diff --git a/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/indices/create/ShrinkIndexIT.java b/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/indices/create/ShrinkIndexIT.java
index cd3a5225a35..582ab09a1f8 100644
--- a/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/indices/create/ShrinkIndexIT.java
+++ b/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/indices/create/ShrinkIndexIT.java
@@ -75,7 +75,6 @@ import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.containsString;
 import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.equalTo;
 import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.greaterThanOrEqualTo;
 
-@ESIntegTestCase.AwaitsFix(bugUrl = "https://github.com/elastic/elasticsearch/issues/44164")
 public class ShrinkIndexIT extends ESIntegTestCase {
 
     @Override
@@ -559,7 +558,8 @@ public class ShrinkIndexIT extends ESIntegTestCase {
     }
 
     public void testShrinkThenSplitWithFailedNode() throws Exception {
-        internalCluster().ensureAtLeastNumDataNodes(3);
+        internalCluster().ensureAtLeastNumDataNodes(2);
+        final String shrinkNode = internalCluster().startDataOnlyNode();
 
         final int shardCount = between(2, 5);
         prepareCreate("original").setSettings(Settings.builder().put(indexSettings())
@@ -567,8 +567,6 @@ public class ShrinkIndexIT extends ESIntegTestCase {
             .put(IndexMetaData.SETTING_NUMBER_OF_SHARDS, shardCount)).get();
         client().admin().indices().prepareFlush("original").get();
         ensureGreen();
-        final String shrinkNode
-            = client().admin().cluster().prepareNodesInfo("data:true").clear().get().getNodes().get(0).getNode().getName();
         client().admin().indices().prepareUpdateSettings("original")
             .setSettings(Settings.builder()
                 .put(IndexMetaData.INDEX_ROUTING_REQUIRE_GROUP_SETTING.getConcreteSettingForNamespace("_name").getKey(), shrinkNode)
diff --git a/test/framework/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/test/InternalTestCluster.java b/test/framework/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/test/InternalTestCluster.java
index b923c90fe12..510c4be28e8 100644
--- a/test/framework/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/test/InternalTestCluster.java
+++ b/test/framework/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/test/InternalTestCluster.java
@@ -1632,6 +1632,13 @@ public final class InternalTestCluster extends TestCluster {
         ensureOpen();
         NodeAndClient nodeAndClient = getRandomNodeAndClient(nc -> filter.test(nc.node.settings()));
         if (nodeAndClient != null) {
+            if (nodeAndClient.nodeAndClientId() < sharedNodesSeeds.length && nodeAndClient.isMasterEligible() && autoManageMasterNodes
+                && nodes.values().stream()
+                        .filter(NodeAndClient::isMasterEligible)
+                        .filter(n -> n.nodeAndClientId() < sharedNodesSeeds.length)
+                        .count() == 1) {
+                throw new AssertionError("Tried to stop the only master eligible shared node");
+            }
             logger.info("Closing filtered random node [{}] ", nodeAndClient.name);
             stopNodesAndClient(nodeAndClient);
         }