diff --git a/testing/trino-testing/src/main/java/io/trino/testing/DistributedQueryRunner.java b/testing/trino-testing/src/main/java/io/trino/testing/DistributedQueryRunner.java
index cf80b64e25ac..dc34c8cdf0d1 100644
--- a/testing/trino-testing/src/main/java/io/trino/testing/DistributedQueryRunner.java
+++ b/testing/trino-testing/src/main/java/io/trino/testing/DistributedQueryRunner.java
@@ -123,10 +123,6 @@ private DistributedQueryRunner(
     {
         requireNonNull(defaultSession, "defaultSession is null");
 
-        if (backupCoordinatorProperties.isPresent()) {
-            checkArgument(nodeCount >= 2, "the nodeCount must be greater than or equal to two!");
-        }
-
         setupLogging();
 
         try {
@@ -137,7 +133,9 @@ private DistributedQueryRunner(
 
             registerNewWorker = () -> createServer(false, extraProperties, environment, additionalModule, baseDataDir, ImmutableList.of(), ImmutableList.of());
 
-            for (int i = backupCoordinatorProperties.isEmpty() ? 1 : 2; i < nodeCount; i++) {
+            int coordinatorCount = backupCoordinatorProperties.isEmpty() ? 1 : 2;
+            checkArgument(nodeCount >= coordinatorCount, "nodeCount includes coordinator(s) count, so must be at least %s, got: %s", coordinatorCount, nodeCount);
+            for (int i = coordinatorCount; i < nodeCount; i++) {
                 registerNewWorker.run();
             }