diff --git a/ratis-grpc/src/main/java/org/apache/ratis/grpc/server/GrpcLogAppender.java b/ratis-grpc/src/main/java/org/apache/ratis/grpc/server/GrpcLogAppender.java
index 3544f3be1b..d3bf28dee1 100644
--- a/ratis-grpc/src/main/java/org/apache/ratis/grpc/server/GrpcLogAppender.java
+++ b/ratis-grpc/src/main/java/org/apache/ratis/grpc/server/GrpcLogAppender.java
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@
 import org.apache.ratis.server.protocol.TermIndex;
 import org.apache.ratis.server.raftlog.RaftLog;
 import org.apache.ratis.server.util.ServerStringUtils;
+import org.apache.ratis.thirdparty.io.grpc.stub.CallStreamObserver;
 import org.apache.ratis.thirdparty.io.grpc.stub.StreamObserver;
 import org.apache.ratis.proto.RaftProtos.AppendEntriesReplyProto;
 import org.apache.ratis.proto.RaftProtos.AppendEntriesRequestProto;
@@ -45,6 +46,7 @@
 import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
 
 import java.io.IOException;
+import java.io.InterruptedIOException;
 import java.util.*;
 import java.util.concurrent.ConcurrentHashMap;
 import java.util.concurrent.TimeUnit;
@@ -121,6 +123,7 @@ private GrpcServerProtocolClient getClient() throws IOException {
   private void resetClient(AppendEntriesRequest request, boolean onError) {
     try (AutoCloseableLock writeLock = lock.writeLock(caller, LOG::trace)) {
       getClient().resetConnectBackoff();
+      appendLogRequestObserver.stop();
       appendLogRequestObserver = null;
       firstResponseReceived = false;
       // clear the pending requests queue and reset the next index of follower
@@ -241,20 +244,34 @@ private boolean haveTooManyPendingRequests() {
   }
 
   static class StreamObservers {
-    private final StreamObserver<AppendEntriesRequestProto> appendLog;
-    private final StreamObserver<AppendEntriesRequestProto> heartbeat;
+    public static final int DEFAULT_WAIT_FOR_READY_MS = 10;
+    private final CallStreamObserver<AppendEntriesRequestProto> appendLog;
+    private final CallStreamObserver<AppendEntriesRequestProto> heartbeat;
+    private volatile boolean running = true;
 
     StreamObservers(GrpcServerProtocolClient client, AppendLogResponseHandler handler, boolean separateHeartbeat) {
       this.appendLog = client.appendEntries(handler, false);
       this.heartbeat = separateHeartbeat? client.appendEntries(handler, true): null;
     }
 
-    void onNext(AppendEntriesRequestProto proto) {
-      if (heartbeat != null && proto.getEntriesCount() == 0) {
-        heartbeat.onNext(proto);
+    void onNext(AppendEntriesRequestProto proto)
+        throws InterruptedIOException {
+      CallStreamObserver<AppendEntriesRequestProto> stream;
+      boolean isHeartBeat = heartbeat != null && proto.getEntriesCount() == 0;
+      if (isHeartBeat) {
+        stream = heartbeat;
       } else {
-        appendLog.onNext(proto);
+        stream = appendLog;
       }
+      // stall for stream to be ready.
+      while (!stream.isReady() && running) {
+        sleep(DEFAULT_WAIT_FOR_READY_MS, isHeartBeat);
+      }
+      stream.onNext(proto);
+    }
+
+    void stop() {
+      running = false;
     }
 
     void onCompleted() {
@@ -294,31 +311,34 @@ private void appendLog(boolean heartbeat) throws IOException {
 
     final long waitMs = getMinWaitTimeMs();
     if (waitMs > 0) {
-      try {
-        Thread.sleep(waitMs);
-      } catch (InterruptedException e) {
-        Thread.currentThread().interrupt();
-        throw IOUtils.toInterruptedIOException(
-            "Interrupted appendLog, heartbeat? " + heartbeat, e);
-      }
+      sleep(waitMs, heartbeat);
     }
     if (isRunning()) {
       sendRequest(request, pending);
     }
   }
 
-  private void sendRequest(AppendEntriesRequest request, AppendEntriesRequestProto proto) {
+  private static void sleep(long waitMs, boolean heartbeat)
+      throws InterruptedIOException {
+    try {
+      Thread.sleep(waitMs);
+    } catch (InterruptedException e) {
+      Thread.currentThread().interrupt();
+      throw IOUtils.toInterruptedIOException(
+          "Interrupted appendLog, heartbeat? " + heartbeat, e);
+    }
+  }
+
+  private void sendRequest(AppendEntriesRequest request,
+      AppendEntriesRequestProto proto) throws InterruptedIOException {
     CodeInjectionForTesting.execute(GrpcService.GRPC_SEND_SERVER_REQUEST,
         getServer().getId(), null, proto);
     resetHeartbeatTrigger();
-    final boolean sent = Optional.ofNullable(appendLogRequestObserver)
-        .map(observer -> {
-          request.startRequestTimer();
-          observer.onNext(proto);
-          return true;
-        }).isPresent();
-
-    if (sent) {
+
+    StreamObservers observers = appendLogRequestObserver;
+    if (observers != null) {
+      request.startRequestTimer();
+      observers.onNext(proto);
       getFollower().updateLastRpcSendTime(request.isHeartbeat());
       scheduler.onTimeout(requestTimeoutDuration,
           () -> timeoutAppendRequest(request.getCallId(), request.isHeartbeat()),
diff --git a/ratis-grpc/src/main/java/org/apache/ratis/grpc/server/GrpcServerProtocolClient.java b/ratis-grpc/src/main/java/org/apache/ratis/grpc/server/GrpcServerProtocolClient.java
index 34f014ebc2..2eb73f6aa0 100644
--- a/ratis-grpc/src/main/java/org/apache/ratis/grpc/server/GrpcServerProtocolClient.java
+++ b/ratis-grpc/src/main/java/org/apache/ratis/grpc/server/GrpcServerProtocolClient.java
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 import org.apache.ratis.thirdparty.io.grpc.netty.GrpcSslContexts;
 import org.apache.ratis.thirdparty.io.grpc.netty.NegotiationType;
 import org.apache.ratis.thirdparty.io.grpc.netty.NettyChannelBuilder;
+import org.apache.ratis.thirdparty.io.grpc.stub.CallStreamObserver;
 import org.apache.ratis.thirdparty.io.grpc.stub.StreamObserver;
 import org.apache.ratis.proto.RaftProtos.*;
 import org.apache.ratis.proto.grpc.RaftServerProtocolServiceGrpc;
@@ -128,12 +129,12 @@ void readIndex(ReadIndexRequestProto request, StreamObserver<ReadIndexReplyProto
         .readIndex(request, s);
   }
 
-  StreamObserver<AppendEntriesRequestProto> appendEntries(
+  CallStreamObserver<AppendEntriesRequestProto> appendEntries(
       StreamObserver<AppendEntriesReplyProto> responseHandler, boolean isHeartbeat) {
     if (isHeartbeat && useSeparateHBChannel) {
-      return hbAsyncStub.appendEntries(responseHandler);
+      return (CallStreamObserver<AppendEntriesRequestProto>) hbAsyncStub.appendEntries(responseHandler);
     } else {
-      return asyncStub.appendEntries(responseHandler);
+      return (CallStreamObserver<AppendEntriesRequestProto>) asyncStub.appendEntries(responseHandler);
     }
   }