diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/transform/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/transform/transforms/TransformPersistentTasksExecutor.java b/x-pack/plugin/transform/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/transform/transforms/TransformPersistentTasksExecutor.java
index 39e2ac1fbc0..da8235b6c21 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/transform/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/transform/transforms/TransformPersistentTasksExecutor.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/transform/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/transform/transforms/TransformPersistentTasksExecutor.java
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ import org.apache.logging.log4j.LogManager;
 import org.apache.logging.log4j.Logger;
 import org.apache.lucene.util.SetOnce;
 import org.elasticsearch.ResourceNotFoundException;
+import org.elasticsearch.Version;
 import org.elasticsearch.action.ActionListener;
 import org.elasticsearch.action.LatchedActionListener;
 import org.elasticsearch.action.support.IndicesOptions;
@@ -33,18 +34,18 @@ import org.elasticsearch.xpack.core.scheduler.SchedulerEngine;
 import org.elasticsearch.xpack.core.transform.TransformField;
 import org.elasticsearch.xpack.core.transform.TransformMessages;
 import org.elasticsearch.xpack.core.transform.action.StartTransformAction;
-import org.elasticsearch.xpack.core.transform.transforms.TransformTaskParams;
-import org.elasticsearch.xpack.core.transform.transforms.persistence.TransformInternalIndexConstants;
 import org.elasticsearch.xpack.core.transform.transforms.TransformCheckpoint;
 import org.elasticsearch.xpack.core.transform.transforms.TransformConfig;
 import org.elasticsearch.xpack.core.transform.transforms.TransformState;
 import org.elasticsearch.xpack.core.transform.transforms.TransformStoredDoc;
+import org.elasticsearch.xpack.core.transform.transforms.TransformTaskParams;
+import org.elasticsearch.xpack.core.transform.transforms.persistence.TransformInternalIndexConstants;
 import org.elasticsearch.xpack.transform.Transform;
 import org.elasticsearch.xpack.transform.checkpoint.TransformCheckpointService;
 import org.elasticsearch.xpack.transform.notifications.TransformAuditor;
-import org.elasticsearch.xpack.transform.persistence.TransformInternalIndex;
-import org.elasticsearch.xpack.transform.persistence.TransformConfigManager;
 import org.elasticsearch.xpack.transform.persistence.SeqNoPrimaryTermAndIndex;
+import org.elasticsearch.xpack.transform.persistence.TransformConfigManager;
+import org.elasticsearch.xpack.transform.persistence.TransformInternalIndex;
 import org.elasticsearch.xpack.transform.transforms.pivot.SchemaUtil;
 
 import java.util.ArrayList;
@@ -99,8 +100,18 @@ public class TransformPersistentTasksExecutor extends PersistentTasksExecutor<Tr
             logger.debug(reason);
             return new PersistentTasksCustomMetaData.Assignment(null, reason);
         }
+
+        // see gh#48019 disable assignment if any node is using 7.2 or 7.3
+        if (clusterState.getNodes().getMinNodeVersion().before(Version.V_7_4_0)) {
+            String reason = "Not starting transform [" + params.getId() + "], " +
+                "because cluster contains nodes with version older than 7.4.0";
+            logger.debug(reason);
+            return new PersistentTasksCustomMetaData.Assignment(null, reason);
+        }
+
         DiscoveryNode discoveryNode = selectLeastLoadedNode(clusterState, (node) ->
-            node.isDataNode() && node.getVersion().onOrAfter(params.getVersion())
+            node.isDataNode() &&
+            node.getVersion().onOrAfter(params.getVersion())
         );
         return discoveryNode == null ? NO_NODE_FOUND : new PersistentTasksCustomMetaData.Assignment(discoveryNode.getId(), "");
     }
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/transform/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/transform/transforms/TransformPersistentTasksExecutorTests.java b/x-pack/plugin/transform/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/transform/transforms/TransformPersistentTasksExecutorTests.java
index c2105fa3eee..6773b3aec12 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/transform/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/transform/transforms/TransformPersistentTasksExecutorTests.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/transform/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/transform/transforms/TransformPersistentTasksExecutorTests.java
@@ -34,8 +34,8 @@ import org.elasticsearch.xpack.core.transform.transforms.TransformTaskParams;
 import org.elasticsearch.xpack.core.transform.transforms.persistence.TransformInternalIndexConstants;
 import org.elasticsearch.xpack.transform.checkpoint.TransformCheckpointService;
 import org.elasticsearch.xpack.transform.notifications.TransformAuditor;
-import org.elasticsearch.xpack.transform.persistence.TransformInternalIndexTests;
 import org.elasticsearch.xpack.transform.persistence.TransformConfigManager;
+import org.elasticsearch.xpack.transform.persistence.TransformInternalIndexTests;
 
 import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Arrays;
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ public class TransformPersistentTasksExecutorTests extends ESTestCase {
                 buildNewFakeTransportAddress(),
                 Collections.emptyMap(),
                 new HashSet<>(Arrays.asList(DiscoveryNodeRole.DATA_ROLE, DiscoveryNodeRole.MASTER_ROLE)),
-                Version.V_7_2_0))
+                Version.V_7_4_0))
             .add(new DiscoveryNode("current-data-node-with-2-tasks",
                 buildNewFakeTransportAddress(),
                 Collections.emptyMap(),
@@ -123,6 +123,83 @@ public class TransformPersistentTasksExecutorTests extends ESTestCase {
             equalTo("past-data-node-1"));
     }
 
