diff --git a/src/MongoDB.Driver.Core/Core/Operations/RetryabilityHelper.cs b/src/MongoDB.Driver.Core/Core/Operations/RetryabilityHelper.cs
index bc5a683acc7..8e19e3465d4 100644
--- a/src/MongoDB.Driver.Core/Core/Operations/RetryabilityHelper.cs
+++ b/src/MongoDB.Driver.Core/Core/Operations/RetryabilityHelper.cs
@@ -16,7 +16,9 @@
 using System;
 using System.Collections.Generic;
 using MongoDB.Bson;
+using MongoDB.Driver.Core.Connections;
 using MongoDB.Driver.Core.Misc;
+using MongoDB.Driver.Core.Servers;
 
 namespace MongoDB.Driver.Core.Operations
 {
@@ -90,9 +92,9 @@ static RetryabilityHelper()
         }
 
         // public static methods
-        public static void AddRetryableWriteErrorLabelIfRequired(MongoException exception, int maxWireVersion)
+        public static void AddRetryableWriteErrorLabelIfRequired(MongoException exception, ConnectionDescription connectionDescription)
         {
-            if (ShouldRetryableWriteExceptionLabelBeAdded(exception, maxWireVersion))
+            if (ShouldRetryableWriteExceptionLabelBeAdded(exception, connectionDescription))
             {
                 exception.AddErrorLabel(RetryableWriteErrorLabel);
             }
@@ -172,18 +174,22 @@ private static bool IsNetworkException(Exception exception)
             return exception is MongoConnectionException mongoConnectionException && mongoConnectionException.IsNetworkException;
         }
 
-        private static bool ShouldRetryableWriteExceptionLabelBeAdded(Exception exception, int maxWireVersion)
+        private static bool ShouldRetryableWriteExceptionLabelBeAdded(Exception exception, ConnectionDescription connectionDescription)
         {
             if (IsNetworkException(exception))
             {
                 return true;
             }
 
+            var maxWireVersion = connectionDescription.MaxWireVersion;
             if (Feature.ServerReturnsRetryableWriteErrorLabel.IsSupported(maxWireVersion))
             {
                 return false;
             }
 
+            // on all servers from 4.4 on we would have returned false in the previous if statement
+            // so from this point on we know we are connected to a pre 4.4 server
+
             if (__retryableWriteExceptions.Contains(exception.GetType()))
             {
                 return true;
@@ -199,29 +205,33 @@ private static bool ShouldRetryableWriteExceptionLabelBeAdded(Exception exceptio
                 }
             }
 
-            var writeConcernException = exception as MongoWriteConcernException;
-            if (writeConcernException != null)
+            var serverType = connectionDescription.HelloResult.ServerType;
+            if (serverType != ServerType.ShardRouter)
             {
-                var writeConcernError = writeConcernException.WriteConcernResult.Response.GetValue("writeConcernError", null)?.AsBsonDocument;
-                if (writeConcernError != null)
+                var writeConcernException = exception as MongoWriteConcernException;
+                if (writeConcernException != null)
                 {
-                    var code = (ServerErrorCode)writeConcernError.GetValue("code", -1).AsInt32;
-                    switch (code)
+                    var writeConcernError = writeConcernException.WriteConcernResult.Response.GetValue("writeConcernError", null)?.AsBsonDocument;
+                    if (writeConcernError != null)
                     {
-                        case ServerErrorCode.InterruptedAtShutdown:
-                        case ServerErrorCode.InterruptedDueToReplStateChange:
-                        case ServerErrorCode.LegacyNotPrimary:
-                        case ServerErrorCode.NotWritablePrimary:
-                        case ServerErrorCode.NotPrimaryNoSecondaryOk:
-                        case ServerErrorCode.NotPrimaryOrSecondary:
-                        case ServerErrorCode.PrimarySteppedDown:
-                        case ServerErrorCode.ShutdownInProgress:
-                        case ServerErrorCode.HostNotFound:
-                        case ServerErrorCode.HostUnreachable:
-                        case ServerErrorCode.NetworkTimeout:
-                        case ServerErrorCode.SocketException:
-                        case ServerErrorCode.ExceededTimeLimit:
-                            return true;
+                        var code = (ServerErrorCode)writeConcernError.GetValue("code", -1).AsInt32;
+                        switch (code)
+                        {
+                            case ServerErrorCode.InterruptedAtShutdown:
+                            case ServerErrorCode.InterruptedDueToReplStateChange:
+                            case ServerErrorCode.LegacyNotPrimary:
+                            case ServerErrorCode.NotWritablePrimary:
+                            case ServerErrorCode.NotPrimaryNoSecondaryOk:
+                            case ServerErrorCode.NotPrimaryOrSecondary:
+                            case ServerErrorCode.PrimarySteppedDown:
+                            case ServerErrorCode.ShutdownInProgress:
+                            case ServerErrorCode.HostNotFound:
+                            case ServerErrorCode.HostUnreachable:
+                            case ServerErrorCode.NetworkTimeout:
+                            case ServerErrorCode.SocketException:
+                            case ServerErrorCode.ExceededTimeLimit:
+                                return true;
+                        }
                     }
                 }
             }
diff --git a/src/MongoDB.Driver.Core/Core/WireProtocol/CommandUsingCommandMessageWireProtocol.cs b/src/MongoDB.Driver.Core/Core/WireProtocol/CommandUsingCommandMessageWireProtocol.cs
index 330533ad427..eb02dc57126 100644
--- a/src/MongoDB.Driver.Core/Core/WireProtocol/CommandUsingCommandMessageWireProtocol.cs
+++ b/src/MongoDB.Driver.Core/Core/WireProtocol/CommandUsingCommandMessageWireProtocol.cs
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ public TCommandResult Execute(IConnection connection, CancellationToken cancella
             }
             catch (Exception exception)
             {
-                AddErrorLabelIfRequired(exception, connection.Description?.MaxWireVersion);
+                AddErrorLabelIfRequired(exception, connection.Description);
 
