diff --git a/src/ServiceControl.Persistence.RavenDB/RetryStagingStore.cs b/src/ServiceControl.Persistence.RavenDB/RetryStagingStore.cs
index e6e43b123e..1c64c3bc67 100644
--- a/src/ServiceControl.Persistence.RavenDB/RetryStagingStore.cs
+++ b/src/ServiceControl.Persistence.RavenDB/RetryStagingStore.cs
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-namespace ServiceControl.Persistence.RavenDB
+namespace ServiceControl.Persistence.RavenDB
 {
     using System.Collections.Generic;
     using System.Linq;
@@ -22,7 +22,9 @@ class RetryStagingStore(
         {
             using var session = await sessionProvider.OpenSession(cancellationToken: cancellationToken);
 
-            var batch = await session.Query<RetryBatch>()
+            // Query through the static index. A dynamic query makes RavenDB create and keep an
+            // Auto/RetryBatches/ByStatus index, which has no per-index search engine setting.
+            var batch = await session.Query<RetryBatch, RetryBatches_ByStatusAndSession>()
                 .FirstOrDefaultAsync(b => b.Status == RetryBatchStatus.Staging, cancellationToken);
 
             return batch?.ToContract();
diff --git a/src/ServiceControl.Persistence.Tests.RavenDB/Recoverability/RetryStagingStoreIndexTests.cs b/src/ServiceControl.Persistence.Tests.RavenDB/Recoverability/RetryStagingStoreIndexTests.cs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..14166c62b1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/ServiceControl.Persistence.Tests.RavenDB/Recoverability/RetryStagingStoreIndexTests.cs
@@ -0,0 +1,24 @@
+namespace ServiceControl.Persistence.Tests.RavenDB.Recoverability
+{
+    using System.Linq;
+    using System.Threading.Tasks;
+    using NUnit.Framework;
+    using Raven.Client.Documents.Operations.Indexes;
+
+    // The staging query must use a static index. A dynamic query makes RavenDB create an
+    // Auto/RetryBatches/ByStatus index. An auto index has no per-index search engine setting, so it
+    // keeps the "Error Database Search Engine" custom check failing after all static indexes use Lucene.
+    [TestFixture]
+    class RetryStagingStoreIndexTests : RavenPersistenceTestBase
+    {
+        [Test]
+        public async Task Getting_the_staging_batch_creates_no_auto_index()
+        {
+            await RetryStagingStore.GetStagingBatch();
+
+            var indexNames = await DocumentStore.Maintenance.SendAsync(new GetIndexNamesOperation(0, int.MaxValue));
+
+            Assert.That(indexNames.Where(name => name.StartsWith("Auto/")), Is.Empty);
+        }
+    }
+}