diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/opensearch/search/builder/SearchSourceBuilder.java b/server/src/main/java/org/opensearch/search/builder/SearchSourceBuilder.java
index e949b145421c9..73cfca3ec912f 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/opensearch/search/builder/SearchSourceBuilder.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/opensearch/search/builder/SearchSourceBuilder.java
@@ -275,7 +275,6 @@ public SearchSourceBuilder(StreamInput in) throws IOException {
         seqNoAndPrimaryTerm = in.readOptionalBoolean();
         extBuilders = in.readNamedWriteableList(SearchExtBuilder.class);
         profile = in.readBoolean();
-        searchPipeline = in.readOptionalString();
         searchAfterBuilder = in.readOptionalWriteable(SearchAfterBuilder::new);
         sliceBuilder = in.readOptionalWriteable(SliceBuilder::new);
         collapse = in.readOptionalWriteable(CollapseBuilder::new);
@@ -300,6 +299,9 @@ public SearchSourceBuilder(StreamInput in) throws IOException {
                 derivedFields = in.readList(DerivedField::new);
             }
         }
+        if (in.getVersion().onOrAfter(Version.V_2_18_0)) {
+            searchPipeline = in.readOptionalString();
+        }
     }
 
     @Override
@@ -350,7 +352,6 @@ public void writeTo(StreamOutput out) throws IOException {
         out.writeOptionalBoolean(seqNoAndPrimaryTerm);
         out.writeNamedWriteableList(extBuilders);
         out.writeBoolean(profile);
-        out.writeOptionalString(searchPipeline);
         out.writeOptionalWriteable(searchAfterBuilder);
         out.writeOptionalWriteable(sliceBuilder);
         out.writeOptionalWriteable(collapse);
@@ -381,6 +382,9 @@ public void writeTo(StreamOutput out) throws IOException {
                 out.writeList(derivedFields);
             }
         }
+        if (out.getVersion().onOrAfter(Version.V_2_18_0)) {
+            out.writeOptionalString(searchPipeline);
+        }
     }
 
     /**