diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/watcher/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/watcher/support/WatcherIndexTemplateRegistry.java b/x-pack/plugin/watcher/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/watcher/support/WatcherIndexTemplateRegistry.java
index 9f5027f7a0f..be844d5d1e4 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/watcher/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/watcher/support/WatcherIndexTemplateRegistry.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/watcher/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/watcher/support/WatcherIndexTemplateRegistry.java
@@ -79,7 +79,8 @@ public class WatcherIndexTemplateRegistry extends IndexTemplateRegistry {
     }
 
     public static boolean validate(ClusterState state) {
-        return state.getMetaData().getTemplates().containsKey(WatcherIndexTemplateRegistryField.HISTORY_TEMPLATE_NAME) &&
+        return (state.getMetaData().getTemplates().containsKey(WatcherIndexTemplateRegistryField.HISTORY_TEMPLATE_NAME) ||
+            state.getMetaData().getTemplates().containsKey(WatcherIndexTemplateRegistryField.HISTORY_TEMPLATE_NAME_NO_ILM)) &&
             state.getMetaData().getTemplates().containsKey(WatcherIndexTemplateRegistryField.TRIGGERED_TEMPLATE_NAME) &&
             state.getMetaData().getTemplates().containsKey(WatcherIndexTemplateRegistryField.WATCHES_TEMPLATE_NAME);
     }
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/watcher/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/watcher/test/integration/RejectedExecutionTests.java b/x-pack/plugin/watcher/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/watcher/test/integration/RejectedExecutionTests.java
index f6c46f6c68f..9492e50048d 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/watcher/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/watcher/test/integration/RejectedExecutionTests.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/watcher/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/watcher/test/integration/RejectedExecutionTests.java
@@ -15,8 +15,6 @@ import org.elasticsearch.xpack.watcher.support.search.WatcherSearchTemplateReque
 import org.elasticsearch.xpack.watcher.test.AbstractWatcherIntegrationTestCase;
 import org.elasticsearch.xpack.watcher.trigger.schedule.IntervalSchedule;
 
-import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
-
 import static org.elasticsearch.index.query.QueryBuilders.termQuery;
 import static org.elasticsearch.search.builder.SearchSourceBuilder.searchSource;
 import static org.elasticsearch.xpack.watcher.actions.ActionBuilders.loggingAction;
@@ -25,7 +23,6 @@ import static org.elasticsearch.xpack.watcher.input.InputBuilders.searchInput;
 import static org.elasticsearch.xpack.watcher.test.WatcherTestUtils.templateRequest;
 import static org.elasticsearch.xpack.watcher.trigger.TriggerBuilders.schedule;
 import static org.elasticsearch.xpack.watcher.trigger.schedule.Schedules.interval;
-import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.equalTo;
 import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.greaterThanOrEqualTo;
 
 public class RejectedExecutionTests extends AbstractWatcherIntegrationTestCase {
@@ -36,8 +33,7 @@ public class RejectedExecutionTests extends AbstractWatcherIntegrationTestCase {
         return false;
     }
 
-    @AwaitsFix(bugUrl = "https://github.com/elastic/elasticsearch/issues/41734")
-    public void testHistoryAndTriggeredOnRejection() throws Exception {
+    public void testHistoryOnRejection() throws Exception {
         WatcherClient watcherClient = watcherClient();
         createIndex("idx");
         client().prepareIndex("idx", "_doc").setSource("field", "a").get();
@@ -56,11 +52,7 @@ public class RejectedExecutionTests extends AbstractWatcherIntegrationTestCase {
             flushAndRefresh(".watcher-history-*");
             SearchResponse searchResponse = client().prepareSearch(".watcher-history-*").get();
             assertThat(searchResponse.getHits().getTotalHits().value, greaterThanOrEqualTo(2L));
-        }, 10, TimeUnit.SECONDS);
-
-        flushAndRefresh(".triggered_watches");
-        SearchResponse searchResponse = client().prepareSearch(".triggered_watches").get();
-        assertThat(searchResponse.getHits().getTotalHits().value, equalTo(0L));
+        });
     }
 
     @Override
diff --git a/x-pack/qa/smoke-test-watcher-with-security/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/smoketest/SmokeTestWatcherWithSecurityIT.java b/x-pack/qa/smoke-test-watcher-with-security/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/smoketest/SmokeTestWatcherWithSecurityIT.java
index 394c63b3723..e0da00f29d4 100644
--- a/x-pack/qa/smoke-test-watcher-with-security/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/smoketest/SmokeTestWatcherWithSecurityIT.java
+++ b/x-pack/qa/smoke-test-watcher-with-security/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/smoketest/SmokeTestWatcherWithSecurityIT.java
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ public class SmokeTestWatcherWithSecurityIT extends ESRestTestCase {
         });
 
         assertBusy(() -> {
-            for (String template : XPackRestTestConstants.TEMPLATE_NAMES) {
+            for (String template : XPackRestTestConstants.TEMPLATE_NAMES_NO_ILM) {
                 assertOK(adminClient().performRequest(new Request("HEAD", "_template/" + template)));
             }
         });
diff --git a/x-pack/qa/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/test/rest/XPackRestTestConstants.java b/x-pack/qa/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/test/rest/XPackRestTestConstants.java
index 478a2d384a2..481a11096aa 100644
--- a/x-pack/qa/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/test/rest/XPackRestTestConstants.java
+++ b/x-pack/qa/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/test/rest/XPackRestTestConstants.java
@@ -13,13 +13,10 @@ public final class XPackRestTestConstants {
 
     // Watcher constants:
     public static final String INDEX_TEMPLATE_VERSION = "9";
-    public static final String HISTORY_TEMPLATE_NAME = ".watch-history-" + INDEX_TEMPLATE_VERSION;
     public static final String HISTORY_TEMPLATE_NAME_NO_ILM = ".watch-history-no-ilm-" + INDEX_TEMPLATE_VERSION;
     public static final String TRIGGERED_TEMPLATE_NAME = ".triggered_watches";
     public static final String WATCHES_TEMPLATE_NAME = ".watches";
-    public static final String[] TEMPLATE_NAMES = new String[] {
-        HISTORY_TEMPLATE_NAME, TRIGGERED_TEMPLATE_NAME, WATCHES_TEMPLATE_NAME
-    };
+
     public static final String[] TEMPLATE_NAMES_NO_ILM = new String[] {
         HISTORY_TEMPLATE_NAME_NO_ILM, TRIGGERED_TEMPLATE_NAME, WATCHES_TEMPLATE_NAME
     };