+    public void testDoNotSelectOldNodes() {
+        MetaData.Builder metaData = MetaData.builder();
+        RoutingTable.Builder routingTable = RoutingTable.builder();
+        addIndices(metaData, routingTable);
+        PersistentTasksCustomMetaData.Builder pTasksBuilder = PersistentTasksCustomMetaData.builder()
+            .addTask("transform-task-1",
+                TransformTaskParams.NAME,
+                new TransformTaskParams("transform-task-1", Version.CURRENT, null),
+                new PersistentTasksCustomMetaData.Assignment("current-data-node-with-1-task", ""));
+
+        PersistentTasksCustomMetaData pTasks = pTasksBuilder.build();
+
+        metaData.putCustom(PersistentTasksCustomMetaData.TYPE, pTasks);
+
+        DiscoveryNodes.Builder nodes = DiscoveryNodes.builder()
+            .add(new DiscoveryNode("old-data-node-1",
+                buildNewFakeTransportAddress(),
+                Collections.emptyMap(),
+                new HashSet<>(Arrays.asList(DiscoveryNodeRole.DATA_ROLE, DiscoveryNodeRole.MASTER_ROLE)),
+                Version.V_7_2_0))
+            .add(new DiscoveryNode("current-data-node-with-1-task",
+                buildNewFakeTransportAddress(),
+                Collections.emptyMap(),
+                new HashSet<>(Arrays.asList(DiscoveryNodeRole.DATA_ROLE, DiscoveryNodeRole.MASTER_ROLE)),
+                Version.CURRENT))
+            .add(new DiscoveryNode("non-data-node-1",
+                buildNewFakeTransportAddress(),
+                Collections.emptyMap(),
+                Collections.singleton(DiscoveryNodeRole.MASTER_ROLE),
+                Version.CURRENT));
+
+        ClusterState.Builder csBuilder = ClusterState.builder(new ClusterName("_name"))
+            .nodes(nodes);
+        csBuilder.routingTable(routingTable.build());
+        csBuilder.metaData(metaData);
+
+        ClusterState cs = csBuilder.build();
+        Client client = mock(Client.class);
+        TransformAuditor mockAuditor = mock(TransformAuditor.class);
+        TransformConfigManager transformsConfigManager = new TransformConfigManager(client, xContentRegistry());
+        TransformCheckpointService transformCheckpointService = new TransformCheckpointService(client,
+            transformsConfigManager, mockAuditor);
+        ClusterSettings cSettings = new ClusterSettings(Settings.EMPTY,
+            Collections.singleton(TransformTask.NUM_FAILURE_RETRIES_SETTING));
+        ClusterService clusterService = mock(ClusterService.class);
+        when(clusterService.getClusterSettings()).thenReturn(cSettings);
+        when(clusterService.state()).thenReturn(TransformInternalIndexTests.STATE_WITH_LATEST_VERSIONED_INDEX_TEMPLATE);
+        TransformPersistentTasksExecutor executor = new TransformPersistentTasksExecutor(client,
+            transformsConfigManager,
+            transformCheckpointService, mock(SchedulerEngine.class),
+            new TransformAuditor(client, ""),
+            mock(ThreadPool.class),
+            clusterService,
+            Settings.EMPTY);
+
+        // old-data-node-1 prevents assignment
+        assertNull(executor.getAssignment(new TransformTaskParams("new-task-id", Version.CURRENT, null), cs).getExecutorNode());
+
+        // remove the old 7.2 node
+        nodes = DiscoveryNodes.builder()
+            .add(new DiscoveryNode("current-data-node-with-1-task",
+                buildNewFakeTransportAddress(),
+                Collections.emptyMap(),
+                new HashSet<>(Arrays.asList(DiscoveryNodeRole.DATA_ROLE, DiscoveryNodeRole.MASTER_ROLE)),
+                Version.CURRENT))
+            .add(new DiscoveryNode("non-data-node-1",
+                buildNewFakeTransportAddress(),
+                Collections.emptyMap(),
+                Collections.singleton(DiscoveryNodeRole.MASTER_ROLE),
+                Version.CURRENT));
+        csBuilder.nodes(nodes);
+        cs = csBuilder.build();
+
+        assertThat(executor.getAssignment(new TransformTaskParams("new-old-task-id", Version.V_7_2_0, null), cs).getExecutorNode(),
+            equalTo("current-data-node-with-1-task"));
+    }
+
     public void testVerifyIndicesPrimaryShardsAreActive() {
         MetaData.Builder metaData = MetaData.builder();
         RoutingTable.Builder routingTable = RoutingTable.builder();