diff --git a/changelog/16324.txt b/changelog/16324.txt
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..3d4cfbf2a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog/16324.txt
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+```release-note:bug
+storage/raft (enterprise): Prevent unauthenticated voter status change with rejoin
+```
diff --git a/helper/testhelpers/teststorage/teststorage.go b/helper/testhelpers/teststorage/teststorage.go
index 915d435da..bf342e11e 100644
--- a/helper/testhelpers/teststorage/teststorage.go
+++ b/helper/testhelpers/teststorage/teststorage.go
@@ -137,9 +137,11 @@ func RaftHAFactory(f PhysicalBackendBundler) func(t testing.T, coreIdx int, logg
 
 		nodeID := fmt.Sprintf("core-%d", coreIdx)
 		backendConf := map[string]string{
-			"path":                   raftDir,
-			"node_id":                nodeID,
-			"performance_multiplier": "8",
+			"path":                         raftDir,
+			"node_id":                      nodeID,
+			"performance_multiplier":       "8",
+			"autopilot_reconcile_interval": "300ms",
+			"autopilot_update_interval":    "100ms",
 		}
 
 		// Create and set the HA Backend
diff --git a/helper/testhelpers/teststorage/teststorage_reusable.go b/helper/testhelpers/teststorage/teststorage_reusable.go
index 69f3ec310..257a5a018 100644
--- a/helper/testhelpers/teststorage/teststorage_reusable.go
+++ b/helper/testhelpers/teststorage/teststorage_reusable.go
@@ -18,7 +18,6 @@ import (
 // seal migration, wherein a given physical backend must be re-used as several
 // test clusters are sequentially created, tested, and discarded.
 type ReusableStorage struct {
-
 	// IsRaft specifies whether the storage is using a raft backend.
 	IsRaft bool
 
@@ -169,9 +168,11 @@ func makeRaftDir(t testing.T) string {
 func makeReusableRaftBackend(t testing.T, coreIdx int, logger hclog.Logger, raftDir string, addressProvider raftlib.ServerAddressProvider, ha bool) *vault.PhysicalBackendBundle {
 	nodeID := fmt.Sprintf("core-%d", coreIdx)
 	conf := map[string]string{
-		"path":                   raftDir,
-		"node_id":                nodeID,
-		"performance_multiplier": "8",
+		"path":                         raftDir,
+		"node_id":                      nodeID,
+		"performance_multiplier":       "8",
+		"autopilot_reconcile_interval": "300ms",
+		"autopilot_update_interval":    "100ms",
 	}
 
 	backend, err := raft.NewRaftBackend(conf, logger)
diff --git a/vault/raft.go b/vault/raft.go
index 89397e18d..7799f4a0b 100644
--- a/vault/raft.go
+++ b/vault/raft.go
@@ -835,11 +835,6 @@ func (c *Core) JoinRaftCluster(ctx context.Context, leaderInfos []*raft.LeaderJo
 		return false, errors.New("raft backend not in use")
 	}
 
-	if err := raftBackend.SetDesiredSuffrage(nonVoter); err != nil {
-		c.logger.Error("failed to set desired suffrage for this node", "error", err)
-		return false, nil
-	}
-
 	init, err := c.InitializedLocally(ctx)
 	if err != nil {
 		return false, fmt.Errorf("failed to check if core is initialized: %w", err)
@@ -963,10 +958,21 @@ func (c *Core) JoinRaftCluster(ctx context.Context, leaderInfos []*raft.LeaderJo
 		if err != nil {
 			return fmt.Errorf("failed to check if core is initialized: %w", err)
 		}
-		if init && !isRaftHAOnly {
+
+		// InitializedLocally will return non-nil before HA backends are
+		// initialized. c.Initialized(ctx) checks InitializedLocally first, so
+		// we can't use that generically for both cases. Instead check
+		// raftBackend.Initialized() directly for the HA-Only case.
+		if (!isRaftHAOnly && init) || (isRaftHAOnly && raftBackend.Initialized()) {
 			c.logger.Info("returning from raft join as the node is initialized")
 			return nil
 		}
+
+		if err := raftBackend.SetDesiredSuffrage(nonVoter); err != nil {
+			c.logger.Error("failed to set desired suffrage for this node", "error", err)
+			return nil
+		}
+
 		challengeCh := make(chan *raftInformation)
 		var expandedJoinInfos []*raft.LeaderJoinInfo
 		for _, leaderInfo := range leaderInfos {
@@ -1001,6 +1007,7 @@ func (c *Core) JoinRaftCluster(ctx context.Context, leaderInfos []*raft.LeaderJo
 
 		select {
 		case <-ctx.Done():
+			err = ctx.Err()
 		case raftInfo := <-challengeCh:
 			if raftInfo != nil {
 				err = answerChallenge(ctx, raftInfo)
@@ -1009,7 +1016,7 @@ func (c *Core) JoinRaftCluster(ctx context.Context, leaderInfos []*raft.LeaderJo
 				}
 			}
 		}
-		return fmt.Errorf("timed out on raft join: %w", ctx.Err())
+		return err
 	}
 
 	switch retryFailures {