diff --git a/docs/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/smoketest/DocsClientYamlTestSuiteIT.java b/docs/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/smoketest/DocsClientYamlTestSuiteIT.java
index a36df9987e7..02bc304317e 100644
--- a/docs/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/smoketest/DocsClientYamlTestSuiteIT.java
+++ b/docs/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/smoketest/DocsClientYamlTestSuiteIT.java
@@ -86,9 +86,13 @@ public class DocsClientYamlTestSuiteIT extends ESClientYamlSuiteTestCase {
     }
 
     @Override
-    protected ClientYamlTestClient initClientYamlTestClient(ClientYamlSuiteRestSpec restSpec, RestClient restClient,
-                                                            List<HttpHost> hosts, Version esVersion) throws IOException {
-        return new ClientYamlDocsTestClient(restSpec, restClient, hosts, esVersion);
+    protected ClientYamlTestClient initClientYamlTestClient(
+            final ClientYamlSuiteRestSpec restSpec,
+            final RestClient restClient,
+            final List<HttpHost> hosts,
+            final Version esVersion,
+            final Version masterVersion) throws IOException {
+        return new ClientYamlDocsTestClient(restSpec, restClient, hosts, esVersion, masterVersion);
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/test/framework/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/test/rest/yaml/ClientYamlDocsTestClient.java b/test/framework/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/test/rest/yaml/ClientYamlDocsTestClient.java
index dacd67ccadc..b3c0a7b97ab 100644
--- a/test/framework/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/test/rest/yaml/ClientYamlDocsTestClient.java
+++ b/test/framework/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/test/rest/yaml/ClientYamlDocsTestClient.java
@@ -40,9 +40,13 @@ import java.util.Objects;
  */
 public final class ClientYamlDocsTestClient extends ClientYamlTestClient {
 
-    public ClientYamlDocsTestClient(ClientYamlSuiteRestSpec restSpec, RestClient restClient, List<HttpHost> hosts, Version esVersion)
-            throws IOException {
-        super(restSpec, restClient, hosts, esVersion);
+    public ClientYamlDocsTestClient(
+            final ClientYamlSuiteRestSpec restSpec,
+            final RestClient restClient,
+            final List<HttpHost> hosts,
+            final Version esVersion,
+            final Version masterVersion) throws IOException {
+        super(restSpec, restClient, hosts, esVersion, masterVersion);
     }
 
     public ClientYamlTestResponse callApi(String apiName, Map<String, String> params, HttpEntity entity, Map<String, String> headers)
diff --git a/test/framework/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/test/rest/yaml/ClientYamlTestClient.java b/test/framework/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/test/rest/yaml/ClientYamlTestClient.java
index 16aa9c428d7..c2765a84544 100644
--- a/test/framework/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/test/rest/yaml/ClientYamlTestClient.java
+++ b/test/framework/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/test/rest/yaml/ClientYamlTestClient.java
@@ -59,19 +59,29 @@ public class ClientYamlTestClient {
     private final ClientYamlSuiteRestSpec restSpec;
     protected final RestClient restClient;
     private final Version esVersion;
+    private final Version masterVersion;
 
-    public ClientYamlTestClient(ClientYamlSuiteRestSpec restSpec, RestClient restClient, List<HttpHost> hosts,
-                                Version esVersion) throws IOException {
+    public ClientYamlTestClient(
+            final ClientYamlSuiteRestSpec restSpec,
+            final RestClient restClient,
+            final List<HttpHost> hosts,
+            final Version esVersion,
+            final Version masterVersion) throws IOException {
         assert hosts.size() > 0;
         this.restSpec = restSpec;
         this.restClient = restClient;
         this.esVersion = esVersion;
+        this.masterVersion = masterVersion;
     }
 
     public Version getEsVersion() {
         return esVersion;
     }
 
+    public Version getMasterVersion() {
+        return masterVersion;
+    }
+
     /**
      * Calls an api with the provided parameters and body
      */
diff --git a/test/framework/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/test/rest/yaml/ClientYamlTestExecutionContext.java b/test/framework/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/test/rest/yaml/ClientYamlTestExecutionContext.java
index ca04c0c53d1..e9045587d55 100644
--- a/test/framework/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/test/rest/yaml/ClientYamlTestExecutionContext.java
+++ b/test/framework/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/test/rest/yaml/ClientYamlTestExecutionContext.java
@@ -185,4 +185,8 @@ public class ClientYamlTestExecutionContext {
         return clientYamlTestClient.getEsVersion();
     }
 
