diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/monitoring/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/monitoring/action/TransportMonitoringMigrateAlertsActionTests.java b/x-pack/plugin/monitoring/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/monitoring/action/TransportMonitoringMigrateAlertsActionTests.java
index 4cd5aa1b3952a..e60ca4a584ec3 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/monitoring/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/monitoring/action/TransportMonitoringMigrateAlertsActionTests.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/monitoring/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/monitoring/action/TransportMonitoringMigrateAlertsActionTests.java
@@ -31,12 +31,16 @@
 import org.elasticsearch.common.collect.Tuple;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.settings.Settings;
 import org.elasticsearch.plugins.Plugin;
+import org.elasticsearch.rest.RestStatus;
 import org.elasticsearch.test.ESIntegTestCase;
 import org.elasticsearch.test.http.MockRequest;
 import org.elasticsearch.test.http.MockResponse;
 import org.elasticsearch.test.http.MockWebServer;
 import org.elasticsearch.test.junit.annotations.TestLogging;
 import org.elasticsearch.xpack.core.XPackSettings;
+import org.elasticsearch.xpack.core.monitoring.action.MonitoringBulkAction;
+import org.elasticsearch.xpack.core.monitoring.action.MonitoringBulkRequest;
+import org.elasticsearch.xpack.core.monitoring.action.MonitoringBulkResponse;
 import org.elasticsearch.xpack.core.monitoring.action.MonitoringMigrateAlertsAction;
 import org.elasticsearch.xpack.core.monitoring.action.MonitoringMigrateAlertsRequest;
 import org.elasticsearch.xpack.core.monitoring.action.MonitoringMigrateAlertsResponse;
@@ -50,6 +54,7 @@
 import org.elasticsearch.xpack.monitoring.exporter.ClusterAlertsUtil;
 import org.elasticsearch.xpack.monitoring.exporter.http.HttpExporter;
 import org.elasticsearch.xpack.monitoring.exporter.local.LocalExporter;
+import org.elasticsearch.xpack.monitoring.exporter.local.LocalExporterIntegTests;
 import org.elasticsearch.xpack.monitoring.test.MonitoringIntegTestCase;
 import org.junit.After;
 import org.junit.Before;
@@ -480,6 +485,18 @@ public void testRemoteAlertsRemoteDisallowsWatcher() throws Exception {
     }
 
     private void ensureInitialLocalResources() throws Exception {
+        // Should trigger setting up alert watches via LocalExporter#openBulk(...) and
+        // then eventually to LocalExporter#setupIfElectedMaster(...)
+        // Sometimes this last method doesn't install watches, because elected master node doesn't export monitor documents.
+        // and then these assertions here fail.
+        {
+            MonitoringBulkRequest request = new MonitoringBulkRequest();
+            request.add(LocalExporterIntegTests.createMonitoringBulkDoc());
+            String masterNode = internalCluster().getMasterName();
+            MonitoringBulkResponse response = client(masterNode).execute(MonitoringBulkAction.INSTANCE, request).actionGet();
+            assertThat(response.status(), equalTo(RestStatus.OK));
+        }
+
         waitForWatcherIndices();
         assertBusy(() -> {
             assertThat(indexExists(".monitoring-*"), is(true));
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/monitoring/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/monitoring/exporter/local/LocalExporterIntegTests.java b/x-pack/plugin/monitoring/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/monitoring/exporter/local/LocalExporterIntegTests.java
index 5aa6e729e72eb..d66f768f22151 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/monitoring/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/monitoring/exporter/local/LocalExporterIntegTests.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/monitoring/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/monitoring/exporter/local/LocalExporterIntegTests.java
@@ -303,7 +303,7 @@ private void checkMonitoringDocs() {
         }
     }
 
-    private static MonitoringBulkDoc createMonitoringBulkDoc() throws IOException {
+    public static MonitoringBulkDoc createMonitoringBulkDoc() throws IOException {
         final MonitoredSystem system = randomFrom(BEATS, KIBANA, LOGSTASH);
         final XContentType xContentType = randomFrom(XContentType.values());
         final BytesReference source;