diff --git a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/routing/allocation/allocator/DesiredBalanceReconciler.java b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/routing/allocation/allocator/DesiredBalanceReconciler.java
index 38c2806778dff..38707be18f381 100644
--- a/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/routing/allocation/allocator/DesiredBalanceReconciler.java
+++ b/server/src/main/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/routing/allocation/allocator/DesiredBalanceReconciler.java
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@
 
 import java.util.Comparator;
 import java.util.Iterator;
+import java.util.List;
 import java.util.Set;
 import java.util.function.BiFunction;
 import java.util.stream.Collectors;
@@ -633,7 +634,9 @@ private DiscoveryNode findRelocationTarget(
             Set<String> desiredNodeIds,
             BiFunction<ShardRouting, RoutingNode, Decision> canAllocateDecider
         ) {
-            for (final var nodeId : desiredNodeIds) {
+            // First sort by allocation ordering so we distribute relocated shards evenly
+            final List<String> allocationPreference = allocationOrdering.sort(desiredNodeIds);
+            for (final var nodeId : allocationPreference) {
                 // TODO consider ignored nodes here too?
                 if (nodeId.equals(shardRouting.currentNodeId())) {
                     continue;
@@ -645,6 +648,7 @@ private DiscoveryNode findRelocationTarget(
                 final var decision = canAllocateDecider.apply(shardRouting, node);
                 logger.trace("relocate {} to {}: {}", shardRouting, nodeId, decision);
                 if (decision.type() == Decision.Type.YES) {
+                    allocationOrdering.recordAllocation(nodeId);
                     return node.node();
                 }
             }
diff --git a/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/routing/allocation/allocator/DesiredBalanceReconcilerTests.java b/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/routing/allocation/allocator/DesiredBalanceReconcilerTests.java
index 4eed552d5f1af..1b4d98e6c6b91 100644
--- a/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/routing/allocation/allocator/DesiredBalanceReconcilerTests.java
+++ b/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/cluster/routing/allocation/allocator/DesiredBalanceReconcilerTests.java
@@ -74,6 +74,7 @@
 import org.elasticsearch.threadpool.ThreadPool;
 import org.junit.BeforeClass;
 
+import java.util.Arrays;
 import java.util.Comparator;
 import java.util.HashMap;
 import java.util.HashSet;
@@ -88,6 +89,7 @@
 import java.util.concurrent.atomic.AtomicReference;
 import java.util.function.BiPredicate;
 import java.util.function.Consumer;
+import java.util.function.Function;
 import java.util.function.Predicate;
 import java.util.stream.Collectors;
 import java.util.stream.IntStream;
@@ -107,6 +109,7 @@
 import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.notNullValue;
 import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.nullValue;
 import static org.hamcrest.Matchers.oneOf;
+import static org.junit.Assert.assertTrue;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.mock;
 import static org.mockito.Mockito.when;
 
@@ -982,6 +985,79 @@ public Decision canAllocate(ShardRouting shardRouting, RoutingAllocation allocat
         assertThat(shuttingDownState.getRoutingNodes().node("node-2").numberOfShardsWithState(ShardRoutingState.INITIALIZING), equalTo(1));
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Simulate many nodes leaving a cluster, ensure that
+     * shards that are reallocated evenly among desired
+     * candidates
+     */
+    public void testShardsAreRelocatedEvenly() {
+        final var numNodes = randomIntBetween(6, 10);
+        final var numToRemain = randomIntBetween(2, numNodes - 1);
+        final var discoveryNodes = discoveryNodes(numNodes);
+        final var numberOfIndices = randomIntBetween(6, 20);
+
+        final Metadata.Builder metadataBuilder = Metadata.builder();
+        final RoutingTable.Builder routingTableBuilder = RoutingTable.builder(TestShardRoutingRoleStrategies.DEFAULT_ROLE_ONLY);
+        for (int i = 0; i < numberOfIndices; i++) {
+            final String indexName = "index-" + i;
+            final IndexMetadata indexMetadata = randomPriorityIndex(indexName, 1, 0);
+            metadataBuilder.put(indexMetadata, true);
+            routingTableBuilder.addAsNew(indexMetadata);
+        }
+
+        var clusterState = ClusterState.builder(ClusterName.DEFAULT)
+            .nodes(discoveryNodes)
+            .metadata(metadataBuilder.build())
+            .routingTable(routingTableBuilder.build())
+            .build();
+
+        Function<String, Integer> nodeOrdinal = (String nodeName) -> Integer.parseInt(nodeName.split("-")[1]);
+
+        // Initially put all shards on the nodes that are going to leave the cluster
+        AtomicReference<DesiredBalance> db = new AtomicReference<>(
+            desiredBalance(clusterState, (shardId, nodeId) -> nodeOrdinal.apply(nodeId) >= numToRemain)
+        );
+        final var allocationService = createTestAllocationService(routingAllocation -> reconcile(routingAllocation, db.get()));
+        clusterState = fullyReconcile(allocationService, clusterState);
+        logger.info("Initial state: {}", shardCounts(clusterState));
+
+        // Recalculate desired balance, marking only remaining nodes as desired
+        db.set(desiredBalance(clusterState, (shardId, nodeId) -> nodeOrdinal.apply(nodeId) < numToRemain));
+
+        // Reconcile it
+        clusterState = fullyReconcile(allocationService, clusterState);
+        logger.info("State after shutdowns: {}", shardCounts(clusterState));
+
+        Map<String, Integer> allocationCounts = shardCounts(clusterState);
+
+        // Only the remaining nodes should have allocations
+        assertTrue(allocationCounts.keySet().stream().allMatch(nodeId -> nodeOrdinal.apply(nodeId) < numToRemain));
+
+        // ... and the shards should be spread as evenly as possible over them
+        int[] remainingNodeShardCounts = IntStream.range(0, numToRemain - 1)
+            .map(ordinal -> allocationCounts.getOrDefault("node-" + ordinal, 0))
+            .toArray();
+        int minimumAllocationCount = Arrays.stream(remainingNodeShardCounts).min().orElse(0);
+        int maximumAllocationCount = Arrays.stream(remainingNodeShardCounts).max().orElse(Integer.MAX_VALUE);
+        assertThat(maximumAllocationCount - minimumAllocationCount, lessThanOrEqualTo(1));
+    }
+
+    private Map<String, Integer> shardCounts(ClusterState clusterState) {
+        Map<String, Integer> shardCounts = new HashMap<>();
+        clusterState.routingTable().allShards().forEach(sr -> shardCounts.compute(sr.currentNodeId(), (v, e) -> e == null ? 0 : e + 1));
+        return shardCounts;
+    }
+
+    private static ClusterState fullyReconcile(AllocationService allocationService, ClusterState clusterState) {
+        boolean changed;
+        do {
+            final var newState = startInitializingShardsAndReroute(allocationService, clusterState);
+            changed = newState != clusterState;
+            clusterState = newState;
+        } while (changed);
+        return clusterState;
+    }
+
     public void testRebalance() {
         final var discoveryNodes = discoveryNodes(4);
         final var metadata = Metadata.builder();