diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/metadata/TemplateUpgradeService.java b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/metadata/TemplateUpgradeService.java
index 8e8f0c594bc..c0d8d1ceab6 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/metadata/TemplateUpgradeService.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/metadata/TemplateUpgradeService.java
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ public class TemplateUpgradeService extends AbstractComponent implements Cluster
             return;
         }
 
-        if (shouldLocalNodeUpdateTemplates(state.nodes()) == false) {
+        if (state.nodes().isLocalNodeElectedMaster() == false) {
             return;
         }
 
@@ -133,43 +133,6 @@ public class TemplateUpgradeService extends AbstractComponent implements Cluster
         }
     }
 
-    /**
-     * Checks if the current node should update the templates
-     *
-     * If the master has the newest verison in the cluster - it will be dedicated template updater.
-     * Otherwise the node with the highest id among nodes with the highest version should update the templates
-     */
-    boolean shouldLocalNodeUpdateTemplates(DiscoveryNodes nodes) {
-        DiscoveryNode localNode = nodes.getLocalNode();
-        // Only data and master nodes should update the template
-        if (localNode.isDataNode() || localNode.isMasterNode()) {
-            DiscoveryNode masterNode = nodes.getMasterNode();
-            if (masterNode == null) {
-                return false;
-            }
-            Version maxVersion = nodes.getLargestNonClientNodeVersion();
-            if (maxVersion.equals(masterNode.getVersion())) {
-                // If the master has the latest version - we will allow it to handle the update
-                return nodes.isLocalNodeElectedMaster();
-            } else {
-                if (maxVersion.equals(localNode.getVersion()) == false) {
-                    // The localhost node doesn't have the latest version - not going to update
-                    return false;
-                }
-                for (ObjectCursor<DiscoveryNode> node : nodes.getMasterAndDataNodes().values()) {
-                    if (node.value.getVersion().equals(maxVersion) && node.value.getId().compareTo(localNode.getId()) > 0) {
-                        // We have a node with higher id then mine - it should update
-                        return false;
-                    }
-                }
-                // We have the highest version and highest id - we should perform the update
-                return true;
-            }
-        } else {
-            return false;
-        }
-    }
-
     void updateTemplates(Map<String, BytesReference> changes, Set<String> deletions) {
         for (Map.Entry<String, BytesReference> change : changes.entrySet()) {
             PutIndexTemplateRequest request =
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/metadata/TemplateUpgradeServiceTests.java b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/metadata/TemplateUpgradeServiceTests.java
index 0b32ae2eb99..e1763fa6a5d 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/metadata/TemplateUpgradeServiceTests.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/metadata/TemplateUpgradeServiceTests.java
@@ -341,51 +341,6 @@ public class TemplateUpgradeServiceTests extends ESTestCase {
 
     private static final int NODE_TEST_ITERS = 100;
 
-    public void testOnlyOneNodeRunsTemplateUpdates() {
-        TemplateUpgradeService service = new TemplateUpgradeService(Settings.EMPTY, null, clusterService, null, Collections.emptyList());
-        for (int i = 0; i < NODE_TEST_ITERS; i++) {
-            int nodesCount = randomIntBetween(1, 10);
-            int clientNodesCount = randomIntBetween(0, 4);
-            DiscoveryNodes nodes = randomNodes(nodesCount, clientNodesCount);
-            int updaterNode = -1;
-            for (int j = 0; j < nodesCount; j++) {
-                DiscoveryNodes localNodes = DiscoveryNodes.builder(nodes).localNodeId(nodes.resolveNode("node_" + j).getId()).build();
-                if (service.shouldLocalNodeUpdateTemplates(localNodes)) {
-                    assertThat("Expected only one node to update template, found " + updaterNode + " and " + j, updaterNode, lessThan(0));
-                    updaterNode = j;
-                }
-            }
-            assertThat("Expected one node to update template", updaterNode, greaterThanOrEqualTo(0));
-        }
-    }
-
-    public void testIfMasterHasTheHighestVersionItShouldRunsTemplateUpdates() {
-        for (int i = 0; i < NODE_TEST_ITERS; i++) {
-            int nodesCount = randomIntBetween(1, 10);
-            int clientNodesCount = randomIntBetween(0, 4);
-            DiscoveryNodes nodes = randomNodes(nodesCount, clientNodesCount);
-            DiscoveryNodes.Builder builder = DiscoveryNodes.builder(nodes).localNodeId(nodes.resolveNode("_master").getId());
-            nodes = builder.build();
-            TemplateUpgradeService service = new TemplateUpgradeService(Settings.EMPTY, null, clusterService, null,
-                Collections.emptyList());
-            assertThat(service.shouldLocalNodeUpdateTemplates(nodes),
-                equalTo(nodes.getLargestNonClientNodeVersion().equals(nodes.getMasterNode().getVersion())));
-        }
-    }
-
-    public void testClientNodeDontRunTemplateUpdates() {
-        for (int i = 0; i < NODE_TEST_ITERS; i++) {
-            int nodesCount = randomIntBetween(1, 10);
-            int clientNodesCount = randomIntBetween(1, 4);
-            DiscoveryNodes nodes = randomNodes(nodesCount, clientNodesCount);
-            int testClient = randomIntBetween(0, clientNodesCount - 1);
-            DiscoveryNodes.Builder builder = DiscoveryNodes.builder(nodes).localNodeId(nodes.resolveNode("client_" + testClient).getId());
-            TemplateUpgradeService service = new TemplateUpgradeService(Settings.EMPTY, null, clusterService, null,
-                Collections.emptyList());
-            assertThat(service.shouldLocalNodeUpdateTemplates(builder.build()), equalTo(false));
-        }
-    }
-
     private DiscoveryNodes randomNodes(int dataAndMasterNodes, int clientNodes) {
         DiscoveryNodes.Builder builder = DiscoveryNodes.builder();
         String masterNodeId = null;