diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/cluster/routing/allocation/DataTierAllocationDecider.java b/x-pack/plugin/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/cluster/routing/allocation/DataTierAllocationDecider.java
index 9231dfb744a36..eb4db6c24507d 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/cluster/routing/allocation/DataTierAllocationDecider.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/cluster/routing/allocation/DataTierAllocationDecider.java
@@ -95,21 +95,18 @@ public static Decision shouldFilter(
         );
         if (tier.isPresent()) {
             String tierName = tier.get();
-            if (allocationAllowed(tierName, node)) {
-                if (allocation.debugDecision()) {
-                    return debugYesAllowed(allocation, tierPreference, tierName);
-                }
-                return Decision.YES;
+            assert Strings.hasText(tierName) : "tierName must be not null and non-empty, but was [" + tierName + "]";
+            if (node.hasRole(DiscoveryNodeRole.DATA_ROLE.roleName())) {
+                return allocation.debugDecision()
+                    ? debugYesAllowed(allocation, tierPreference, DiscoveryNodeRole.DATA_ROLE.roleName())
+                    : Decision.YES;
             }
-            if (allocation.debugDecision()) {
-                return debugNoRequirementsNotMet(allocation, tierPreference, tierName);
+            if (node.hasRole(tierName)) {
+                return allocation.debugDecision() ? debugYesAllowed(allocation, tierPreference, tierName) : Decision.YES;
             }
-            return Decision.NO;
+            return allocation.debugDecision() ? debugNoRequirementsNotMet(allocation, tierPreference, tierName) : Decision.NO;
         }
-        if (allocation.debugDecision()) {
-            return debugNoNoNodesAvailable(allocation, tierPreference);
-        }
-        return Decision.NO;
+        return allocation.debugDecision() ? debugNoNoNodesAvailable(allocation, tierPreference) : Decision.NO;
     }
 
     private static Decision debugNoNoNodesAvailable(RoutingAllocation allocation, List<String> tierPreference) {
@@ -278,11 +275,6 @@ static boolean tierNodesPresentConsideringRemovals(String singleTier, DiscoveryN
         return false;
     }
 
-    public static boolean allocationAllowed(String tierName, DiscoveryNode node) {
-        assert Strings.hasText(tierName) : "tierName must be not null and non-empty, but was [" + tierName + "]";
-        return node.hasRole(DiscoveryNodeRole.DATA_ROLE.roleName()) || node.hasRole(tierName);
-    }
-
     public static boolean allocationAllowed(String tierName, Set<DiscoveryNodeRole> roles) {
         assert Strings.hasText(tierName) : "tierName must be not null and non-empty, but was [" + tierName + "]";
 
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/cluster/routing/allocation/DataTierAllocationDeciderTests.java b/x-pack/plugin/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/cluster/routing/allocation/DataTierAllocationDeciderTests.java
index 7134ceba475fe..7ed57ca93adf0 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/cluster/routing/allocation/DataTierAllocationDeciderTests.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/cluster/routing/allocation/DataTierAllocationDeciderTests.java
@@ -202,7 +202,16 @@ public void testIndexPrefer() {
                     )
                 );
             }
+        }
+        {
+            final var state = clusterStateWithIndexAndNodes("data_warm", DiscoveryNodes.builder().add(DATA_NODE).build(), null);
 
+            assertAllocationDecision(
+                state,
+                DATA_NODE,
+                Decision.Type.YES,
+                "index has a preference for tiers [data_warm] and node has tier [data]"
+            );
         }
     }