diff --git a/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/coordination/NodeJoinTests.java b/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/coordination/NodeJoinTests.java
index 76d94966dd2..ea45eb42d89 100644
--- a/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/coordination/NodeJoinTests.java
+++ b/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/coordination/NodeJoinTests.java
@@ -101,13 +101,12 @@ public class NodeJoinTests extends ESTestCase {
         masterService.close();
     }
 
-    private static ClusterState initialState(boolean withMaster, DiscoveryNode localNode, long term, long version,
+    private static ClusterState initialState(DiscoveryNode localNode, long term, long version,
                                              VotingConfiguration config) {
-        ClusterState initialClusterState = ClusterState.builder(new ClusterName(ClusterServiceUtils.class.getSimpleName()))
+        return ClusterState.builder(new ClusterName(ClusterServiceUtils.class.getSimpleName()))
             .nodes(DiscoveryNodes.builder()
                 .add(localNode)
-                .localNodeId(localNode.getId())
-                .masterNodeId(withMaster ? localNode.getId() : null))
+                .localNodeId(localNode.getId()))
             .metaData(MetaData.builder()
                     .coordinationMetaData(
                         CoordinationMetaData.builder()
@@ -117,7 +116,6 @@ public class NodeJoinTests extends ESTestCase {
                     .build()))
             .version(version)
             .blocks(ClusterBlocks.EMPTY_CLUSTER_BLOCK).build();
-        return initialClusterState;
     }
 
     private void setupFakeMasterServiceAndCoordinator(long term, ClusterState initialState) {
@@ -267,7 +265,7 @@ public class NodeJoinTests extends ESTestCase {
         DiscoveryNode node1 = newNode(1, true);
         long initialTerm = randomLongBetween(1, 10);
         long initialVersion = randomLongBetween(1, 10);
-        setupFakeMasterServiceAndCoordinator(initialTerm, initialState(false, node0, initialTerm, initialVersion,
+        setupFakeMasterServiceAndCoordinator(initialTerm, initialState(node0, initialTerm, initialVersion,
             new VotingConfiguration(Collections.singleton(randomFrom(node0, node1).getId()))));
         assertFalse(isLocalNodeElectedMaster());
         assertNull(coordinator.getStateForMasterService().nodes().getMasterNodeId());
@@ -286,7 +284,7 @@ public class NodeJoinTests extends ESTestCase {
         DiscoveryNode node1 = newNode(1, true);
         long initialTerm = randomLongBetween(1, 10);
         long initialVersion = randomLongBetween(1, 10);
-        setupFakeMasterServiceAndCoordinator(initialTerm, initialState(false, node0, initialTerm, initialVersion,
+        setupFakeMasterServiceAndCoordinator(initialTerm, initialState(node0, initialTerm, initialVersion,
             new VotingConfiguration(Collections.singleton(node1.getId()))));
         assertFalse(isLocalNodeElectedMaster());
         long newTerm = initialTerm + randomLongBetween(1, 10);
@@ -301,7 +299,7 @@ public class NodeJoinTests extends ESTestCase {
         DiscoveryNode node1 = newNode(1, true);
         long initialTerm = randomLongBetween(1, 10);
         long initialVersion = randomLongBetween(1, 10);
-        setupFakeMasterServiceAndCoordinator(initialTerm, initialState(false, node0, initialTerm, initialVersion,
+        setupFakeMasterServiceAndCoordinator(initialTerm, initialState(node0, initialTerm, initialVersion,
             new VotingConfiguration(Collections.singleton(node0.getId()))));
         assertFalse(isLocalNodeElectedMaster());
         long newTerm = initialTerm + randomLongBetween(1, 10);
@@ -315,7 +313,7 @@ public class NodeJoinTests extends ESTestCase {
         DiscoveryNode node1 = newNode(1, true);
         long initialTerm = randomLongBetween(1, 10);
         long initialVersion = randomLongBetween(1, 10);
-        setupFakeMasterServiceAndCoordinator(initialTerm, initialState(false, node0, initialTerm, initialVersion,
+        setupFakeMasterServiceAndCoordinator(initialTerm, initialState(node0, initialTerm, initialVersion,
             new VotingConfiguration(Collections.singleton(node0.getId()))));
         assertFalse(isLocalNodeElectedMaster());
         long newTerm = initialTerm + randomLongBetween(1, 10);
@@ -333,7 +331,7 @@ public class NodeJoinTests extends ESTestCase {
         DiscoveryNode node2 = newNode(2, true);
         long initialTerm = randomLongBetween(1, 10);
         long initialVersion = randomLongBetween(1, 10);
-        setupFakeMasterServiceAndCoordinator(initialTerm, initialState(false, node0, initialTerm, initialVersion,
+        setupFakeMasterServiceAndCoordinator(initialTerm, initialState(node0, initialTerm, initialVersion,
             new VotingConfiguration(Collections.singleton(node2.getId()))));
         assertFalse(isLocalNodeElectedMaster());
         long newTerm = initialTerm + randomLongBetween(1, 10);
@@ -360,7 +358,7 @@ public class NodeJoinTests extends ESTestCase {
         DiscoveryNode node1 = newNode(1, true);
         long initialTerm = randomLongBetween(1, 10);
         long initialVersion = randomLongBetween(1, 10);
-        setupFakeMasterServiceAndCoordinator(initialTerm, initialState(false, node0, initialTerm, initialVersion,
+        setupFakeMasterServiceAndCoordinator(initialTerm, initialState(node0, initialTerm, initialVersion,
             new VotingConfiguration(Collections.singleton(node0.getId()))));
         long newTerm = initialTerm + randomLongBetween(1, 10);
         coordinator.coordinationState.get().handleStartJoin(new StartJoinRequest(node1, newTerm));
@@ -379,7 +377,7 @@ public class NodeJoinTests extends ESTestCase {
         DiscoveryNode node1 = newNode(1, true);
         long initialTerm = randomLongBetween(1, 10);
         long initialVersion = randomLongBetween(1, 10);
-        setupFakeMasterServiceAndCoordinator(initialTerm, initialState(false, node0, initialTerm, initialVersion,
+        setupFakeMasterServiceAndCoordinator(initialTerm, initialState(node0, initialTerm, initialVersion,
             new VotingConfiguration(Collections.singleton(node0.getId()))));
         long newTerm = initialTerm + randomLongBetween(1, 10);
         coordinator.coordinationState.get().handleStartJoin(new StartJoinRequest(node1, newTerm));
@@ -398,7 +396,7 @@ public class NodeJoinTests extends ESTestCase {
         DiscoveryNode node1 = newNode(1, true);
         long initialTerm = randomLongBetween(1, 10);
         long initialVersion = randomLongBetween(1, 10);
-        setupFakeMasterServiceAndCoordinator(initialTerm, initialState(false, node0, initialTerm, initialVersion,
+        setupFakeMasterServiceAndCoordinator(initialTerm, initialState(node0, initialTerm, initialVersion,
             new VotingConfiguration(Collections.singleton(node1.getId()))));
         long newTerm = initialTerm + randomLongBetween(1, 10);
         SimpleFuture fut = joinNodeAsync(new JoinRequest(node0, Optional.of(new Join(node0, node0, newTerm, initialTerm, initialVersion))));
@@ -427,7 +425,7 @@ public class NodeJoinTests extends ESTestCase {
 