+    public Version masterVersion() {
+        return clientYamlTestClient.getMasterVersion();
+    }
+
 }
diff --git a/test/framework/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/test/rest/yaml/ESClientYamlSuiteTestCase.java b/test/framework/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/test/rest/yaml/ESClientYamlSuiteTestCase.java
index ab99bc0d97b..e0b501c5f25 100644
--- a/test/framework/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/test/rest/yaml/ESClientYamlSuiteTestCase.java
+++ b/test/framework/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/test/rest/yaml/ESClientYamlSuiteTestCase.java
@@ -111,33 +111,19 @@ public abstract class ESClientYamlSuiteTestCase extends ESRestTestCase {
         if (restTestExecutionContext == null) {
             assert adminExecutionContext == null;
             assert blacklistPathMatchers == null;
-            ClientYamlSuiteRestSpec restSpec = ClientYamlSuiteRestSpec.load(SPEC_PATH);
+            final ClientYamlSuiteRestSpec restSpec = ClientYamlSuiteRestSpec.load(SPEC_PATH);
             validateSpec(restSpec);
-            List<HttpHost> hosts = getClusterHosts();
-            RestClient restClient = client();
-            Version infoVersion = readVersionsFromInfo(restClient, hosts.size());
-            Version esVersion;
-            try {
-                Tuple<Version, Version> versionVersionTuple = readVersionsFromCatNodes(restClient);
-                esVersion = versionVersionTuple.v1();
-                Version masterVersion = versionVersionTuple.v2();
-                logger.info("initializing yaml client, minimum es version: [{}] master version: [{}] hosts: {}",
-                        esVersion, masterVersion, hosts);
-            } catch (ResponseException ex) {
-                if (ex.getResponse().getStatusLine().getStatusCode() == 403) {
-                    logger.warn("Fallback to simple info '/' request, _cat/nodes is not authorized");
-                    esVersion = infoVersion;
-                    logger.info("initializing yaml client, minimum es version: [{}] hosts: {}", esVersion, hosts);
-                } else {
-                    throw ex;
-                }
-            }
-            ClientYamlTestClient clientYamlTestClient = initClientYamlTestClient(restSpec, restClient, hosts, esVersion);
+            final List<HttpHost> hosts = getClusterHosts();
+            Tuple<Version, Version> versionVersionTuple = readVersionsFromCatNodes(adminClient());
+            final Version esVersion = versionVersionTuple.v1();
+            final Version masterVersion = versionVersionTuple.v2();
+            logger.info("initializing client, minimum es version [{}], master version, [{}], hosts {}", esVersion, masterVersion, hosts);
+            final ClientYamlTestClient clientYamlTestClient = initClientYamlTestClient(restSpec, client(), hosts, esVersion, masterVersion);
             restTestExecutionContext = new ClientYamlTestExecutionContext(clientYamlTestClient, randomizeContentType());
             adminExecutionContext = new ClientYamlTestExecutionContext(clientYamlTestClient, false);
-            String[] blacklist = resolvePathsProperty(REST_TESTS_BLACKLIST, null);
+            final String[] blacklist = resolvePathsProperty(REST_TESTS_BLACKLIST, null);
             blacklistPathMatchers = new ArrayList<>();
-            for (String entry : blacklist) {
+            for (final String entry : blacklist) {
                 blacklistPathMatchers.add(new BlacklistedPathPatternMatcher(entry));
             }
         }
@@ -151,9 +137,13 @@ public abstract class ESClientYamlSuiteTestCase extends ESRestTestCase {
         restTestExecutionContext.clear();
     }
 
-    protected ClientYamlTestClient initClientYamlTestClient(ClientYamlSuiteRestSpec restSpec, RestClient restClient,
-                                                            List<HttpHost> hosts, Version esVersion) throws IOException {
-        return new ClientYamlTestClient(restSpec, restClient, hosts, esVersion);
+    protected ClientYamlTestClient initClientYamlTestClient(
+            final ClientYamlSuiteRestSpec restSpec,
+            final RestClient restClient,
+            final List<HttpHost> hosts,
+            final Version esVersion,
+            final Version masterVersion) throws IOException {
+        return new ClientYamlTestClient(restSpec, restClient, hosts, esVersion, masterVersion);
     }
 
     /**
diff --git a/x-pack/docs/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/smoketest/XDocsClientYamlTestSuiteIT.java b/x-pack/docs/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/smoketest/XDocsClientYamlTestSuiteIT.java
index 269c12030cf..af9fb45b8a0 100644
--- a/x-pack/docs/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/smoketest/XDocsClientYamlTestSuiteIT.java
+++ b/x-pack/docs/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/smoketest/XDocsClientYamlTestSuiteIT.java
@@ -53,9 +53,13 @@ public class XDocsClientYamlTestSuiteIT extends XPackRestIT {
     }
 
     @Override
-    protected ClientYamlTestClient initClientYamlTestClient(ClientYamlSuiteRestSpec restSpec, RestClient restClient,
-                                                            List<HttpHost> hosts, Version esVersion) throws IOException {
-        return new ClientYamlDocsTestClient(restSpec, restClient, hosts, esVersion);
+    protected ClientYamlTestClient initClientYamlTestClient(
+            final ClientYamlSuiteRestSpec restSpec,
+            final RestClient restClient,
+            final List<HttpHost> hosts,
+            final Version esVersion,
+            final Version masterVersion) throws IOException {
+        return new ClientYamlDocsTestClient(restSpec, restClient, hosts, esVersion, masterVersion);
     }
 
     /**