diff --git a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/discovery/zen/ZenDiscovery.java b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/discovery/zen/ZenDiscovery.java
index 50f5747243a2d..8ccd5046e24ba 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/discovery/zen/ZenDiscovery.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/discovery/zen/ZenDiscovery.java
@@ -76,6 +76,8 @@
  */
 public class ZenDiscovery extends AbstractLifecycleComponent<Discovery> implements Discovery, DiscoveryNodesProvider {
 
+    private final static String REJOIN_ON_MASTER_GONE = "discovery.zen.rejoin_on_master_gone";
+
     public static final String DISCOVERY_REJOIN_ACTION_NAME = "internal:discovery/zen/rejoin";
 
     private final ThreadPool threadPool;
@@ -117,7 +119,7 @@ public class ZenDiscovery extends AbstractLifecycleComponent<Discovery> implemen
 
     private final AtomicBoolean initialStateSent = new AtomicBoolean();
 
-    private final boolean rejoinOnMasterGone;
+    private volatile boolean rejoinOnMasterGone;
 
 
     @Nullable
@@ -144,7 +146,7 @@ public ZenDiscovery(Settings settings, ClusterName clusterName, ThreadPool threa
 
         this.masterElectionFilterClientNodes = settings.getAsBoolean("discovery.zen.master_election.filter_client", true);
         this.masterElectionFilterDataNodes = settings.getAsBoolean("discovery.zen.master_election.filter_data", false);
-        this.rejoinOnMasterGone = settings.getAsBoolean("discovery.zen.rejoin_on_master_gone", true);
+        this.rejoinOnMasterGone = settings.getAsBoolean(REJOIN_ON_MASTER_GONE, true);
 
         logger.debug("using ping.timeout [{}], join.timeout [{}], master_election.filter_client [{}], master_election.filter_data [{}]", pingTimeout, joinTimeout, masterElectionFilterClientNodes, masterElectionFilterDataNodes);
 
@@ -1015,6 +1017,12 @@ public void onRefreshSettings(Settings settings) {
                         ZenDiscovery.this.electMaster.minimumMasterNodes(), minimumMasterNodes);
                 handleMinimumMasterNodesChanged(minimumMasterNodes);
             }
+
+            boolean rejoinOnMasterGone = settings.getAsBoolean(REJOIN_ON_MASTER_GONE, ZenDiscovery.this.rejoinOnMasterGone);
+            if (rejoinOnMasterGone != ZenDiscovery.this.rejoinOnMasterGone) {
+                logger.info("updating {} from [{}] to [{}]", REJOIN_ON_MASTER_GONE, ZenDiscovery.this.rejoinOnMasterGone, rejoinOnMasterGone);
+                ZenDiscovery.this.rejoinOnMasterGone = rejoinOnMasterGone;
+            }
         }
     }
 }