diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index c4c8a68947f65..d4982500de30c 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ The format is based on [Keep a Changelog](https://keepachangelog.com/en/1.0.0/),
 - Fix flaky test FieldDataLoadingIT.testIndicesFieldDataCacheSizeSetting ([#19571](https://github.com/opensearch-project/OpenSearch/pull/19571))
 - Avoid primary shard failure caused by merged segment warmer exceptions ([#19436](https://github.com/opensearch-project/OpenSearch/pull/19436))
 - Fix pull-based ingestion out-of-bounds offset scenarios and remove persisted offsets ([#19607](https://github.com/opensearch-project/OpenSearch/pull/19607))
+- Fix flaky test ClusterMaxMergesAtOnceIT.testClusterLevelDefaultUpdatesMergePolicy ([#18056](https://github.com/opensearch-project/OpenSearch/issues/18056))
 
 ### Dependencies
 - Update to Gradle 9.1 ([#19575](https://github.com/opensearch-project/OpenSearch/pull/19575))
diff --git a/server/src/internalClusterTest/java/org/opensearch/index/ClusterMaxMergesAtOnceIT.java b/server/src/internalClusterTest/java/org/opensearch/index/ClusterMaxMergesAtOnceIT.java
index 26ddbedd5c235..3f0fb93411ac8 100644
--- a/server/src/internalClusterTest/java/org/opensearch/index/ClusterMaxMergesAtOnceIT.java
+++ b/server/src/internalClusterTest/java/org/opensearch/index/ClusterMaxMergesAtOnceIT.java
@@ -64,7 +64,6 @@ public void setUp() throws Exception {
         internalCluster().startClusterManagerOnlyNode();
     }
 
-    @AwaitsFix(bugUrl = "https://github.com/opensearch-project/OpenSearch/issues/18056")
     public void testClusterLevelDefaultUpdatesMergePolicy() throws ExecutionException, InterruptedException {
         String clusterManagerName = internalCluster().getClusterManagerName();
         List<String> dataNodes = new ArrayList<>(internalCluster().getDataNodeNames());
@@ -96,11 +95,15 @@ public void testClusterLevelDefaultUpdatesMergePolicy() throws ExecutionExceptio
         assertEquals(20, ((OpenSearchTieredMergePolicy) indexService.getIndexSettings().getMergePolicy(true)).getMaxMergeAtOnce());
         assertEquals(20, ((OpenSearchTieredMergePolicy) secondIndexService.getIndexSettings().getMergePolicy(true)).getMaxMergeAtOnce());
 
+        int replicas = randomIntBetween(1, Math.max(1, internalCluster().numDataNodes() - 1));
         // Create index with index level override in settings
         indexName = "log-myindex-3";
         createIndex(
             indexName,
-            Settings.builder().put(TieredMergePolicyProvider.INDEX_MERGE_POLICY_MAX_MERGE_AT_ONCE_SETTING.getKey(), 15).build()
+            Settings.builder()
+                .put(TieredMergePolicyProvider.INDEX_MERGE_POLICY_MAX_MERGE_AT_ONCE_SETTING.getKey(), 15)
+                .put(IndexMetadata.SETTING_NUMBER_OF_REPLICAS, replicas)
+                .build()
         );
         ensureYellowAndNoInitializingShards(indexName);
         ensureGreen(indexName);