diff --git a/plugin/src/main/java/org/opensearch/ml/settings/MLCommonsSettings.java b/plugin/src/main/java/org/opensearch/ml/settings/MLCommonsSettings.java
index 0b61a9e249..1f47d5b9c1 100644
--- a/plugin/src/main/java/org/opensearch/ml/settings/MLCommonsSettings.java
+++ b/plugin/src/main/java/org/opensearch/ml/settings/MLCommonsSettings.java
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ private MLCommonsSettings() {}
     public static final Setting<Integer> ML_COMMONS_MAX_ML_TASK_PER_NODE = Setting
         .intSetting("plugins.ml_commons.max_ml_task_per_node", 10, 0, 10000, Setting.Property.NodeScope, Setting.Property.Dynamic);
     public static final Setting<Boolean> ML_COMMONS_ONLY_RUN_ON_ML_NODE = Setting
-        .boolSetting("plugins.ml_commons.only_run_on_ml_node", false, Setting.Property.NodeScope, Setting.Property.Dynamic);
+        .boolSetting("plugins.ml_commons.only_run_on_ml_node", true, Setting.Property.NodeScope, Setting.Property.Dynamic);
     public static final Setting<Integer> ML_COMMONS_SYNC_UP_JOB_INTERVAL_IN_SECONDS = Setting
         .intSetting(
             "plugins.ml_commons.sync_up_job_interval_in_seconds",
diff --git a/plugin/src/main/java/org/opensearch/ml/task/MLTaskDispatcher.java b/plugin/src/main/java/org/opensearch/ml/task/MLTaskDispatcher.java
index ad4db303b5..539baa9de1 100644
--- a/plugin/src/main/java/org/opensearch/ml/task/MLTaskDispatcher.java
+++ b/plugin/src/main/java/org/opensearch/ml/task/MLTaskDispatcher.java
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 import org.opensearch.ml.action.stats.MLStatsNodesAction;
 import org.opensearch.ml.action.stats.MLStatsNodesRequest;
 import org.opensearch.ml.cluster.DiscoveryNodeHelper;
+import org.opensearch.ml.common.exception.MLResourceNotFoundException;
 import org.opensearch.ml.stats.MLNodeLevelStat;
 
 import com.google.common.collect.ImmutableSet;
@@ -165,6 +166,9 @@ private void dispatchTaskWithLeastLoad(ActionListener<DiscoveryNode> listener) {
 
     private void dispatchTaskWithRoundRobin(ActionListener<DiscoveryNode> listener) {
         DiscoveryNode[] eligibleNodes = nodeHelper.getEligibleNodes();
+        if (eligibleNodes == null || eligibleNodes.length == 0) {
+            throw new MLResourceNotFoundException("no eligible node found, ml node is required to run this request");
+        }
         dispatchTaskWithRoundRobin(eligibleNodes, listener);
     }
 
diff --git a/plugin/src/test/java/org/opensearch/ml/action/MLCommonsIntegTestCase.java b/plugin/src/test/java/org/opensearch/ml/action/MLCommonsIntegTestCase.java
index 45a69388e6..6294aaffe3 100644
--- a/plugin/src/test/java/org/opensearch/ml/action/MLCommonsIntegTestCase.java
+++ b/plugin/src/test/java/org/opensearch/ml/action/MLCommonsIntegTestCase.java
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
 package org.opensearch.ml.action;
 
 import static org.opensearch.ml.common.input.parameter.regression.LogisticRegressionParams.ObjectiveType.LOGMULTICLASS;
+import static org.opensearch.ml.settings.MLCommonsSettings.ML_COMMONS_ONLY_RUN_ON_ML_NODE;
 import static org.opensearch.ml.utils.RestActionUtils.getAllNodes;
 import static org.opensearch.ml.utils.TestData.TARGET_FIELD;
 import static org.opensearch.ml.utils.TestData.TIME_FIELD;
@@ -24,6 +25,7 @@
 import org.opensearch.action.support.WriteRequest;
 import org.opensearch.cluster.node.DiscoveryNode;
 import org.opensearch.cluster.node.DiscoveryNodes;
+import org.opensearch.common.settings.Settings;
 import org.opensearch.common.xcontent.XContentType;
 import org.opensearch.index.query.QueryBuilder;
 import org.opensearch.index.query.QueryBuilders;
@@ -409,4 +411,9 @@ public MLSyncUpNodesResponse syncUp_Clear() {
         MLSyncUpNodesResponse syncUpResponse = client().execute(MLSyncUpAction.INSTANCE, syncUpRequest).actionGet(5000);
         return syncUpResponse;
     }
+
+    @Override
+    protected Settings nodeSettings(int ordinal) {
+        return Settings.builder().put(super.nodeSettings(ordinal)).put(ML_COMMONS_ONLY_RUN_ON_ML_NODE.getKey(), false).build();
+    }
 }
diff --git a/plugin/src/test/java/org/opensearch/ml/rest/MLCommonsRestTestCase.java b/plugin/src/test/java/org/opensearch/ml/rest/MLCommonsRestTestCase.java
index 0847990786..4c1675e420 100644
--- a/plugin/src/test/java/org/opensearch/ml/rest/MLCommonsRestTestCase.java
+++ b/plugin/src/test/java/org/opensearch/ml/rest/MLCommonsRestTestCase.java
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@
 import org.apache.http.ssl.SSLContextBuilder;
 import org.apache.http.util.EntityUtils;
 import org.junit.After;
+import org.junit.Before;
 import org.opensearch.client.Request;
 import org.opensearch.client.Response;
 import org.opensearch.client.RestClient;
@@ -103,6 +104,20 @@ protected boolean isHttps() {
         return isHttps;
     }
 
+    @Before
+    public void setupSettings() throws IOException {
+        Response response = TestHelper
+            .makeRequest(
+                client(),
+                "PUT",
+                "_cluster/settings",
+                null,
+                "{\"persistent\":{\"plugins.ml_commons.only_run_on_ml_node\":false}}",
+                ImmutableList.of(new BasicHeader(HttpHeaders.USER_AGENT, ""))
+            );
+        assertEquals(200, response.getStatusLine().getStatusCode());
+    }
+
     @Override
     protected String getProtocol() {
         return isHttps() ? "https" : "http";