diff --git a/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/coordination/CoordinatorTests.java b/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/coordination/CoordinatorTests.java
index 286ee3f5c0d37..c7e6fc91b9440 100644
--- a/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/coordination/CoordinatorTests.java
+++ b/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/coordination/CoordinatorTests.java
@@ -92,6 +92,7 @@
 import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.equalTo;
 import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.greaterThanOrEqualTo;
 import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.is;
+import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.lessThanOrEqualTo;
 import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.not;
 
 @TestLogging("org.elasticsearch.cluster.coordination:TRACE,org.elasticsearch.discovery:TRACE")
@@ -305,7 +306,7 @@ public void testAckListenerReceivesNackFromLeader() {
 
         leader.setClusterStateApplyResponse(ClusterStateApplyResponse.FAIL);
         AckCollector ackCollector = leader.submitValue(randomLong());
-        cluster.runFor(DEFAULT_CLUSTER_STATE_UPDATE_DELAY);
+        cluster.runFor(DEFAULT_CLUSTER_STATE_UPDATE_DELAY, "committing value");
         assertTrue(leader.coordinator.getMode() != Coordinator.Mode.LEADER || leader.coordinator.getCurrentTerm() > startingTerm);
         leader.setClusterStateApplyResponse(ClusterStateApplyResponse.SUCCEED);
         cluster.stabilise();
@@ -325,7 +326,7 @@ public void testAckListenerReceivesNoAckFromHangingFollower() {
 
         follower0.setClusterStateApplyResponse(ClusterStateApplyResponse.HANG);
         AckCollector ackCollector = leader.submitValue(randomLong());
-        cluster.runFor(DEFAULT_CLUSTER_STATE_UPDATE_DELAY);
+        cluster.runFor(DEFAULT_CLUSTER_STATE_UPDATE_DELAY, "committing value");
         assertTrue("expected immediate ack from " + follower1, ackCollector.hasAckedSuccessfully(follower1));
         assertFalse("expected no ack from " + leader, ackCollector.hasAckedSuccessfully(leader));
         cluster.stabilise();
@@ -344,7 +345,7 @@ public void testAckListenerReceivesNacksIfPublicationTimesOut() {
         follower0.blackhole();
         follower1.blackhole();
         AckCollector ackCollector = leader.submitValue(randomLong());
-        cluster.runFor(DEFAULT_CLUSTER_STATE_UPDATE_DELAY);
+        cluster.runFor(DEFAULT_CLUSTER_STATE_UPDATE_DELAY, "committing value");
         assertFalse("expected no immediate ack from " + leader, ackCollector.hasAcked(leader));
         assertFalse("expected no immediate ack from " + follower0, ackCollector.hasAcked(follower0));
         assertFalse("expected no immediate ack from " + follower1, ackCollector.hasAcked(follower1));
@@ -501,6 +502,8 @@ void runRandomly() {
 
             while (finishTime == -1 || deterministicTaskQueue.getCurrentTimeMillis() <= finishTime) {
                 step++;
+                final int thisStep = step; // for lambdas
+
                 if (randomSteps <= step && finishTime == -1) {
                     finishTime = deterministicTaskQueue.getLatestDeferredExecutionTime();
                     deterministicTaskQueue.setExecutionDelayVariabilityMillis(DEFAULT_DELAY_VARIABILITY);
@@ -511,14 +514,19 @@ void runRandomly() {
                     if (rarely()) {
                         final ClusterNode clusterNode = getAnyNodePreferringLeaders();
                         final int newValue = randomInt();
-                        logger.debug("----> [runRandomly {}] proposing new value [{}] to [{}]", step, newValue, clusterNode.getId());
-                        clusterNode.submitValue(newValue);
+                        onNode(clusterNode.getLocalNode(), () -> {
+                            logger.debug("----> [runRandomly {}] proposing new value [{}] to [{}]",
+                                thisStep, newValue, clusterNode.getId());
+                            clusterNode.submitValue(newValue);
+                        }).run();
                     } else if (rarely()) {
                         final ClusterNode clusterNode = getAnyNode();
-                        logger.debug("----> [runRandomly {}] forcing {} to become candidate", step, clusterNode.getId());
-                        synchronized (clusterNode.coordinator.mutex) {
-                            clusterNode.coordinator.becomeCandidate("runRandomly");
-                        }
+                        onNode(clusterNode.getLocalNode(), () -> {
+                            logger.debug("----> [runRandomly {}] forcing {} to become candidate", thisStep, clusterNode.getId());
+                            synchronized (clusterNode.coordinator.mutex) {
+                                clusterNode.coordinator.becomeCandidate("runRandomly");
+                            }
+                        }).run();
                     } else if (rarely()) {
                         final ClusterNode clusterNode = getAnyNode();
 
