diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/routing/UnassignedInfo.java b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/routing/UnassignedInfo.java
index 2be85e4bc37..b2243ff5e42 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/routing/UnassignedInfo.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/routing/UnassignedInfo.java
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ public class UnassignedInfo implements ToXContent, Writeable<UnassignedInfo> {
     public static final FormatDateTimeFormatter DATE_TIME_FORMATTER = Joda.forPattern("dateOptionalTime");
 
     public static final String INDEX_DELAYED_NODE_LEFT_TIMEOUT_SETTING = "index.unassigned.node_left.delayed_timeout";
-    private static final TimeValue DEFAULT_DELAYED_NODE_LEFT_TIMEOUT = TimeValue.timeValueMillis(0);
+    private static final TimeValue DEFAULT_DELAYED_NODE_LEFT_TIMEOUT = TimeValue.timeValueMinutes(1);
 
     /**
      * Reason why the shard is in unassigned state.
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/InternalTestCluster.java b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/InternalTestCluster.java
index c1bbd9e796f..c6334f66d21 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/InternalTestCluster.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/test/InternalTestCluster.java
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@ import org.elasticsearch.cluster.node.DiscoveryNode;
 import org.elasticsearch.cluster.node.DiscoveryNodes;
 import org.elasticsearch.cluster.routing.OperationRouting;
 import org.elasticsearch.cluster.routing.ShardRouting;
+import org.elasticsearch.cluster.routing.UnassignedInfo;
 import org.elasticsearch.cluster.routing.allocation.decider.DiskThresholdDecider;
 import org.elasticsearch.cluster.routing.allocation.decider.ThrottlingAllocationDecider;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.Nullable;
@@ -482,6 +483,9 @@ public final class InternalTestCluster extends TestCluster {
             builder.put(ScriptService.SCRIPT_CACHE_EXPIRE_SETTING, TimeValue.timeValueMillis(RandomInts.randomIntBetween(random, 750, 10000000)));
         }
 
+        // always default delayed allocation to 0 to make sure we have tests are not delayed
+        builder.put(UnassignedInfo.INDEX_DELAYED_NODE_LEFT_TIMEOUT_SETTING, 0);
+
         return builder.build();
     }
 
diff --git a/docs/reference/index-modules/allocation/delayed.asciidoc b/docs/reference/index-modules/allocation/delayed.asciidoc
index 31f5b8092f3..cc9e72e3647 100644
--- a/docs/reference/index-modules/allocation/delayed.asciidoc
+++ b/docs/reference/index-modules/allocation/delayed.asciidoc
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ requests) which have been automatically <<indices-synced-flush,sync-flushed>>.
 
 The allocation of replica shards which become unassigned because a node has
 left can be delayed with the `index.unassigned.node_left.delayed_timeout`
-dynamic setting, which defaults to `0` (reassign shards immediately).
+dynamic setting, which defaults to `1m`.
 
 This setting can be updated on a live index (or on all indices):