diff --git a/raft/rawnode_test.go b/raft/rawnode_test.go
index 567227f61..790365894 100644
--- a/raft/rawnode_test.go
+++ b/raft/rawnode_test.go
@@ -659,18 +659,16 @@ func TestRawNodeReadIndex(t *testing.T) {
 // requires the application to bootstrap the state, i.e. it does not accept peers
 // and will not create faux configuration change entries.
 func TestRawNodeStart(t *testing.T) {
+	entries := []pb.Entry{
+		{Term: 1, Index: 2, Data: nil},           // empty entry
+		{Term: 1, Index: 3, Data: []byte("foo")}, // empty entry
+	}
 	want := Ready{
-		SoftState: &SoftState{Lead: 1, RaftState: StateLeader},
-		HardState: pb.HardState{Term: 1, Commit: 3, Vote: 1},
-		Entries: []pb.Entry{
-			{Term: 1, Index: 2, Data: nil},           // empty entry
-			{Term: 1, Index: 3, Data: []byte("foo")}, // empty entry
-		},
-		CommittedEntries: []pb.Entry{
-			{Term: 1, Index: 2, Data: nil},           // empty entry
-			{Term: 1, Index: 3, Data: []byte("foo")}, // empty entry
-		},
-		MustSync: true,
+		SoftState:        &SoftState{Lead: 1, RaftState: StateLeader},
+		HardState:        pb.HardState{Term: 1, Commit: 3, Vote: 1},
+		Entries:          nil, // emitted & checked in intermediate Ready cycle
+		CommittedEntries: entries,
+		MustSync:         false, // since we're only applying, not appending
 	}
 
 	storage := NewMemoryStorage()
@@ -750,9 +748,24 @@ func TestRawNodeStart(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatal("expected a Ready")
 	}
 	rd := rawNode.Ready()
+	if !reflect.DeepEqual(entries, rd.Entries) {
+		t.Fatalf("expected to see entries\n%s, not\n%s", DescribeEntries(entries, nil), DescribeEntries(rd.Entries, nil))
+	}
 	storage.Append(rd.Entries)
 	rawNode.Advance(rd)
 
+	if !rawNode.HasReady() {
+		t.Fatal("expected a Ready")
+	}
+	rd = rawNode.Ready()
+	if len(rd.Entries) != 0 {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected entries: %s", DescribeEntries(rd.Entries, nil))
+	}
+	if rd.MustSync {
+		t.Fatalf("should not need to sync")
+	}
+	rawNode.Advance(rd)
+
 	rd.SoftState, want.SoftState = nil, nil
 
 	if !reflect.DeepEqual(rd, want) {