diff --git a/x-pack/plugin/transform/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/transform/action/TransformUpdaterTests.java b/x-pack/plugin/transform/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/transform/action/TransformUpdaterTests.java
index 7564681eafbc5..d39ee3d79461a 100644
--- a/x-pack/plugin/transform/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/transform/action/TransformUpdaterTests.java
+++ b/x-pack/plugin/transform/src/test/java/org/elasticsearch/xpack/transform/action/TransformUpdaterTests.java
@@ -260,8 +260,11 @@ public void testTransformUpdateRewrite() throws InterruptedException {
                 assertEquals(stateDoc.getTransformStats(), storedDocAndVersion.v1().getTransformStats());
             }
         );
+    }
+
+    public void testTransformUpdateDryRun() throws InterruptedException {
+        InMemoryTransformConfigManager transformConfigManager = new InMemoryTransformConfigManager();
 
-        // same as dry run
         TransformConfig oldConfigForDryRunUpdate = TransformConfigTests.randomTransformConfig(
             randomAlphaOfLengthBetween(1, 10),
             VersionUtils.randomVersionBetween(
@@ -277,6 +280,7 @@ public void testTransformUpdateRewrite() throws InterruptedException {
             config -> {}
         );
 
+        TransformConfigUpdate update = TransformConfigUpdate.EMPTY;
         assertUpdate(
             listener -> TransformUpdater.updateTransform(
                 securityContext,