diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/cluster/health/ClusterHealthRequest.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/cluster/health/ClusterHealthRequest.java
index 768ae1f9563..8f445bda60a 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/cluster/health/ClusterHealthRequest.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/admin/cluster/health/ClusterHealthRequest.java
@@ -70,6 +70,9 @@ public class ClusterHealthRequest extends MasterNodeOperationRequest {
 
     public ClusterHealthRequest timeout(TimeValue timeout) {
         this.timeout = timeout;
+        if (masterNodeTimeout == DEFAULT_MASTER_NODE_TIMEOUT) {
+            masterNodeTimeout = timeout;
+        }
         return this;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/support/master/MasterNodeOperationRequest.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/support/master/MasterNodeOperationRequest.java
index 84509d264b7..9ac53394c55 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/support/master/MasterNodeOperationRequest.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/action/support/master/MasterNodeOperationRequest.java
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ public abstract class MasterNodeOperationRequest implements ActionRequest {
 
     public static TimeValue DEFAULT_MASTER_NODE_TIMEOUT = TimeValue.timeValueSeconds(30);
 
-    private TimeValue masterNodeTimeout = DEFAULT_MASTER_NODE_TIMEOUT;
+    protected TimeValue masterNodeTimeout = DEFAULT_MASTER_NODE_TIMEOUT;
 
     @Override
     public boolean listenerThreaded() {