diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/util/concurrent/PrioritizedEsThreadPoolExecutor.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/util/concurrent/PrioritizedEsThreadPoolExecutor.java
index bf2bd52328e..c50440642b9 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/util/concurrent/PrioritizedEsThreadPoolExecutor.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/common/util/concurrent/PrioritizedEsThreadPoolExecutor.java
@@ -62,6 +62,7 @@ public class PrioritizedEsThreadPoolExecutor extends EsThreadPoolExecutor {
         } else if (!(command instanceof PrioritizedFutureTask)) { // it might be a callable wrapper...
             command = new TieBreakingPrioritizedRunnable(command, Priority.NORMAL, insertionOrder.incrementAndGet());
         }
+        super.execute(command);
         if (timeout.nanos() >= 0) {
             final Runnable fCommand = command;
             timer.schedule(new Runnable() {
@@ -74,7 +75,6 @@ public class PrioritizedEsThreadPoolExecutor extends EsThreadPoolExecutor {
                 }
             }, timeout.nanos(), TimeUnit.NANOSECONDS);
         }
-        super.execute(command);
     }
 
     @Override
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/ClusterServiceTests.java b/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/ClusterServiceTests.java
index b93f7a1797a..160cf254944 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/ClusterServiceTests.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/ClusterServiceTests.java
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ public class ClusterServiceTests extends ElasticsearchIntegrationTest {
         clusterService1.submitStateUpdateTask("test2", new TimeoutClusterStateUpdateTask() {
             @Override
             public TimeValue timeout() {
-                return TimeValue.timeValueMillis(100);
+                return TimeValue.timeValueMillis(2);
             }
 
             @Override
@@ -102,7 +102,7 @@ public class ClusterServiceTests extends ElasticsearchIntegrationTest {
             }
         });
 
-        assertThat(timedOut.await(1000, TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS), equalTo(true));
+        assertThat(timedOut.await(500, TimeUnit.MILLISECONDS), equalTo(true));
         block.countDown();
         Thread.sleep(100); // sleep a bit to double check that execute on the timed out update task is not called...
         assertThat(executeCalled.get(), equalTo(false));