG = "translog";
   private static final String DURABILITY = "durability";
   private static final String SYNC_INTERVAL = "sync_interval";
+  private static final String REFRESH_DISABLED = "-1";
+  private static final String DEFAULT_LIVE_REFRESH_INTERVAL = "1s";
 
   private EventPublisherJob jobData;
 
@@ -676,13 +678,33 @@ static String buildRevertJson(IndexSettings live, BulkIndexOverrides bulk) {
   }
 
   private static String pickRefreshInterval(IndexSettings live, BulkIndexOverrides bulk) {
+    String refreshInterval = null;
     if (live != null && live.getRefreshInterval() != null) {
-      return live.getRefreshInterval();
+      refreshInterval = live.getRefreshInterval();
+    } else if (bulk != null && bulk.getRefreshInterval() != null) {
+      refreshInterval = DEFAULT_LIVE_REFRESH_INTERVAL; // bulk disabled refresh; restore default
     }
-    if (bulk != null && bulk.getRefreshInterval() != null) {
-      return "1s"; // bulk disabled refresh; restore near-real-time default
-    }
-    return null;
+    if (isRefreshDisabled(refreshInterval)) {
+      LOG.warn(
+          "Configured live refresh_interval '{}' disables refresh and would leave the promoted "
+              + "index unsearchable until a manual _refresh. Overriding to '{}' so documents stay "
+              + "searchable after promotion.",
+          refreshInterval,
+          DEFAULT_LIVE_REFRESH_INTERVAL);
+      refreshInterval = DEFAULT_LIVE_REFRESH_INTERVAL;
+    }
+    return refreshInterval;
+  }
+
+  /**
+   * A {@code refresh_interval} of {@code -1} disables refresh entirely. That is correct for a
+   * staged index nothing reads from, but as a <em>live</em> serving value it leaves newly indexed
+   * documents invisible to search until a manual {@code _refresh} — the "reindex finishes but the
+   * page is empty" symptom. The live-revert must never apply it, regardless of what the admin
+   * configured on {@code liveIndexSettings} or what fell back from the bulk overrides.
+   */
+  private static boolean isRefreshDisabled(String refreshInterval) {
+    return refreshInterval != null && REFRESH_DISABLED.equals(refreshInterval.trim());
   }
 
   private static Integer pickReplicas(IndexSettings live, BulkIndexOverrides bulk) {
diff --git a/openmetadata-service/src/test/java/org/openmetadata/service/search/DefaultRecreateHandlerTest.java b/openmetadata-service/src/test/java/org/openmetadata/service/search/DefaultRecreateHandlerTest.java
index d2ca488fb468..e356d5770f38 100644
--- a/openmetadata-service/src/test/java/org/openmetadata/service/search/DefaultRecreateHandlerTest.java
+++ b/openmetadata-service/src/test/java/org/openmetadata/service/search/DefaultRecreateHandlerTest.java
@@ -1457,6 +1457,24 @@ void partialLiveOverridesBulk() {
       assertTrue(json.contains("\"sync_interval\":\"5s\""));
     }
 
+    @Test
+    @DisplayName("Live refresh_interval '-1' is never applied as a live value (guard -> 1s)")
+    void liveRefreshDisabledIsOverriddenToDefault() {
+      // Misconfiguration: liveIndexSettings.refreshInterval is "-1" (refresh disabled) — e.g.
+      // copied from the bulk side or a stale saved config. Without the guard the revert would
+      // faithfully re-apply "-1" to the promoted index, leaving it unsearchable until a manual
+      // _refresh (the "reindex finishes but the page is empty" symptom). The revert must override
+      // it back to the near-real-time default.
+      org.openmetadata.schema.system.IndexSettings live =
+          new org.openmetadata.schema.system.IndexSettings().withRefreshInterval("-1");
+      org.openmetadata.schema.system.BulkIndexOverrides bulk =
+          new org.openmetadata.schema.system.BulkIndexOverrides().withRefreshInterval("-1");
+      String json = DefaultRecreateHandler.buildRevertJson(live, bulk);
+      assertNotNull(json);
+      assertTrue(json.contains("\"refresh_interval\":\"1s\""));
+      assertFalse(json.contains("\"refresh_interval\":\"-1\""));
+    }
+
     @Test
     @DisplayName("Bulk JSON properly escapes admin-supplied string values")
     void bulkSettingsEscapesQuotesInValues() {