diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/discovery/zen/ZenDiscovery.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/discovery/zen/ZenDiscovery.java
index e300d59d948..2406af4fb2f 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/discovery/zen/ZenDiscovery.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/discovery/zen/ZenDiscovery.java
@@ -311,7 +311,7 @@ public class ZenDiscovery extends AbstractLifecycleComponent<Discovery> implemen
             if (localNode.equals(masterNode)) {
                 this.master = true;
                 nodesFD.start(); // start the nodes FD
-                clusterService.submitStateUpdateTask("zen-disco-join (elected_as_master)", new ProcessedClusterStateUpdateTask() {
+                clusterService.submitStateUpdateTask("zen-disco-join (elected_as_master)", Priority.URGENT, new ProcessedClusterStateUpdateTask() {
                     @Override
                     public ClusterState execute(ClusterState currentState) {
                         DiscoveryNodes.Builder builder = new DiscoveryNodes.Builder()
@@ -370,7 +370,7 @@ public class ZenDiscovery extends AbstractLifecycleComponent<Discovery> implemen
             return;
         }
         if (master) {
-            clusterService.submitStateUpdateTask("zen-disco-node_left(" + node + ")", Priority.HIGH, new ClusterStateUpdateTask() {
+            clusterService.submitStateUpdateTask("zen-disco-node_left(" + node + ")", Priority.URGENT, new ClusterStateUpdateTask() {
                 @Override
                 public ClusterState execute(ClusterState currentState) {
                     DiscoveryNodes.Builder builder = new DiscoveryNodes.Builder()
@@ -401,7 +401,7 @@ public class ZenDiscovery extends AbstractLifecycleComponent<Discovery> implemen
             // nothing to do here...
             return;
         }
-        clusterService.submitStateUpdateTask("zen-disco-node_failed(" + node + "), reason " + reason, new ProcessedClusterStateUpdateTask() {
+        clusterService.submitStateUpdateTask("zen-disco-node_failed(" + node + "), reason " + reason, Priority.URGENT, new ProcessedClusterStateUpdateTask() {
             @Override
             public ClusterState execute(ClusterState currentState) {
                 DiscoveryNodes.Builder builder = new DiscoveryNodes.Builder()
@@ -434,7 +434,7 @@ public class ZenDiscovery extends AbstractLifecycleComponent<Discovery> implemen
             // nothing to do here...
             return;
         }
-        clusterService.submitStateUpdateTask("zen-disco-minimum_master_nodes_changed", new ProcessedClusterStateUpdateTask() {
+        clusterService.submitStateUpdateTask("zen-disco-minimum_master_nodes_changed", Priority.URGENT, new ProcessedClusterStateUpdateTask() {
             @Override
             public ClusterState execute(ClusterState currentState) {
                 final int prevMinimumMasterNode = ZenDiscovery.this.electMaster.minimumMasterNodes();
@@ -465,7 +465,7 @@ public class ZenDiscovery extends AbstractLifecycleComponent<Discovery> implemen
 
         logger.info("master_left [{}], reason [{}]", masterNode, reason);
 
-        clusterService.submitStateUpdateTask("zen-disco-master_failed (" + masterNode + ")", Priority.HIGH, new ProcessedClusterStateUpdateTask() {
+        clusterService.submitStateUpdateTask("zen-disco-master_failed (" + masterNode + ")", Priority.URGENT, new ProcessedClusterStateUpdateTask() {
             @Override
             public ClusterState execute(ClusterState currentState) {
                 if (!masterNode.id().equals(currentState.nodes().masterNodeId())) {
@@ -516,7 +516,7 @@ public class ZenDiscovery extends AbstractLifecycleComponent<Discovery> implemen
 
     void handleNewClusterStateFromMaster(final ClusterState newState) {
         if (master) {
-            clusterService.submitStateUpdateTask("zen-disco-master_receive_cluster_state_from_another_master [" + newState.nodes().masterNode() + "]", new ClusterStateUpdateTask() {
+            clusterService.submitStateUpdateTask("zen-disco-master_receive_cluster_state_from_another_master [" + newState.nodes().masterNode() + "]", Priority.URGENT, new ClusterStateUpdateTask() {
                 @Override
                 public ClusterState execute(ClusterState currentState) {
                     if (newState.version() > currentState.version()) {
@@ -542,7 +542,7 @@ public class ZenDiscovery extends AbstractLifecycleComponent<Discovery> implemen
                     logger.debug("got a new state from master node, though we are already trying to rejoin the cluster");
                 }
 
-                clusterService.submitStateUpdateTask("zen-disco-receive(from master [" + newState.nodes().masterNode() + "])", new ProcessedClusterStateUpdateTask() {
+                clusterService.submitStateUpdateTask("zen-disco-receive(from master [" + newState.nodes().masterNode() + "])", Priority.URGENT, new ProcessedClusterStateUpdateTask() {
                     @Override
                     public ClusterState execute(ClusterState currentState) {
 
@@ -611,7 +611,7 @@ public class ZenDiscovery extends AbstractLifecycleComponent<Discovery> implemen
             // node calling the join request
             membership.sendValidateJoinRequestBlocking(node, state, pingTimeout);
 
-            clusterService.submitStateUpdateTask("zen-disco-receive(join from node[" + node + "])", new ClusterStateUpdateTask() {
+            clusterService.submitStateUpdateTask("zen-disco-receive(join from node[" + node + "])", Priority.URGENT, new ClusterStateUpdateTask() {
                 @Override
                 public ClusterState execute(ClusterState currentState) {
                     if (currentState.nodes().nodeExists(node.id())) {
@@ -820,7 +820,7 @@ public class ZenDiscovery extends AbstractLifecycleComponent<Discovery> implemen
 
         @Override
         public void messageReceived(final RejoinClusterRequest request, final TransportChannel channel) throws Exception {
-            clusterService.submitStateUpdateTask("received a request to rejoin the cluster from [" + request.fromNodeId + "]", new ClusterStateUpdateTask() {
+            clusterService.submitStateUpdateTask("received a request to rejoin the cluster from [" + request.fromNodeId + "]", Priority.URGENT, new ClusterStateUpdateTask() {
                 @Override
                 public ClusterState execute(ClusterState currentState) {
                     try {