diff --git a/qa/rolling-upgrade/build.gradle b/qa/rolling-upgrade/build.gradle
index c91ad047874..e9c96e317f6 100644
--- a/qa/rolling-upgrade/build.gradle
+++ b/qa/rolling-upgrade/build.gradle
@@ -103,7 +103,6 @@ for (Version version : wireCompatVersions) {
   Task mixedClusterTestRunner = tasks.getByName("${baseName}#mixedClusterTestRunner")
   mixedClusterTestRunner.configure {
     systemProperty 'tests.rest.suite', 'mixed_cluster'
-    systemProperty 'tests.rest.blacklist', 'mixed_cluster/30_kibana_write/*'
     finalizedBy "${baseName}#oldClusterTestCluster#node0.stop"
   }
 
diff --git a/qa/rolling-upgrade/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/test/mixed_cluster/30_kibana_write.yml b/qa/rolling-upgrade/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/test/mixed_cluster/30_kibana_write.yml
index 5abe36ac83c..bab199dcf84 100644
--- a/qa/rolling-upgrade/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/test/mixed_cluster/30_kibana_write.yml
+++ b/qa/rolling-upgrade/src/test/resources/rest-api-spec/test/mixed_cluster/30_kibana_write.yml
@@ -1,4 +1,44 @@
 ---
+setup:
+  - do:
+      cluster.health:
+        wait_for_status: yellow
+        wait_for_nodes: 2
+        timeout: 25s
+
+  - do:
+      update:
+        index: ".security"
+        type: "reserved-user"
+        id: "kibana"
+        refresh: true
+        body: >
+          {
+            "doc": {
+              "enabled": true
+            }
+          }
+  - do:
+      xpack.security.clear_cached_realms:
+        realms: "_all"
+---
+teardown:
+  - do:
+      update:
+        index: ".security"
+        type: "reserved-user"
+        id: "kibana"
+        refresh: true
+        body: >
+          {
+            "doc": {
+              "enabled": false
+            }
+          }
+  - do:
+      xpack.security.clear_cached_realms:
+        realms: "_all"
+---
 "Verify kibana user role works in mixed cluster":
   - do:
       headers:
@@ -14,11 +54,6 @@
        Authorization: "Basic a2liYW5hOmNoYW5nZW1l"
      indices.create:
        index: .kibana-foo
-       wait_for_active_shards : all
-       body:
-         settings:
-           index:
-             number_of_replicas: 1
 
   - do:
      headers: