diff --git a/.buildkite/pipelines/pull-request/full-bwc.yml b/.buildkite/pipelines/pull-request/full-bwc.yml
index d3fa8eccaf7d9..e1354dc18efdd 100644
--- a/.buildkite/pipelines/pull-request/full-bwc.yml
+++ b/.buildkite/pipelines/pull-request/full-bwc.yml
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ steps:
       - label: $BWC_VERSION / bwc
         key: "full-bwc:$BWC_VERSION_SNAKE"
         bwc_template: true
-        command: .ci/scripts/run-gradle.sh -Dbwc.checkout.align=true v$BWC_VERSION#bwcTest
+        command: .ci/scripts/run-gradle.sh -Dbwc.checkout.align=true :qa:node-startup-bench:v$BWC_VERSION#bwcTest
         timeout_in_minutes: 300
         agents:
           provider: gcp
diff --git a/qa/node-startup-bench/build.gradle b/qa/node-startup-bench/build.gradle
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..a9ed4920f91af
--- /dev/null
+++ b/qa/node-startup-bench/build.gradle
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright Elasticsearch B.V. and/or licensed to Elasticsearch B.V. under one
+ * or more contributor license agreements. Licensed under the "Elastic License
+ * 2.0", the "GNU Affero General Public License v3.0 only", and the "Server Side
+ * Public License v 1"; you may not use this file except in compliance with, at
+ * your election, the "Elastic License 2.0", the "GNU Affero General Public
+ * License v3.0 only", or the "Server Side Public License, v 1".
+ */
+
+import org.elasticsearch.gradle.testclusters.StandaloneRestIntegTestTask
+
+apply plugin: 'elasticsearch.internal-java-rest-test'
+apply plugin: 'elasticsearch.bwc-test'
+
+buildParams.bwcVersions.withIndexCompatible { bwcVersion, baseName ->
+  tasks.register(bwcTaskName(bwcVersion), StandaloneRestIntegTestTask) {
+    usesBwcDistribution(bwcVersion)
+    systemProperty("tests.old_cluster_version", bwcVersion)
+  }
+}
+
diff --git a/qa/node-startup-bench/src/javaRestTest/java/org/elasticsearch/test/NodeStartupIT.java b/qa/node-startup-bench/src/javaRestTest/java/org/elasticsearch/test/NodeStartupIT.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..8e123351bf45e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/qa/node-startup-bench/src/javaRestTest/java/org/elasticsearch/test/NodeStartupIT.java
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+/*
+ * Copyright Elasticsearch B.V. and/or licensed to Elasticsearch B.V. under one
+ * or more contributor license agreements. Licensed under the "Elastic License
+ * 2.0", the "GNU Affero General Public License v3.0 only", and the "Server Side
+ * Public License v 1"; you may not use this file except in compliance with, at
+ * your election, the "Elastic License 2.0", the "GNU Affero General Public
+ * License v3.0 only", or the "Server Side Public License, v 1".
+ */
+
+package org.elasticsearch.test;
+
+import org.elasticsearch.test.cluster.ElasticsearchCluster;
+import org.elasticsearch.test.cluster.local.distribution.DistributionType;
+import org.elasticsearch.test.cluster.util.Version;
+import org.elasticsearch.test.rest.ESRestTestCase;
+import org.junit.ClassRule;
+
+public class NodeStartupIT extends ESRestTestCase {
+
+    @ClassRule
+    public static ElasticsearchCluster cluster = ElasticsearchCluster.local()
+        .distribution(DistributionType.DEFAULT)
+        .setting("xpack.security.enabled", "false")
+        .version(Version.fromString(System.getProperty("tests.old_cluster_version")))
+        .build();
+
+    @Override
+    protected String getTestRestCluster() {
+        return cluster.getHttpAddresses();
+    }
+
+    public void testStartup() {
+        // Cluster is assumed to be up
+        assertTrue(true);
+    }
+}