diff --git a/gms/gossiper.cc b/gms/gossiper.cc
index f7a58b6b0d..002362a7c9 100644
--- a/gms/gossiper.cc
+++ b/gms/gossiper.cc
@@ -621,6 +621,13 @@ future<> gossiper::do_apply_state_locally(locator::host_id node, endpoint_state
     // If there is a generation tie, attempt to break it by heartbeat version.
     auto permit = co_await lock_endpoint(node, null_permit_id);
     auto es = get_endpoint_state_ptr(node);
+
+    // If remote state update does not contain a host id, check whether the endpoint still
+    // exists in the `_endpoint_state_map` since after a preemption point it could have been deleted.
+    if (!remote_state.get_host_id() && !es) {
+        throw std::runtime_error(format("Entry for host id {} does not exist in the endpoint state map.", node));
+    }
+
     if (es) {
         endpoint_state local_state = *es;
         auto local_generation = local_state.get_heart_beat_state().get_generation();
@@ -2170,7 +2177,11 @@ future<> gossiper::do_shadow_round(std::unordered_set<gms::inet_address> nodes,
         });
 
         for (auto& response : responses) {
-            co_await apply_state_locally_in_shadow_round(std::move(response.endpoint_state_map));
+            try {
+                co_await apply_state_locally_in_shadow_round(std::move(response.endpoint_state_map));
+            } catch (const std::exception& exception) {
+                logger.warn("Error while applying node state {}", exception.what());
+            }
         }
         if (!nodes_talked.empty()) {
             break;
diff --git a/test/cluster/test_gossiper_race.py b/test/cluster/test_gossiper_race.py
index 10d0259075..d42bc39937 100644
--- a/test/cluster/test_gossiper_race.py
+++ b/test/cluster/test_gossiper_race.py
@@ -15,7 +15,6 @@ from test.pylib.manager_client import ManagerClient
 
 @pytest.mark.asyncio
 @skip_mode('release', 'error injections are not supported in release mode')
-@pytest.mark.xfail(reason="https://github.com/scylladb/scylladb/issues/25621")
 async def test_gossiper_race_on_decommission(manager: ManagerClient):
     """
     Test for gossiper race scenario (https://github.com/scylladb/scylladb/issues/25621):