         long initialTerm = randomLongBetween(1, 10);
         long initialVersion = randomLongBetween(1, 10);
-        setupRealMasterServiceAndCoordinator(initialTerm, initialState(false, localNode, initialTerm, initialVersion, votingConfiguration));
+        setupRealMasterServiceAndCoordinator(initialTerm, initialState(localNode, initialTerm, initialVersion, votingConfiguration));
         long newTerm = initialTerm + randomLongBetween(1, 10);
 
         // we need at least a quorum of voting nodes with a correct term and worse state
@@ -468,33 +466,35 @@ public class NodeJoinTests extends ESTestCase {
         possiblyFailingJoinRequests.addAll(randomSubsetOf(possiblyFailingJoinRequests));
 
         CyclicBarrier barrier = new CyclicBarrier(correctJoinRequests.size() + possiblyFailingJoinRequests.size() + 1);
-
-        final AtomicBoolean stopAsserting = new AtomicBoolean();
-        final Thread assertionThread = new Thread(() -> {
+        final Runnable awaitBarrier = () -> {
             try {
                 barrier.await();
             } catch (InterruptedException | BrokenBarrierException e) {
                 throw new RuntimeException(e);
             }
+        };
+
+        final AtomicBoolean stopAsserting = new AtomicBoolean();
+        final Thread assertionThread = new Thread(() -> {
+            awaitBarrier.run();
             while (stopAsserting.get() == false) {
                 coordinator.invariant();
             }
         }, "assert invariants");
 
-        final List<Thread> joinThreads = Stream.concat(correctJoinRequests.stream(), possiblyFailingJoinRequests.stream())
-            .map(joinRequest ->
-                new Thread(() -> {
-                    try {
-                        barrier.await();
-                    } catch (InterruptedException | BrokenBarrierException e) {
-                        throw new RuntimeException(e);
-                    }
-                    try {
-                        joinNode(joinRequest);
-                    } catch (CoordinationStateRejectedException e) {
-                        // ignore
-                    }
-                }, "process " + joinRequest)).collect(Collectors.toList());
+        final List<Thread> joinThreads = Stream.concat(correctJoinRequests.stream().map(joinRequest ->
+            new Thread(() -> {
+                awaitBarrier.run();
+                joinNode(joinRequest);
+            }, "process " + joinRequest)), possiblyFailingJoinRequests.stream().map(joinRequest ->
+            new Thread(() -> {
+                awaitBarrier.run();
+                try {
+                    joinNode(joinRequest);
+                } catch (CoordinationStateRejectedException e) {
+                    // ignore - these requests are expected to fail
+                }
+            }, "process " + joinRequest))).collect(Collectors.toList());
 
         assertionThread.start();
         joinThreads.forEach(Thread::start);