                 TransactionHelper.UnpinServerIfNeededOnCommandException(_session, exception);
                 throw;
@@ -201,7 +201,7 @@ public async Task<TCommandResult> ExecuteAsync(IConnection connection, Cancellat
             }
             catch (Exception exception)
             {
-                AddErrorLabelIfRequired(exception, connection.Description?.MaxWireVersion);
+                AddErrorLabelIfRequired(exception, connection.Description);
 
                 TransactionHelper.UnpinServerIfNeededOnCommandException(_session, exception);
                 throw;
@@ -209,7 +209,7 @@ public async Task<TCommandResult> ExecuteAsync(IConnection connection, Cancellat
         }
 
         // private methods
-        private void AddErrorLabelIfRequired(Exception exception, int? maxWireVersion)
+        private void AddErrorLabelIfRequired(Exception exception, ConnectionDescription connectionDescription)
         {
             if (exception is MongoException mongoException)
             {
@@ -218,9 +218,9 @@ private void AddErrorLabelIfRequired(Exception exception, int? maxWireVersion)
                     mongoException.AddErrorLabel("TransientTransactionError");
                 }
 
-                if (RetryabilityHelper.IsCommandRetryable(_command) && maxWireVersion.HasValue)
+                if (RetryabilityHelper.IsCommandRetryable(_command) && connectionDescription != null)
                 {
-                    RetryabilityHelper.AddRetryableWriteErrorLabelIfRequired(mongoException, maxWireVersion.Value);
+                    RetryabilityHelper.AddRetryableWriteErrorLabelIfRequired(mongoException, connectionDescription);
                 }
             }
         }
diff --git a/tests/MongoDB.Driver.Core.Tests/Core/Operations/RetryabilityHelperTests.cs b/tests/MongoDB.Driver.Core.Tests/Core/Operations/RetryabilityHelperTests.cs
index 779c694e354..f4e05118945 100644
--- a/tests/MongoDB.Driver.Core.Tests/Core/Operations/RetryabilityHelperTests.cs
+++ b/tests/MongoDB.Driver.Core.Tests/Core/Operations/RetryabilityHelperTests.cs
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 using MongoDB.Driver.Core.Misc;
 using MongoDB.Driver.Core.TestHelpers;
 using Xunit;
+using MongoDB.Driver.Core.Connections;
 
 namespace MongoDB.Driver.Core.Operations
 {
@@ -45,8 +46,10 @@ public class RetryabilityHelperTests
         public void AddRetryableWriteErrorLabelIfRequired_should_add_RetryableWriteError_for_MongoWriteConcernException_when_required(int errorCode, bool shouldAddErrorLabel)
         {
             var exception = CoreExceptionHelper.CreateMongoWriteConcernException(BsonDocument.Parse($"{{ writeConcernError : {{ code : {errorCode} }} }}"));
+            var maxWireVersion = Feature.ServerReturnsRetryableWriteErrorLabel.LastNotSupportedWireVersion;
+            var connectionDescription = OperationTestHelper.CreateConnectionDescription(maxWireVersion);
 
-            RetryabilityHelper.AddRetryableWriteErrorLabelIfRequired(exception, Feature.ServerReturnsRetryableWriteErrorLabel.LastNotSupportedWireVersion);
+            RetryabilityHelper.AddRetryableWriteErrorLabelIfRequired(exception, connectionDescription);
 
             var hasRetryableWriteErrorLabel = exception.HasErrorLabel("RetryableWriteError");
             hasRetryableWriteErrorLabel.Should().Be(shouldAddErrorLabel);
@@ -59,8 +62,9 @@ public void AddRetryableWriteErrorLabelIfRequired_should_add_RetryableWriteError
             var exception = (MongoException)CoreExceptionHelper.CreateException(typeof(MongoConnectionException));
             var feature = Feature.ServerReturnsRetryableWriteErrorLabel;
             var wireVersion = serverReturnsRetryableWriteErrorLabel ? feature.FirstSupportedWireVersion : feature.LastNotSupportedWireVersion;
+            var connectionDescription = OperationTestHelper.CreateConnectionDescription(wireVersion);
 
-            RetryabilityHelper.AddRetryableWriteErrorLabelIfRequired(exception, wireVersion);
+            RetryabilityHelper.AddRetryableWriteErrorLabelIfRequired(exception, connectionDescription);
 
             var hasRetryableWriteErrorLabel = exception.HasErrorLabel("RetryableWriteError");
             hasRetryableWriteErrorLabel.Should().BeTrue();
@@ -89,8 +93,10 @@ public void AddRetryableWriteErrorLabelIfRequired_should_add_RetryableWriteError
             {
                 exception = CoreExceptionHelper.CreateMongoCommandException((int)exceptionDescription);
             }
+            var maxWireVersion = Feature.ServerReturnsRetryableWriteErrorLabel.LastNotSupportedWireVersion;
+            var connectionDescription = OperationTestHelper.CreateConnectionDescription(maxWireVersion);
 
-            RetryabilityHelper.AddRetryableWriteErrorLabelIfRequired(exception, Feature.ServerReturnsRetryableWriteErrorLabel.LastNotSupportedWireVersion);
+            RetryabilityHelper.AddRetryableWriteErrorLabelIfRequired(exception, connectionDescription);
 
             var hasRetryableWriteErrorLabel = exception.HasErrorLabel("RetryableWriteError");
             hasRetryableWriteErrorLabel.Should().Be(shouldAddErrorLabel);