diff --git a/etcdserver/raft.go b/etcdserver/raft.go
index eec154e23..a9825d0a5 100644
--- a/etcdserver/raft.go
+++ b/etcdserver/raft.go
@@ -140,7 +140,6 @@ func (r *raftNode) start(rh *raftReadyHandler) {
 	go func() {
 		defer r.onStop()
 		islead := false
-		isCandidate := false
 
 		for {
 			select {
@@ -163,7 +162,6 @@ func (r *raftNode) start(rh *raftReadyHandler) {
 
 					atomic.StoreUint64(&r.lead, rd.SoftState.Lead)
 					islead = rd.RaftState == raft.StateLeader
-					isCandidate = rd.RaftState == raft.StateCandidate
 					rh.updateLeadership()
 				}
 
@@ -197,7 +195,7 @@ func (r *raftNode) start(rh *raftReadyHandler) {
 				// For more details, check raft thesis 10.2.1
 				if islead {
 					// gofail: var raftBeforeLeaderSend struct{}
-					r.sendMessages(rd.Messages)
+					r.transport.Send(r.processMessages(rd.Messages))
 				}
 
 				// gofail: var raftBeforeSave struct{}
@@ -223,21 +221,38 @@ func (r *raftNode) start(rh *raftReadyHandler) {
 				r.raftStorage.Append(rd.Entries)
 
 				if !islead {
-					// gofail: var raftBeforeFollowerSend struct{}
-					r.sendMessages(rd.Messages)
-				}
-				raftDone <- struct{}{}
+					// finish processing incoming messages before we signal raftdone chan
+					msgs := r.processMessages(rd.Messages)
 
-				r.Advance()
+					// now unblocks 'applyAll' that waits on Raft log disk writes before triggering snapshots
+					raftDone <- struct{}{}
 
-				if isCandidate {
-					// candidate needs to wait for all pending configuration changes to be applied
-					// before continue. Or we might incorrectly count the number of votes (e.g. receive vote from
-					// a removed member).
+					// Candidate or follower needs to wait for all pending configuration
+					// changes to be applied before sending messages.
+					// Otherwise we might incorrectly count votes (e.g. votes from removed members).
+					// Also slow machine's follower raft-layer could proceed to become the leader
+					// on its own single-node cluster, before apply-layer applies the config change.
 					// We simply wait for ALL pending entries to be applied for now.
 					// We might improve this later on if it causes unnecessary long blocking issues.
-					rh.waitForApply()
+					waitApply := false
+					for _, ent := range rd.CommittedEntries {
+						if ent.Type == raftpb.EntryConfChange {
+							waitApply = true
+							break
+						}
+					}
+					if waitApply {
+						rh.waitForApply()
+					}
+
+					// gofail: var raftBeforeFollowerSend struct{}
+					r.transport.Send(msgs)
+				} else {
+					// leader already processed 'MsgSnap' and signaled
+					raftDone <- struct{}{}
 				}
+
+				r.Advance()
 			case <-r.stopped:
 				return
 			}
@@ -258,7 +273,7 @@ func updateCommittedIndex(ap *apply, rh *raftReadyHandler) {
 	}
 }
 
-func (r *raftNode) sendMessages(ms []raftpb.Message) {
+func (r *raftNode) processMessages(ms []raftpb.Message) []raftpb.Message {
 	sentAppResp := false
 	for i := len(ms) - 1; i >= 0; i-- {
 		if r.isIDRemoved(ms[i].To) {
@@ -294,8 +309,7 @@ func (r *raftNode) sendMessages(ms []raftpb.Message) {
 			}
 		}
 	}
-
-	r.transport.Send(ms)
+	return ms
 }
 
 func (r *raftNode) apply() chan apply {
diff --git a/etcdserver/raft_test.go b/etcdserver/raft_test.go
index c95823705..945f63ce2 100644
--- a/etcdserver/raft_test.go
+++ b/etcdserver/raft_test.go
@@ -176,7 +176,8 @@ func TestStopRaftWhenWaitingForApplyDone(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
-func TestCandidateBlocksByApply(t *testing.T) {
+// TestConfgChangeBlocksApply ensures apply blocks if committed entries contain config-change.
+func TestConfgChangeBlocksApply(t *testing.T) {
 	n := newNopReadyNode()
 
 	waitApplyc := make(chan struct{})
@@ -199,8 +200,10 @@ func TestCandidateBlocksByApply(t *testing.T) {
 	srv.r.start(rh)
 	defer srv.r.Stop()
 
-	// become candidate
-	n.readyc <- raft.Ready{SoftState: &raft.SoftState{RaftState: raft.StateCandidate}}
+	n.readyc <- raft.Ready{
+		SoftState:        &raft.SoftState{RaftState: raft.StateFollower},
+		CommittedEntries: []raftpb.Entry{{Type: raftpb.EntryConfChange}},
+	}
 	<-srv.r.applyc
 
 	continueC := make(chan struct{})