diff --git a/src/v/cluster/node_status_backend.cc b/src/v/cluster/node_status_backend.cc
index f83fd68cb52b..9ade7687e0ea 100644
--- a/src/v/cluster/node_status_backend.cc
+++ b/src/v/cluster/node_status_backend.cc
@@ -236,7 +236,7 @@ ss::future<result<node_status>> node_status_backend::send_node_status_request(
             })
           .then(&rpc::get_ctx_data<node_status_reply>);
 
-    co_return process_reply(reply);
+    co_return process_reply(target, reply);
 }
 
 ss::future<> node_status_backend::maybe_create_client(
@@ -245,18 +245,11 @@ ss::future<> node_status_backend::maybe_create_client(
       target, address, _rpc_tls_config, create_backoff_policy());
 }
 
-result<node_status>
-node_status_backend::process_reply(result<node_status_reply> reply) {
+result<node_status> node_status_backend::process_reply(
+  model::node_id target_node_id, result<node_status_reply> reply) {
     vassert(ss::this_shard_id() == shard, "invoked on a wrong shard");
-
-    if (!reply.has_error()) {
-        _stats.rpcs_sent += 1;
-        auto& replier_metadata = reply.value().replier_metadata;
-
-        return node_status{
-          .node_id = replier_metadata.node_id,
-          .last_seen = rpc::clock_type::now()};
-    } else {
+    static constexpr auto rate_limit = std::chrono::seconds(1);
+    if (reply.has_error()) {
         auto err = reply.error();
         if (
           err.category() == rpc::error_category()
@@ -264,7 +257,6 @@ node_status_backend::process_reply(result<node_status_reply> reply) {
                == rpc::errc::client_request_timeout) {
             _stats.rpcs_timed_out += 1;
         }
-        static constexpr auto rate_limit = std::chrono::seconds(1);
         static ss::logger::rate_limit rate(rate_limit);
         clusterlog.log(
           ss::log_level::debug,
@@ -273,6 +265,23 @@ node_status_backend::process_reply(result<node_status_reply> reply) {
           err.message());
         return err;
     }
+
+    _stats.rpcs_sent += 1;
+    auto& replier_metadata = reply.value().replier_metadata;
+    if (replier_metadata.node_id != target_node_id) {
+        static ss::logger::rate_limit rate(rate_limit);
+        clusterlog.log(
+          ss::log_level::debug,
+          rate,
+          "Received reply from node with different node id. Expected: {}, "
+          "current: {}",
+          target_node_id,
+          replier_metadata.node_id);
+        return errc::invalid_target_node_id;
+    }
+
+    return node_status{
+      .node_id = replier_metadata.node_id, .last_seen = rpc::clock_type::now()};
 }
 
 ss::future<node_status_reply>
diff --git a/src/v/cluster/node_status_backend.h b/src/v/cluster/node_status_backend.h
index e42a96411b24..677b8c36dc11 100644
--- a/src/v/cluster/node_status_backend.h
+++ b/src/v/cluster/node_status_backend.h
@@ -76,7 +76,8 @@ class node_status_backend {
     ss::future<> collect_and_store_updates();
     ss::future<std::vector<node_status>> collect_updates_from_peers();
 
-    result<node_status> process_reply(result<node_status_reply>);
+    result<node_status> process_reply(
+      model::node_id target_node_id, result<node_status_reply> reply);
     ss::future<node_status_reply> process_request(node_status_request);
 
     ss::future<result<node_status>>