diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/discovery/zen/ZenDiscovery.java b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/discovery/zen/ZenDiscovery.java
index ba76c9ab7d2..46f3a6fb315 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/discovery/zen/ZenDiscovery.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/discovery/zen/ZenDiscovery.java
@@ -683,15 +683,10 @@ public class ZenDiscovery extends AbstractLifecycleComponent implements Discover
                     return currentState;
                 }
 
-                DiscoveryNodes discoveryNodes = DiscoveryNodes.builder(currentState.nodes())
-                        // make sure the old master node, which has failed, is not part of the nodes we publish
-                        .remove(masterNode)
-                        .masterNodeId(null).build();
-
                 // flush any pending cluster states from old master, so it will not be set as master again
                 publishClusterState.pendingStatesQueue().failAllStatesAndClear(new ElasticsearchException("master left [{}]", reason));
 
-                return rejoin(ClusterState.builder(currentState).nodes(discoveryNodes).build(), "master left (reason = " + reason + ")");
+                return rejoin(currentState, "master left (reason = " + reason + ")");
             }
 
             @Override
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/MinimumMasterNodesIT.java b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/MinimumMasterNodesIT.java
index 83472a1edc4..fd68e484062 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/MinimumMasterNodesIT.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/MinimumMasterNodesIT.java
@@ -132,7 +132,9 @@ public class MinimumMasterNodesIT extends ESIntegTestCase {
         });
         state = client().admin().cluster().prepareState().setLocal(true).execute().actionGet().getState();
         assertThat(state.blocks().hasGlobalBlock(DiscoverySettings.NO_MASTER_BLOCK_ID), equalTo(true));
-        assertThat(state.nodes().getSize(), equalTo(1)); // verify that we still see the local node in the cluster state
+        // verify that both nodes are still in the cluster state but there is no master
+        assertThat(state.nodes().getSize(), equalTo(2));
+        assertThat(state.nodes().getMasterNode(), equalTo(null));
 
         logger.info("--> starting the previous master node again...");
         internalCluster().startNode(settings);
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/discovery/DiscoveryWithServiceDisruptionsIT.java b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/discovery/DiscoveryWithServiceDisruptionsIT.java
index 5e40e529dae..2ea675ab3f7 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/discovery/DiscoveryWithServiceDisruptionsIT.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/discovery/DiscoveryWithServiceDisruptionsIT.java
@@ -993,7 +993,11 @@ public class DiscoveryWithServiceDisruptionsIT extends ESIntegTestCase {
 
         String isolatedNode = randomBoolean() ? masterNode : nonMasterNode;
         TwoPartitions partitions = isolateNode(isolatedNode);
-        NetworkDisruption networkDisruption = addRandomDisruptionType(partitions);
+        // we cannot use the NetworkUnresponsive disruption type here as it will swallow the "shard failed" request, calling neither
+        // onSuccess nor onFailure on the provided listener.
+        NetworkLinkDisruptionType disruptionType = new NetworkDisconnect();
+        NetworkDisruption networkDisruption = new NetworkDisruption(partitions, disruptionType);
+        setDisruptionScheme(networkDisruption);
         networkDisruption.startDisrupting();
 
         service.localShardFailed(failedShard, "simulated", new CorruptIndexException("simulated", (String) null), new