diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/routing/allocation/decider/ThrottlingAllocationDecider.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/routing/allocation/decider/ThrottlingAllocationDecider.java
index 43818aa2fdc..61699b35e14 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/routing/allocation/decider/ThrottlingAllocationDecider.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/routing/allocation/decider/ThrottlingAllocationDecider.java
@@ -54,6 +54,8 @@ public class ThrottlingAllocationDecider extends AllocationDecider {
 
     public static final String CLUSTER_ROUTING_ALLOCATION_NODE_INITIAL_PRIMARIES_RECOVERIES = "cluster.routing.allocation.node_initial_primaries_recoveries";
     public static final String CLUSTER_ROUTING_ALLOCATION_NODE_CONCURRENT_RECOVERIES = "cluster.routing.allocation.node_concurrent_recoveries";
+    public static final int DEFAULT_CLUSTER_ROUTING_ALLOCATION_NODE_CONCURRENT_RECOVERIES = 2;
+    public static final int DEFAULT_CLUSTER_ROUTING_ALLOCATION_NODE_INITIAL_PRIMARIES_RECOVERIES = 4;
 
     private volatile int primariesInitialRecoveries;
     private volatile int concurrentRecoveries;
@@ -62,8 +64,8 @@ public class ThrottlingAllocationDecider extends AllocationDecider {
     public ThrottlingAllocationDecider(Settings settings, NodeSettingsService nodeSettingsService) {
         super(settings);
 
-        this.primariesInitialRecoveries = settings.getAsInt(CLUSTER_ROUTING_ALLOCATION_NODE_INITIAL_PRIMARIES_RECOVERIES, 4);
-        this.concurrentRecoveries = settings.getAsInt("cluster.routing.allocation.concurrent_recoveries", settings.getAsInt(CLUSTER_ROUTING_ALLOCATION_NODE_CONCURRENT_RECOVERIES, 2));
+        this.primariesInitialRecoveries = settings.getAsInt(CLUSTER_ROUTING_ALLOCATION_NODE_INITIAL_PRIMARIES_RECOVERIES, DEFAULT_CLUSTER_ROUTING_ALLOCATION_NODE_INITIAL_PRIMARIES_RECOVERIES);
+        this.concurrentRecoveries = settings.getAsInt("cluster.routing.allocation.concurrent_recoveries", settings.getAsInt(CLUSTER_ROUTING_ALLOCATION_NODE_CONCURRENT_RECOVERIES, DEFAULT_CLUSTER_ROUTING_ALLOCATION_NODE_CONCURRENT_RECOVERIES));
         logger.debug("using node_concurrent_recoveries [{}], node_initial_primaries_recoveries [{}]", concurrentRecoveries, primariesInitialRecoveries);
 
         nodeSettingsService.addListener(new ApplySettings());
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/integration/cluster/allocation/FilteringAllocationTests.java b/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/integration/cluster/allocation/FilteringAllocationTests.java
index bad2423b7bb..751b1f8ec15 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/integration/cluster/allocation/FilteringAllocationTests.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/integration/cluster/allocation/FilteringAllocationTests.java
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import org.elasticsearch.cluster.ClusterState;
 import org.elasticsearch.cluster.routing.IndexRoutingTable;
 import org.elasticsearch.cluster.routing.IndexShardRoutingTable;
 import org.elasticsearch.cluster.routing.ShardRouting;
+import org.elasticsearch.cluster.routing.allocation.decider.ThrottlingAllocationDecider;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.Priority;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.logging.ESLogger;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.logging.Loggers;
@@ -115,7 +116,23 @@ public class FilteringAllocationTests extends AbstractNodesTests {
         }
         client("node1").admin().indices().prepareRefresh().execute().actionGet();
         assertThat(client("node1").prepareCount().setQuery(QueryBuilders.matchAllQuery()).execute().actionGet().getCount(), equalTo(100l));
+        ClusterState clusterState = client("node1").admin().cluster().prepareState().execute().actionGet().getState();
+        IndexRoutingTable indexRoutingTable = clusterState.routingTable().index("test");
+        int numShardsOnNode1 = 0;
+        for (IndexShardRoutingTable indexShardRoutingTable : indexRoutingTable) {
+            for (ShardRouting shardRouting : indexShardRoutingTable) {
+                if ("node1".equals(clusterState.nodes().get(shardRouting.currentNodeId()).name())) {
+                    numShardsOnNode1++;
+                }
+            }
+        }
 
+        if (numShardsOnNode1 > ThrottlingAllocationDecider.DEFAULT_CLUSTER_ROUTING_ALLOCATION_NODE_CONCURRENT_RECOVERIES) {
+            client("node1").admin().cluster().prepareUpdateSettings()
+            .setTransientSettings(settingsBuilder().put("cluster.routing.allocation.node_concurrent_recoveries", numShardsOnNode1)).execute().actionGet();
+            // make sure we can recover all the nodes at once otherwise we might run into a state where one of the shards has not yet started relocating
+            // but we already fired up the request to wait for 0 relocating shards. 
+        }
         logger.info("--> remove index from the first node");
         client("node1").admin().indices().prepareUpdateSettings("test")
                 .setSettings(settingsBuilder().put("index.routing.allocation.exclude._name", "node1"))
@@ -130,8 +147,8 @@ public class FilteringAllocationTests extends AbstractNodesTests {
         assertThat(clusterHealthResponse.isTimedOut(), equalTo(false));
 
         logger.info("--> verify all shards are allocated on node2 now");
-        ClusterState clusterState = client("node1").admin().cluster().prepareState().execute().actionGet().getState();
-        IndexRoutingTable indexRoutingTable = clusterState.routingTable().index("test");
+        clusterState = client("node1").admin().cluster().prepareState().execute().actionGet().getState();
+        indexRoutingTable = clusterState.routingTable().index("test");
         for (IndexShardRoutingTable indexShardRoutingTable : indexRoutingTable) {
             for (ShardRouting shardRouting : indexShardRoutingTable) {
                 assertThat(clusterState.nodes().get(shardRouting.currentNodeId()).name(), equalTo("node2"));