diff --git a/lease/lessor.go b/lease/lessor.go
index 4306518ec..3c9333268 100644
--- a/lease/lessor.go
+++ b/lease/lessor.go
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ package lease
 import (
 	"encoding/binary"
 	"fmt"
+	"math"
 	"sync"
 	"time"
 
@@ -74,14 +75,7 @@ func NewLessor(lessorID uint8, b backend.Backend, dr DeleteableRange) *lessor {
 		dr:       dr,
 		idgen:    idutil.NewGenerator(lessorID, time.Now()),
 	}
-
-	tx := l.b.BatchTx()
-	tx.Lock()
-	tx.UnsafeCreateBucket(leaseBucketName)
-	tx.Unlock()
-	l.b.ForceCommit()
-
-	// TODO: recover from previous state in backend.
+	l.initAndRecover()
 
 	return l
 }
@@ -194,6 +188,32 @@ func (le *lessor) get(id LeaseID) *lease {
 	return le.leaseMap[id]
 }
 
+func (le *lessor) initAndRecover() {
+	tx := le.b.BatchTx()
+	tx.Lock()
+	defer tx.Unlock()
+
+	tx.UnsafeCreateBucket(leaseBucketName)
+	_, vs := tx.UnsafeRange(leaseBucketName, int64ToBytes(0), int64ToBytes(math.MaxInt64), 0)
+	// TODO: copy vs and do decoding outside tx lock if lock contention becomes an issue.
+	for i := range vs {
+		var lpb leasepb.Lease
+		err := lpb.Unmarshal(vs[i])
+		if err != nil {
+			panic("failed to unmarshal lease proto item")
+		}
+		id := LeaseID(lpb.ID)
+		le.leaseMap[id] = &lease{
+			id:  id,
+			ttl: lpb.TTL,
+
+			// itemSet will be filled in when recover key-value pairs
+			expiry: minExpiry(time.Now(), time.Now().Add(time.Second*time.Duration(lpb.TTL))),
+		}
+	}
+	le.b.ForceCommit()
+}
+
 type lease struct {
 	id  LeaseID
 	ttl int64 // time to live in seconds
diff --git a/lease/lessor_test.go b/lease/lessor_test.go
index eebd72923..9eae6b310 100644
--- a/lease/lessor_test.go
+++ b/lease/lessor_test.go
@@ -127,6 +127,30 @@ func TestLessorRenew(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+// TestLessorRecover ensures Lessor recovers leases from
+// persist backend.
+func TestLessorRecover(t *testing.T) {
+	dir, be := NewTestBackend(t)
+	defer os.RemoveAll(dir)
+	defer be.Close()
+
+	le := NewLessor(1, be, &fakeDeleteable{})
+	l1 := le.Grant(10)
+	l2 := le.Grant(20)
+
+	// Create a new lessor with the same backend
+	nle := NewLessor(1, be, &fakeDeleteable{})
+	nl1 := nle.get(l1.id)
+	if nl1 == nil || nl1.ttl != l1.ttl {
+		t.Errorf("nl1 = %v, want nl1.TTL= %d", l1.ttl)
+	}
+
+	nl2 := nle.get(l2.id)
+	if nl2 == nil || nl2.ttl != l2.ttl {
+		t.Errorf("nl2 = %v, want nl2.TTL= %d", l2.ttl)
+	}
+}
+
 type fakeDeleteable struct {
 	deleted []string
 }