diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/index_lifecycle_management/__jest__/components/edit_policy.test.tsx b/x-pack/plugins/index_lifecycle_management/__jest__/components/edit_policy.test.tsx
index 65952e81ae0f..32964ab2ce84 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/index_lifecycle_management/__jest__/components/edit_policy.test.tsx
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/index_lifecycle_management/__jest__/components/edit_policy.test.tsx
@@ -324,7 +324,7 @@ describe('edit policy', () => {
     });
   });
   describe('hot phase', () => {
-    test('should show errors when trying to save with no max size and no max age', async () => {
+    test('should show errors when trying to save with no max size, no max age and no max docs', async () => {
       const rendered = mountWithIntl(component);
       expect(findTestSubject(rendered, 'rolloverSettingsRequired').exists()).toBeFalsy();
       await setPolicyName(rendered, 'mypolicy');
@@ -338,6 +338,11 @@ describe('edit policy', () => {
         maxAgeInput.simulate('change', { target: { value: '' } });
       });
       waitForFormLibValidation(rendered);
+      const maxDocsInput = findTestSubject(rendered, 'hot-selectedMaxDocuments');
+      await act(async () => {
+        maxDocsInput.simulate('change', { target: { value: '' } });
+      });
+      waitForFormLibValidation(rendered);
       await save(rendered);
       expect(findTestSubject(rendered, 'rolloverSettingsRequired').exists()).toBeTruthy();
     });
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/index_lifecycle_management/public/application/sections/edit_policy/components/phases/hot_phase/hot_phase.tsx b/x-pack/plugins/index_lifecycle_management/public/application/sections/edit_policy/components/phases/hot_phase/hot_phase.tsx
index e86bbd9e747b..5ce4fae596e8 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/index_lifecycle_management/public/application/sections/edit_policy/components/phases/hot_phase/hot_phase.tsx
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/index_lifecycle_management/public/application/sections/edit_policy/components/phases/hot_phase/hot_phase.tsx
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ import { useFormData, UseField, SelectField, NumericField } from '../../../../..
 
 import { i18nTexts } from '../../../i18n_texts';
 
-import { ROLLOVER_EMPTY_VALIDATION, useConfigurationIssues } from '../../../form';
+import { ROLLOVER_EMPTY_VALIDATION } from '../../../form';
 
 import { useEditPolicyContext } from '../../../edit_policy_context';
 
@@ -51,8 +51,6 @@ export const HotPhase: FunctionComponent = () => {
   const isRolloverEnabled = get(formData, useRolloverPath);
   const [showEmptyRolloverFieldsError, setShowEmptyRolloverFieldsError] = useState(false);
 
-  const { isUsingSearchableSnapshotInHotPhase } = useConfigurationIssues();
-
   return (
     <>
       <EuiDescribedFormGroup
@@ -143,7 +141,7 @@ export const HotPhase: FunctionComponent = () => {
                   <UseField path={ROLLOVER_FORM_PATHS.maxSize}>
                     {(field) => {
                       const showErrorCallout = field.errors.some(
-                        (e) => e.validationType === ROLLOVER_EMPTY_VALIDATION
+                        (e) => e.code === ROLLOVER_EMPTY_VALIDATION
                       );
                       if (showErrorCallout !== showEmptyRolloverFieldsError) {
                         setShowEmptyRolloverFieldsError(showErrorCallout);
@@ -236,8 +234,8 @@ export const HotPhase: FunctionComponent = () => {
         </ToggleFieldWithDescribedFormRow>
         {isRolloverEnabled && (
           <>
+            {<ForcemergeField phase="hot" />}
             {license.canUseSearchableSnapshot() && <SearchableSnapshotField phase="hot" />}
-            {!isUsingSearchableSnapshotInHotPhase && <ForcemergeField phase="hot" />}
           </>
         )}
         <SetPriorityInputField phase={hotProperty} />
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/index_lifecycle_management/public/application/sections/edit_policy/form/schema.ts b/x-pack/plugins/index_lifecycle_management/public/application/sections/edit_policy/form/schema.ts
index fa9def6864be..6485122771a4 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/index_lifecycle_management/public/application/sections/edit_policy/form/schema.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/index_lifecycle_management/public/application/sections/edit_policy/form/schema.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,9 @@ import { i18n } from '@kbn/i18n';
 
 import { FormSchema, fieldValidators } from '../../../../shared_imports';
 import { defaultSetPriority, defaultPhaseIndexPriority } from '../../../constants';
+import { ROLLOVER_FORM_PATHS } from '../constants';
+
+const rolloverFormPaths = Object.values(ROLLOVER_FORM_PATHS);
 
 import { FormInternal } from '../types';
 
