diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/discovery/zen/ElectMasterService.java b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/discovery/zen/ElectMasterService.java
index f0de15da9ae52..92b20c5199b89 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/discovery/zen/ElectMasterService.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/discovery/zen/ElectMasterService.java
@@ -111,14 +111,14 @@ public int minimumMasterNodes() {
         return minimumMasterNodes;
     }
 
-    public boolean hasEnoughMasterNodes(Iterable<DiscoveryNode> nodes) {
+    public int countMasterNodes(Iterable<DiscoveryNode> nodes) {
         int count = 0;
         for (DiscoveryNode node : nodes) {
             if (node.isMasterNode()) {
                 count++;
             }
         }
-        return count > 0 && (minimumMasterNodes < 0 || count >= minimumMasterNodes);
+        return count;
     }
 
     public boolean hasEnoughCandidates(Collection<MasterCandidate> candidates) {
@@ -149,13 +149,12 @@ public DiscoveryNode tieBreakActiveMasters(Collection<DiscoveryNode> activeMaste
         return activeMasters.stream().min(ElectMasterService::compareNodes).get();
     }
 
+    public boolean hasEnoughMasterNodes(Iterable<DiscoveryNode> nodes) {
+        return minimumMasterNodes < 1 || countMasterNodes(nodes) >= minimumMasterNodes;
+    }
+
     public boolean hasTooManyMasterNodes(Iterable<DiscoveryNode> nodes) {
-        int count = 0;
-        for (DiscoveryNode node : nodes) {
-            if (node.isMasterNode()) {
-                count++;
-            }
-        }
+        final int count = countMasterNodes(nodes);
         return count > 1 && minimumMasterNodes <= count / 2;
     }
 
diff --git a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/discovery/zen/ZenDiscovery.java b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/discovery/zen/ZenDiscovery.java
index 72c33c873d4ae..f5dbaac62423f 100644
--- a/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/discovery/zen/ZenDiscovery.java
+++ b/core/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/discovery/zen/ZenDiscovery.java
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@
 import org.elasticsearch.common.io.stream.StreamInput;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.io.stream.StreamOutput;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.lease.Releasables;
+import org.elasticsearch.common.logging.LoggerMessageFormat;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.settings.Setting;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.settings.Setting.Property;
 import org.elasticsearch.common.settings.Settings;
@@ -580,8 +581,10 @@ public ClusterTasksResult<Task> execute(final ClusterState currentState, final L
             final ClusterState remainingNodesClusterState = remainingNodesClusterState(currentState, remainingNodesBuilder);
 
             final ClusterTasksResult.Builder<Task> resultBuilder = ClusterTasksResult.<Task>builder().successes(tasks);
-            if (!electMasterService.hasEnoughMasterNodes(remainingNodesClusterState.nodes())) {
-                rejoin.accept("not enough master nodes");
+            if (electMasterService.hasEnoughMasterNodes(remainingNodesClusterState.nodes()) == false) {
+                final int masterNodes = electMasterService.countMasterNodes(remainingNodesClusterState.nodes());
+                rejoin.accept(LoggerMessageFormat.format("not enough master nodes (has [{}], but needed [{}])",
+                                                         masterNodes, electMasterService.minimumMasterNodes()));
                 return resultBuilder.build(currentState);
             } else {
                 return resultBuilder.build(allocationService.deassociateDeadNodes(remainingNodesClusterState, true, describeTasks(tasks)));
@@ -920,7 +923,8 @@ private DiscoveryNode findMaster() {
                 return winner.getNode();
             } else {
                 // if we don't have enough master nodes, we bail, because there are not enough master to elect from
-                logger.trace("not enough master nodes [{}]", masterCandidates);
+                logger.warn("not enough master nodes discovered during pinging (found [{}], but needed [{}]), pinging again",
+                            masterCandidates, electMaster.minimumMasterNodes());
                 return null;
             }
         } else {
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/discovery/zen/ElectMasterServiceTests.java b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/discovery/zen/ElectMasterServiceTests.java
index f59cc1cc6fb0f..2f3bd44f47586 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/discovery/zen/ElectMasterServiceTests.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/discovery/zen/ElectMasterServiceTests.java
@@ -139,4 +139,19 @@ public void testElectMaster() {
             }
         }
     }
+
+    public void testCountMasterNodes() {
+        List<DiscoveryNode> nodes = generateRandomNodes();
+        ElectMasterService service = electMasterService();
+
+        int masterNodes = 0;
+
+        for (DiscoveryNode node : nodes) {
+            if (node.isMasterNode()) {
+                masterNodes++;
+            }
+        }
+
+        assertEquals(masterNodes, service.countMasterNodes(nodes));
+    }
 }
diff --git a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/discovery/zen/NodeRemovalClusterStateTaskExecutorTests.java b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/discovery/zen/NodeRemovalClusterStateTaskExecutorTests.java
index 70b291fee6028..bf25a7babd179 100644
--- a/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/discovery/zen/NodeRemovalClusterStateTaskExecutorTests.java
+++ b/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/discovery/zen/NodeRemovalClusterStateTaskExecutorTests.java
@@ -108,6 +108,8 @@ ClusterState remainingNodesClusterState(ClusterState currentState, DiscoveryNode
         final ClusterStateTaskExecutor.ClusterTasksResult<ZenDiscovery.NodeRemovalClusterStateTaskExecutor.Task> result =
                 executor.execute(clusterState, tasks);
         verify(electMasterService).hasEnoughMasterNodes(eq(remainingNodesClusterState.get().nodes()));
+        verify(electMasterService).countMasterNodes(eq(remainingNodesClusterState.get().nodes()));
+        verify(electMasterService).minimumMasterNodes();
         verifyNoMoreInteractions(electMasterService);
 
         // ensure that we did not reroute