diff --git a/x-pack/platform/plugins/private/upgrade_assistant/server/lib/kibana_status.test.ts b/x-pack/platform/plugins/private/upgrade_assistant/server/lib/kibana_status.test.ts
index af38b09935c77..88ebe4ac1284c 100644
--- a/x-pack/platform/plugins/private/upgrade_assistant/server/lib/kibana_status.test.ts
+++ b/x-pack/platform/plugins/private/upgrade_assistant/server/lib/kibana_status.test.ts
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import type { DomainDeprecationDetails } from '@kbn/core/server';
 
 import { getKibanaUpgradeStatus } from './kibana_status';
 
-const mockKibanaDeprecations: DomainDeprecationDetails[] = [
+const mockKibanaDeprecations = (): DomainDeprecationDetails[] => [
   {
     title: 'mock-deprecation-title',
     correctiveActions: {
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ const mockKibanaDeprecations: DomainDeprecationDetails[] = [
 describe('getKibanaUpgradeStatus', () => {
   const deprecationsClient = deprecationsServiceMock.createClient();
 
-  deprecationsClient.getAllDeprecations.mockResolvedValue(mockKibanaDeprecations);
+  deprecationsClient.getAllDeprecations.mockResolvedValue(mockKibanaDeprecations());
 
   it('returns the correct shape of data', async () => {
     const resp = await getKibanaUpgradeStatus(deprecationsClient);
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ describe('getKibanaUpgradeStatus', () => {
   });
 
   it('returns totalCriticalDeprecations > 0 when critical issues found', async () => {
-    deprecationsClient.getAllDeprecations.mockResolvedValue(mockKibanaDeprecations);
+    deprecationsClient.getAllDeprecations.mockResolvedValue(mockKibanaDeprecations());
 
     await expect(getKibanaUpgradeStatus(deprecationsClient)).resolves.toHaveProperty(
       'totalCriticalDeprecations',
@@ -55,4 +55,98 @@ describe('getKibanaUpgradeStatus', () => {
       0
     );
   });
+
+  it('returns totalCriticalDeprecations > 0, but ignores API deprecations', async () => {
+    deprecationsClient.getAllDeprecations.mockResolvedValue([
+      ...mockKibanaDeprecations(),
+      ...mockKibanaDeprecations(),
+      {
+        title: 'mock-deprecation-title',
+        correctiveActions: {
+          manualSteps: [],
+        },
+        apiId: 'foo',
+        deprecationType: 'api',
+        documentationUrl: 'testDocUrl',
+        level: 'warning',
+        message: 'testMessage',
+        domainId: 'security',
+      },
+      {
+        title: 'mock-deprecation-title',
+        correctiveActions: {
+          manualSteps: [],
+        },
+        apiId: 'foo',
+        deprecationType: 'api',
+        documentationUrl: 'testDocUrl',
+        level: 'critical',
+        message: 'testMessage',
+        domainId: 'security',
+      },
+      {
+        title: 'mock-deprecation-title',
+        correctiveActions: {
+          manualSteps: [],
+        },
+        apiId: 'foo',
+        deprecationType: 'api',
+        documentationUrl: 'testDocUrl',
+        level: 'critical',
+        message: 'testMessage',
+        domainId: 'security',
+      },
+    ]);
+
+    await expect(getKibanaUpgradeStatus(deprecationsClient)).resolves.toHaveProperty(
+      'totalCriticalDeprecations',
+      2
+    );
+  });
+
+  it('returns totalCriticalDeprecations === 0 when only critical API deprecations', async () => {
+    deprecationsClient.getAllDeprecations.mockResolvedValue([
+      {
+        title: 'mock-deprecation-title',
+        correctiveActions: {
+          manualSteps: [],
+        },
+        apiId: 'foo',
+        deprecationType: 'api',
+        documentationUrl: 'testDocUrl',
+        level: 'warning',
+        message: 'testMessage',
+        domainId: 'security',
+      },
+      {
+        title: 'mock-deprecation-title',
+        correctiveActions: {
+          manualSteps: [],
+        },
+        apiId: 'foo',
+        deprecationType: 'api',
+        documentationUrl: 'testDocUrl',
+        level: 'critical',
+        message: 'testMessage',
+        domainId: 'security',
+      },
+      {
+        title: 'mock-deprecation-title',
+        correctiveActions: {
+          manualSteps: [],
+        },
+        apiId: 'foo',
+        deprecationType: 'api',
+        documentationUrl: 'testDocUrl',
+        level: 'critical',
+        message: 'testMessage',
+        domainId: 'security',
+      },
+    ]);
+
+    await expect(getKibanaUpgradeStatus(deprecationsClient)).resolves.toHaveProperty(
+      'totalCriticalDeprecations',
+      0
+    );
+  });
 });
diff --git a/x-pack/platform/plugins/private/upgrade_assistant/server/lib/kibana_status.ts b/x-pack/platform/plugins/private/upgrade_assistant/server/lib/kibana_status.ts
index dd07e2761b5cc..3b8b34fd573bd 100644
--- a/x-pack/platform/plugins/private/upgrade_assistant/server/lib/kibana_status.ts
+++ b/x-pack/platform/plugins/private/upgrade_assistant/server/lib/kibana_status.ts
@@ -11,7 +11,9 @@ export const getKibanaUpgradeStatus = async (deprecationsClient: DeprecationsCli
   const kibanaDeprecations: DomainDeprecationDetails[] =
     await deprecationsClient.getAllDeprecations();
 
