diff --git a/solr/core/src/test/org/apache/solr/cloud/autoscaling/sim/SimDistribStateManager.java b/solr/core/src/test/org/apache/solr/cloud/autoscaling/sim/SimDistribStateManager.java
index afccdaad645..d01928a739f 100644
--- a/solr/core/src/test/org/apache/solr/cloud/autoscaling/sim/SimDistribStateManager.java
+++ b/solr/core/src/test/org/apache/solr/cloud/autoscaling/sim/SimDistribStateManager.java
@@ -456,26 +456,30 @@ public class SimDistribStateManager implements DistribStateManager {
     }
 
     String relPath = path.charAt(0) == '/' ? path.substring(1) : path;
-    if (relPath.length() == 0) {
+    if (relPath.length() == 0) { //Trying to create root-node, return null.
       // TODO should trying to create a root node throw an exception since its always init'd in the ctor?
       return null;
     }
 
-    // non-root-node.  Make sure parent exists.
     String[] elements = relPath.split("/");
     StringBuilder parentStringBuilder = new StringBuilder();
-    for (int i = 0; i < elements.length - 1; i++) {
-      parentStringBuilder.append('/');
-      parentStringBuilder.append(elements[i]);
-    }
-    if (!hasData(parentStringBuilder.toString())) {
-      throw new NoSuchElementException(parentStringBuilder.toString());
+    Node parentNode = null;
+    if (elements.length == 1) { // Direct descendant of '/'.
+      parentNode = getRoot();
+    } else { // Indirect descendant of '/', lookup parent node
+      for (int i = 0; i < elements.length - 1; i++) {
+        parentStringBuilder.append('/');
+        parentStringBuilder.append(elements[i]);
+      }
+      if (!hasData(parentStringBuilder.toString())) {
+        throw new NoSuchElementException(parentStringBuilder.toString());
+      }
+      parentNode = traverse(parentStringBuilder.toString(), false, mode);
     }
 
     multiLock.lock();
     try {
       String nodeName = elements[elements.length-1];
-      Node parentNode = traverse(parentStringBuilder.toString(), false, mode);
       Node childNode = createNode(parentNode, mode, parentStringBuilder.append("/"), nodeName, false);
       childNode.setData(data, -1);
       parentNode.setChild(childNode.name, childNode);
diff --git a/solr/core/src/test/org/apache/solr/cloud/autoscaling/sim/TestSimDistribStateManager.java b/solr/core/src/test/org/apache/solr/cloud/autoscaling/sim/TestSimDistribStateManager.java
index b161a151d8a..1f80e237a8f 100644
--- a/solr/core/src/test/org/apache/solr/cloud/autoscaling/sim/TestSimDistribStateManager.java
+++ b/solr/core/src/test/org/apache/solr/cloud/autoscaling/sim/TestSimDistribStateManager.java
@@ -18,6 +18,7 @@
 package org.apache.solr.cloud.autoscaling.sim;
 
 import java.lang.invoke.MethodHandles;
+import java.nio.charset.StandardCharsets;
 import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Locale;
@@ -262,6 +263,12 @@ public class TestSimDistribStateManager extends SolrTestCaseJ4 {
     assertEquals(0, kids.size());
   }
 
+  @Test
+  public void testCanCreateNodesWithDataAtTopLevel() throws Exception {
+    final String path = stateManager.createData("/topLevelNodeWithData", new String("helloworld").getBytes(StandardCharsets.UTF_8), CreateMode.PERSISTENT);
+    assertEquals("/topLevelNodeWithData", path);
+  }
+
   static class OnceWatcher implements Watcher {
     CountDownLatch triggered = new CountDownLatch(1);
     WatchedEvent event;