@@ -587,10 +595,10 @@ void stabilise() {
             stabilise(DEFAULT_STABILISATION_TIME);
         }
 
-        void stabilise(long stabiliationDurationMillis) {
-            logger.info("--> stabilising until [{}ms]", deterministicTaskQueue.getCurrentTimeMillis() + stabiliationDurationMillis);
-            deterministicTaskQueue.setExecutionDelayVariabilityMillis(DEFAULT_DELAY_VARIABILITY);
-            runFor(stabiliationDurationMillis);
+        void stabilise(long stabilisationDurationMillis) {
+            assertThat("stabilisation requires default delay variability (and proper cleanup of raised variability)",
+                deterministicTaskQueue.getExecutionDelayVariabilityMillis(), lessThanOrEqualTo(DEFAULT_DELAY_VARIABILITY));
+            runFor(stabilisationDurationMillis, "stabilising");
 
             // TODO remove when term-bumping is enabled
             final long maxTerm = clusterNodes.stream().map(n -> n.coordinator.getCurrentTerm()).max(Long::compare).orElse(0L);
@@ -600,20 +608,22 @@ void stabilise(long stabiliationDurationMillis) {
             if (maxLeaderTerm < maxTerm) {
                 logger.info("--> forcing a term bump, maxTerm={}, maxLeaderTerm={}", maxTerm, maxLeaderTerm);
                 final ClusterNode leader = getAnyLeader();
-                synchronized (leader.coordinator.mutex) {
-                    leader.coordinator.ensureTermAtLeast(leader.localNode, maxTerm + 1);
-                }
-                leader.coordinator.startElection();
-                logger.info("--> re-stabilising after term bump until [{}ms]",
-                    deterministicTaskQueue.getCurrentTimeMillis() + DEFAULT_ELECTION_DELAY);
-                runFor(DEFAULT_ELECTION_DELAY);
+                onNode(leader.getLocalNode(), () -> {
+                    synchronized (leader.coordinator.mutex) {
+                        leader.coordinator.ensureTermAtLeast(leader.localNode, maxTerm + 1);
+                    }
+                    leader.coordinator.startElection();
+                }).run();
+                runFor(DEFAULT_ELECTION_DELAY, "re-stabilising after term bump");
             }
+            logger.info("--> end of stabilisation");
 
             assertUniqueLeaderAndExpectedModes();
         }
 
-        void runFor(long runDurationMillis) {
+        void runFor(long runDurationMillis, String description) {
             final long endTime = deterministicTaskQueue.getCurrentTimeMillis() + runDurationMillis;
+            logger.info("----> runFor({}ms) running until [{}ms]: {}", runDurationMillis, endTime, description);
 
             while (deterministicTaskQueue.getCurrentTimeMillis() < endTime) {
 
@@ -637,6 +647,8 @@ void runFor(long runDurationMillis) {
 
                 deterministicTaskQueue.advanceTime();
             }
+
+            logger.info("----> runFor({}ms) completed run until [{}ms]: {}", runDurationMillis, endTime, description);
         }
 
         private boolean isConnectedPair(ClusterNode n1, ClusterNode n2) {
@@ -963,7 +975,7 @@ public void run() {
                                         final ClusterState newClusterState = clusterStateSupplier.get();
                                         assert oldClusterState.version() <= newClusterState.version() :
                                             "updating cluster state from version "
-                                            + oldClusterState.version() + " to stale version " + newClusterState.version();
+                                                + oldClusterState.version() + " to stale version " + newClusterState.version();
                                         clusterApplier.lastAppliedClusterState = newClusterState;
                                     }