diff --git a/muted-tests.yml b/muted-tests.yml
index a92fa0a131920..324ff1bde4a1f 100644
--- a/muted-tests.yml
+++ b/muted-tests.yml
@@ -405,9 +405,6 @@ tests:
 - class: org.elasticsearch.xpack.esql.qa.single_node.GenerativeIT
   method: test
   issue: https://github.com/elastic/elasticsearch/issues/130067
-- class: org.elasticsearch.index.engine.ThreadPoolMergeExecutorServiceDiskSpaceTests
-  method: testUnavailableBudgetBlocksNewMergeTasksFromStartingExecution
-  issue: https://github.com/elastic/elasticsearch/issues/130205
 - class: org.elasticsearch.search.SearchWithRejectionsIT
   method: testOpenContextsAfterRejections
   issue: https://github.com/elastic/elasticsearch/issues/130821
diff --git a/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/index/engine/ThreadPoolMergeExecutorServiceDiskSpaceTests.java b/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/index/engine/ThreadPoolMergeExecutorServiceDiskSpaceTests.java
index 9f34c56cf041e..cc8d56c2fb37b 100644
--- a/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/index/engine/ThreadPoolMergeExecutorServiceDiskSpaceTests.java
+++ b/server/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/index/engine/ThreadPoolMergeExecutorServiceDiskSpaceTests.java
@@ -771,16 +771,8 @@ public void testUnavailableBudgetBlocksNewMergeTasksFromStartingExecution() thro
             while (submittedMergesCount > 0 && expectedAvailableBudget.get() > 0L) {
                 ThreadPoolMergeScheduler.MergeTask mergeTask = mock(ThreadPoolMergeScheduler.MergeTask.class);
                 when(mergeTask.supportsIOThrottling()).thenReturn(randomBoolean());
-                doAnswer(mock -> {
-                    Schedule schedule = randomFrom(Schedule.values());
-                    if (schedule == BACKLOG) {
-                        testThreadPool.executor(ThreadPool.Names.GENERIC).execute(() -> {
-                            // re-enqueue backlogged merge task
-                            threadPoolMergeExecutorService.reEnqueueBackloggedMergeTask(mergeTask);
-                        });
-                    }
-                    return schedule;
-                }).when(mergeTask).schedule();
+                // avoid backlogging and re-enqueing merge tasks in this test because it makes the queue's available budget unsteady
+                when(mergeTask.schedule()).thenReturn(randomFrom(RUN, ABORT));
                 // let some task complete, which will NOT hold up any budget
                 if (randomBoolean()) {
                     // this task will NOT hold up any budget because it runs quickly (it is not blocked)