diff --git a/muted-tests.yml b/muted-tests.yml
index 33212b5652175..05971de88fa90 100644
--- a/muted-tests.yml
+++ b/muted-tests.yml
@@ -379,9 +379,6 @@ tests:
 - class: org.elasticsearch.xpack.search.AsyncSearchConcurrentStatusIT
   method: testConcurrentStatusFetchWhileTaskCloses
   issue: https://github.com/elastic/elasticsearch/issues/138543
-- class: org.elasticsearch.xpack.core.security.authc.AuthenticationTests
-  method: testMaybeRewriteForOlderVersionWithCrossClusterAccessRewritesAuthenticationInMetadata
-  issue: https://github.com/elastic/elasticsearch/issues/139167
 - class: org.elasticsearch.smoketest.MlWithSecurityIT
   method: test {yaml=ml/sparse_vector_search/Test sparse_vector search with query vector and pruning config}
   issue: https://github.com/elastic/elasticsearch/issues/139196
diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/security/authc/AuthenticationTests.java b/x-pack/plugin/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/security/authc/AuthenticationTests.java
index 2085e38a12758..3498146270f99 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/security/authc/AuthenticationTests.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/core/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/core/security/authc/AuthenticationTests.java
@@ -874,7 +874,6 @@ public void testBwcWithStoredAuthenticationHeaders() throws IOException {
     }
 
     public void testMaybeRewriteForOlderVersionWithCrossClusterAccessRewritesAuthenticationInMetadata() throws IOException {
-        randomTransportVersion(Authentication.VERSION_CROSS_CLUSTER_ACCESS);
         final TransportVersion version = randomTransportVersion(Authentication.VERSION_CROSS_CLUSTER_ACCESS);
         final Authentication innerAuthentication = AuthenticationTestHelper.builder().transportVersion(version).build();
         final Authentication authentication = AuthenticationTestHelper.builder()
@@ -883,7 +882,9 @@ public void testMaybeRewriteForOlderVersionWithCrossClusterAccessRewritesAuthent
                 new CrossClusterAccessSubjectInfo(innerAuthentication, RoleDescriptorsIntersection.EMPTY)
             )
             .build();
-        final TransportVersion maybeOldVersion = randomTransportVersion(Authentication.VERSION_CROSS_CLUSTER_ACCESS);
+        final TransportVersion maybeOldVersion = Authentication.VERSION_CROSS_CLUSTER_ACCESS == version
+            ? version
+            : randomTransportVersionBetween(Authentication.VERSION_CROSS_CLUSTER_ACCESS, version);
 
         final Authentication actual = authentication.maybeRewriteForOlderVersion(maybeOldVersion);