@@ -127,6 +130,7 @@ export const schema: FormSchema<FormInternal> = {
                 validator: ifExistsNumberGreaterThanZero,
               },
             ],
+            fieldsToValidateOnChange: rolloverFormPaths,
           },
           max_docs: {
             label: i18n.translate('xpack.indexLifecycleMgmt.hotPhase.maximumDocumentsLabel', {
@@ -141,6 +145,7 @@ export const schema: FormSchema<FormInternal> = {
               },
             ],
             serializer: serializers.stringToNumber,
+            fieldsToValidateOnChange: rolloverFormPaths,
           },
           max_size: {
             label: i18n.translate('xpack.indexLifecycleMgmt.hotPhase.maximumIndexSizeLabel', {
@@ -154,6 +159,7 @@ export const schema: FormSchema<FormInternal> = {
                 validator: ifExistsNumberGreaterThanZero,
               },
             ],
+            fieldsToValidateOnChange: rolloverFormPaths,
           },
         },
         forcemerge: {
diff --git a/x-pack/plugins/index_lifecycle_management/public/application/sections/edit_policy/form/validations.ts b/x-pack/plugins/index_lifecycle_management/public/application/sections/edit_policy/form/validations.ts
index f2e26a552efc..a5d7d68d2191 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugins/index_lifecycle_management/public/application/sections/edit_policy/form/validations.ts
+++ b/x-pack/plugins/index_lifecycle_management/public/application/sections/edit_policy/form/validations.ts
@@ -56,33 +56,31 @@ export const ROLLOVER_EMPTY_VALIDATION = 'ROLLOVER_EMPTY_VALIDATION';
  * This validator checks that and updates form values by setting errors states imperatively to
  * indicate this error state.
  */
-export const rolloverThresholdsValidator: ValidationFunc = ({ form }) => {
+export const rolloverThresholdsValidator: ValidationFunc = ({ form, path }) => {
   const fields = form.getFields();
   if (
     !(
-      fields[ROLLOVER_FORM_PATHS.maxAge].value ||
-      fields[ROLLOVER_FORM_PATHS.maxDocs].value ||
-      fields[ROLLOVER_FORM_PATHS.maxSize].value
+      fields[ROLLOVER_FORM_PATHS.maxAge]?.value ||
+      fields[ROLLOVER_FORM_PATHS.maxDocs]?.value ||
+      fields[ROLLOVER_FORM_PATHS.maxSize]?.value
     )
   ) {
-    fields[ROLLOVER_FORM_PATHS.maxAge].setErrors([
-      {
-        validationType: ROLLOVER_EMPTY_VALIDATION,
+    if (path === ROLLOVER_FORM_PATHS.maxAge) {
+      return {
+        code: ROLLOVER_EMPTY_VALIDATION,
         message: i18nTexts.editPolicy.errors.maximumAgeRequiredMessage,
-      },
-    ]);
-    fields[ROLLOVER_FORM_PATHS.maxDocs].setErrors([
-      {
-        validationType: ROLLOVER_EMPTY_VALIDATION,
+      };
+    } else if (path === ROLLOVER_FORM_PATHS.maxDocs) {
+      return {
+        code: ROLLOVER_EMPTY_VALIDATION,
         message: i18nTexts.editPolicy.errors.maximumDocumentsRequiredMessage,
-      },
-    ]);
-    fields[ROLLOVER_FORM_PATHS.maxSize].setErrors([
-      {
-        validationType: ROLLOVER_EMPTY_VALIDATION,
+      };
+    } else {
+      return {
+        code: ROLLOVER_EMPTY_VALIDATION,
         message: i18nTexts.editPolicy.errors.maximumSizeRequiredMessage,
-      },
-    ]);
+      };
+    }
   } else {
     fields[ROLLOVER_FORM_PATHS.maxAge].clearErrors(ROLLOVER_EMPTY_VALIDATION);
     fields[ROLLOVER_FORM_PATHS.maxDocs].clearErrors(ROLLOVER_EMPTY_VALIDATION);