-  const totalCriticalDeprecations = kibanaDeprecations.filter((d) => d.level === 'critical').length;
+  const totalCriticalDeprecations = kibanaDeprecations.filter(
+    (d) => d.deprecationType !== 'api' && d.level === 'critical'
+  ).length;
 
   return {
     totalCriticalDeprecations,
diff --git a/x-pack/test/upgrade_assistant_integration/upgrade_assistant/api_deprecations.ts b/x-pack/test/upgrade_assistant_integration/upgrade_assistant/api_deprecations.ts
index 6a0f8aad4686e..d29435ce35843 100644
--- a/x-pack/test/upgrade_assistant_integration/upgrade_assistant/api_deprecations.ts
+++ b/x-pack/test/upgrade_assistant_integration/upgrade_assistant/api_deprecations.ts
@@ -42,13 +42,13 @@ export default function ({ getService }: FtrProviderContext) {
       // await kibanaServer.savedObjects.cleanStandardList();
       await esArchiver.emptyKibanaIndex();
     });
-    it('returns does not return api deprecations if the routes are not called', async () => {
+    it('does not return api deprecations if deprecated routes are not called', async () => {
       const { deprecations } = (await supertest.get(`/api/deprecations/`).expect(200)).body;
       const apiDeprecations = getApiDeprecations(deprecations);
       expect(apiDeprecations.length).to.equal(0);
     });
 
-    it('returns deprecated APIs when the api is called', async () => {
+    it('returns deprecated APIs when a deprecated api is called', async () => {
       await supertest
         .get(`/internal/routing_example/d/internal_versioned_route?apiVersion=1`)
         .expect(200);
@@ -206,6 +206,25 @@ export default function ({ getService }: FtrProviderContext) {
         );
       });
     });
+    it('GET /api/upgrade_assistant/status does not return { readyForUpgrade: false } if there are only critical API deprecations', async () => {
+      /** Throw in another critical deprecation... */
+      await supertest.get(`/api/routing_example/d/removed_route`).expect(200);
+      // sleep a little until the usage counter is synced into ES
+      await setTimeoutAsync(3000);
+      await retry.tryForTime(
+        15 * 1000,
+        async () => {
+          const { deprecations } = (await supertest.get(`/api/deprecations/`).expect(200)).body;
+          const apiDeprecations = getApiDeprecations(deprecations);
+          // confirm there is at least one CRITICAL deprecated API usage present
+          expect(apiDeprecations.some(({ level }) => level === 'critical')).to.be(true);
+        },
+        undefined,
+        2000
+      );
+      const { body } = await supertest.get(`/api/upgrade_assistant/status`).expect(200);
+      expect(body.readyForUpgrade).to.be(true);
+    });
   });
 }
 
diff --git a/x-pack/test/upgrade_assistant_integration/upgrade_assistant/index.ts b/x-pack/test/upgrade_assistant_integration/upgrade_assistant/index.ts
index ddc03dbde297a..b0676359409ec 100644
--- a/x-pack/test/upgrade_assistant_integration/upgrade_assistant/index.ts
+++ b/x-pack/test/upgrade_assistant_integration/upgrade_assistant/index.ts
@@ -8,9 +8,9 @@
 import { FtrProviderContext } from '../../common/ftr_provider_context';
 
 export default function ({ loadTestFile }: FtrProviderContext) {
-  // FAILING VERSION BUMP: https://github.com/elastic/kibana/issues/209048
-  describe.skip('upgrade assistant', function () {
-    loadTestFile(require.resolve('./reindexing'));
+  describe('upgrade assistant', function () {
+    // FAILING VERSION BUMP: https://github.com/elastic/kibana/issues/209048
+    // loadTestFile(require.resolve('./reindexing'));
     loadTestFile(require.resolve('./api_deprecations'));
   });
 }