diff --git a/docs/changelog/118016.yaml b/docs/changelog/118016.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..7ee78b901b19
--- /dev/null
+++ b/docs/changelog/118016.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+pr: 118016
+summary: Propagate status codes from shard failures appropriately
+area: Search
+type: enhancement
+issues:
+ - 118482
diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/SearchPhaseExecutionException.java b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/SearchPhaseExecutionException.java
index 2d798f2da3a4..fc79e85f9326 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/SearchPhaseExecutionException.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/SearchPhaseExecutionException.java
@@ -73,15 +73,21 @@ public class SearchPhaseExecutionException extends ElasticsearchException {
             // on coordinator node. so get the status from cause instead of returning SERVICE_UNAVAILABLE blindly
             return getCause() == null ? RestStatus.SERVICE_UNAVAILABLE : ExceptionsHelper.status(getCause());
         }
-        RestStatus status = shardFailures[0].status();
-        if (shardFailures.length > 1) {
-            for (int i = 1; i < shardFailures.length; i++) {
-                if (shardFailures[i].status().getStatus() >= RestStatus.INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR.getStatus()) {
-                    status = shardFailures[i].status();
-                }
+        RestStatus status = null;
+        for (ShardSearchFailure shardFailure : shardFailures) {
+            RestStatus shardStatus = shardFailure.status();
+            int statusCode = shardStatus.getStatus();
+
+            // Return if it's an error that can be retried.
+            // These currently take precedence over other status code(s).
+            if (statusCode >= 502 && statusCode <= 504) {
+                return shardStatus;
+            } else if (statusCode >= 500) {
+                status = shardStatus;
             }
         }
-        return status;
+
+        return status == null ? shardFailures[0].status() : status;
     }
 
     public ShardSearchFailure[] shardFailures() {
diff --git a/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/SearchPhaseExecutionExceptionTests.java b/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/SearchPhaseExecutionExceptionTests.java
index 50ce97a2b73a..3e483b1f2cae 100644
--- a/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/SearchPhaseExecutionExceptionTests.java
+++ b/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/action/search/SearchPhaseExecutionExceptionTests.java
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import org.elasticsearch.indices.InvalidIndexTemplateException;
 import org.elasticsearch.rest.RestStatus;
 import org.elasticsearch.search.SearchShardTarget;
 import org.elasticsearch.test.ESTestCase;
+import org.elasticsearch.transport.NodeDisconnectedException;
 import org.elasticsearch.xcontent.ToXContent;
 import org.elasticsearch.xcontent.XContent;
 import org.elasticsearch.xcontent.XContentParser;
@@ -31,6 +32,7 @@ import java.io.IOException;
 
 import static org.hamcrest.CoreMatchers.hasItem;
 import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.hasSize;
+import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.is;
 
 public class SearchPhaseExecutionExceptionTests extends ESTestCase {
 
@@ -168,4 +170,57 @@ public class SearchPhaseExecutionExceptionTests extends ESTestCase {
 
         assertEquals(actual.status(), RestStatus.BAD_REQUEST);
     }
+
+    public void testOnlyWithCodesThatDoNotRequirePrecedence() {
+        int pickedIndex = randomIntBetween(0, 1);
+
+        // Pick one of these exceptions randomly.
+        var searchExceptions = new ElasticsearchException[] {
+            new ElasticsearchException("simulated"),
+            new NodeDisconnectedException(null, "unused message", "unused action", null) };
+
+        // Status codes that map to searchExceptions.
+        var expectedStatusCodes = new RestStatus[] { RestStatus.INTERNAL_SERVER_ERROR, RestStatus.BAD_GATEWAY };
+
+        ShardSearchFailure shardFailure1 = new ShardSearchFailure(
+            searchExceptions[pickedIndex],
+            new SearchShardTarget("nodeID", new ShardId("someIndex", "someUUID", 1), null)
+        );
+
+        ShardSearchFailure shardFailure2 = new ShardSearchFailure(
+            searchExceptions[pickedIndex],
+            new SearchShardTarget("nodeID", new ShardId("someIndex", "someUUID", 2), null)
+        );
+
+        SearchPhaseExecutionException ex = new SearchPhaseExecutionException(
+            "search",
+            "all shards failed",
+            new ShardSearchFailure[] { shardFailure1, shardFailure2 }
+        );
+
+        assertThat(ex.status(), is(expectedStatusCodes[pickedIndex]));
+    }
+
+    public void testWithRetriableCodesThatTakePrecedence() {
+        // Maps to a 500.
+        ShardSearchFailure shardFailure1 = new ShardSearchFailure(
+            new ElasticsearchException("simulated"),
+            new SearchShardTarget("nodeID", new ShardId("someIndex", "someUUID", 1), null)
+        );
+
+        // Maps to a 502.
+        ShardSearchFailure shardFailure2 = new ShardSearchFailure(
+            new NodeDisconnectedException(null, "unused message", "unused action", null),
+            new SearchShardTarget("nodeID", new ShardId("someIndex", "someUUID", 2), null)
+        );
+
+        SearchPhaseExecutionException ex = new SearchPhaseExecutionException(
+            "search",
+            "all shards failed",
+            new ShardSearchFailure[] { shardFailure1, shardFailure2 }
+        );
+
+        // The 502 takes precedence over 500.
+        assertThat(ex.status(), is(RestStatus.BAD_GATEWAY));
+    }
 }