diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/SpecificMasterNodesIT.java b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/SpecificMasterNodesIT.java
index 0770fb2c4dc..88a0cfa8bc3 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/SpecificMasterNodesIT.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/SpecificMasterNodesIT.java
@@ -33,17 +33,25 @@ import org.elasticsearch.test.ESIntegTestCase.Scope;
 import java.io.IOException;
 import java.util.Map;
 
+import static org.elasticsearch.discovery.zen.ElectMasterService.DISCOVERY_ZEN_MINIMUM_MASTER_NODES_SETTING;
 import static org.elasticsearch.test.hamcrest.ElasticsearchAssertions.assertAcked;
 import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.equalTo;
 import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.notNullValue;
 import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.nullValue;
 
-@ClusterScope(scope = Scope.TEST, numDataNodes = 0)
+@ClusterScope(scope = Scope.TEST, numDataNodes = 0, autoMinMasterNodes = false)
 public class SpecificMasterNodesIT extends ESIntegTestCase {
 
+    @Override
+    protected Settings nodeSettings(int nodeOrdinal) {
+        return Settings.builder().put(super.nodeSettings(nodeOrdinal))
+            .put(DISCOVERY_ZEN_MINIMUM_MASTER_NODES_SETTING.getKey(), 1).build();
+    }
+
     public void testSimpleOnlyMasterNodeElection() throws IOException {
         logger.info("--> start data node / non master node");
-        internalCluster().startNode(Settings.builder().put(Node.NODE_DATA_SETTING.getKey(), true).put(Node.NODE_MASTER_SETTING.getKey(), false).put("discovery.initial_state_timeout", "1s"));
+        internalCluster().startNode(Settings.builder().put(Node.NODE_DATA_SETTING.getKey(), true).put(Node.NODE_MASTER_SETTING.getKey(), false)
+            .put("discovery.initial_state_timeout", "1s"));
         try {
             assertThat(client().admin().cluster().prepareState().setMasterNodeTimeout("100ms").execute().actionGet().getState().nodes().getMasterNodeId(), nullValue());
             fail("should not be able to find master");