diff --git a/server/etcdserver/raft.go b/server/etcdserver/raft.go
index 2a315ea58656..5c3f6234d243 100644
--- a/server/etcdserver/raft.go
+++ b/server/etcdserver/raft.go
@@ -99,6 +99,9 @@ type raftNode struct {
 
 	stopped chan struct{}
 	done    chan struct{}
+
+	// used by liveness probe to check whether the raftloop is blocked.
+	dummyc chan struct{}
 }
 
 type raftNodeConfig struct {
@@ -142,6 +145,7 @@ func newRaftNode(cfg raftNodeConfig) *raftNode {
 		applyc:     make(chan toApply),
 		stopped:    make(chan struct{}),
 		done:       make(chan struct{}),
+		dummyc:     make(chan struct{}),
 	}
 	if r.heartbeat == 0 {
 		r.ticker = &time.Ticker{}
@@ -322,6 +326,8 @@ func (r *raftNode) start(rh *raftReadyHandler) {
 					// notify etcdserver that raft has already been notified or advanced.
 					raftAdvancedC <- struct{}{}
 				}
+			case <-r.dummyc:
+				r.lg.Debug("Received dummy event")
 			case <-r.stopped:
 				return
 			}
@@ -413,6 +419,17 @@ func (r *raftNode) onStop() {
 	close(r.done)
 }
 
+func (r *raftNode) trySendDummyEvent(timeout time.Duration) error {
+	select {
+	case r.dummyc <- struct{}{}:
+	case <-r.done:
+	case <-time.After(timeout):
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to send dummy event in %s", timeout.String())
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
 // for testing
 func (r *raftNode) pauseSending() {
 	p := r.transport.(rafthttp.Pausable)
diff --git a/server/etcdserver/raft_test.go b/server/etcdserver/raft_test.go
index 079aa13e2f74..ef29a701d99c 100644
--- a/server/etcdserver/raft_test.go
+++ b/server/etcdserver/raft_test.go
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 	"time"
 
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 	"go.uber.org/zap/zaptest"
 
 	"go.etcd.io/etcd/client/pkg/v3/types"
@@ -322,3 +323,70 @@ func TestStopRaftNodeMoreThanOnce(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 	}
 }
+
+func TestTrySendDummyEvent(t *testing.T) {
+	testCases := []struct {
+		name          string
+		drainApply    bool
+		stopped       bool
+		expectBlocked bool
+	}{
+		{
+			name:          "normal case",
+			drainApply:    true,
+			stopped:       false,
+			expectBlocked: false,
+		},
+		{
+			name:          "blocked on apply",
+			drainApply:    false,
+			stopped:       false,
+			expectBlocked: true,
+		},
+		{
+			name:          "not blocked due to stopped",
+			drainApply:    false,
+			stopped:       true,
+			expectBlocked: false,
+		},
+	}
+
+	for _, tc := range testCases {
+		tc := tc
+		t.Run(tc.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			n := newNopReadyNode()
+
+			r := newRaftNode(raftNodeConfig{
+				lg:          zaptest.NewLogger(t),
+				Node:        n,
+				storage:     mockstorage.NewStorageRecorder(""),
+				raftStorage: raft.NewMemoryStorage(),
+				transport:   newNopTransporter(),
+			})
+			srv := &EtcdServer{lgMu: new(sync.RWMutex), lg: zaptest.NewLogger(t), r: *r}
+
+			srv.r.start(&raftReadyHandler{
+				getLead:          func() uint64 { return 0 },
+				updateLead:       func(uint64) {},
+				updateLeadership: func(bool) {},
+			})
+			defer srv.r.Stop()
+
+			n.readyc <- raft.Ready{
+				SoftState: &raft.SoftState{RaftState: raft.StateFollower},
+				Entries:   []raftpb.Entry{{Type: raftpb.EntryConfChange}},
+			}
+
+			if tc.drainApply {
+				_ = <-srv.r.applyc
+			}
+
+			if tc.stopped {
+				close(r.done)
+			}
+
+			err := r.trySendDummyEvent(2 * time.Second)
+			assert.Equal(t, tc.expectBlocked, err != nil, err)
+		})
+	}
+}
diff --git a/server/etcdserver/server.go b/server/etcdserver/server.go
index 1d48fa6732cb..5ce6a58b1632 100644
--- a/server/etcdserver/server.go
+++ b/server/etcdserver/server.go
@@ -1262,6 +1262,17 @@ func (s *EtcdServer) Stop() {
 	s.HardStop()
 }
 
+// IsRaftLoopBlocked checks whether the raft loop has blocked for at least
+// the duration specified by `timeout`, and it defaults to 2*ElectionTimeout,
+// which is the maximum time to trigger a new leader election.
+// If the returned error isn't nil, then it's blocked; otherwise not.
+func (s *EtcdServer) IsRaftLoopBlocked(timeout time.Duration) error {
+	if timeout == 0 {
+		timeout = 2 * s.Cfg.ElectionTimeout()
+	}
+	return s.r.trySendDummyEvent(timeout)
+}
+
 // ReadyNotify returns a channel that will be closed when the server
 // is ready to serve client requests
 func (s *EtcdServer) ReadyNotify() <-chan struct{} { return s.readych }