diff --git a/etcdmain/etcd.go b/etcdmain/etcd.go
index 5c74c7d00..043a0d03d 100644
--- a/etcdmain/etcd.go
+++ b/etcdmain/etcd.go
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ import (
 	"flag"
 	"fmt"
 	"log"
+	"net"
 	"net/http"
 	"os"
 	"strings"
@@ -173,6 +174,41 @@ func startEtcd() {
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Fatal(err.Error())
 	}
+
+	lpurls, err := flags.URLsFromFlags(fs, "listen-peer-urls", "peer-bind-addr", peerTLSInfo)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Fatal(err.Error())
+	}
+
+	plns := make([]net.Listener, 0)
+	for _, u := range lpurls {
+		l, err := transport.NewListener(u.Host, peerTLSInfo)
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Fatal(err)
+		}
+
+		urlStr := u.String()
+		log.Print("etcd: listening for peers on ", urlStr)
+		plns = append(plns, l)
+	}
+
+	lcurls, err := flags.URLsFromFlags(fs, "listen-client-urls", "bind-addr", clientTLSInfo)
+	if err != nil {
+		log.Fatal(err.Error())
+	}
+
+	clns := make([]net.Listener, 0)
+	for _, u := range lcurls {
+		l, err := transport.NewListener(u.Host, clientTLSInfo)
+		if err != nil {
+			log.Fatal(err)
+		}
+
+		urlStr := u.String()
+		log.Print("etcd: listening for client requests on ", urlStr)
+		clns = append(clns, l)
+	}
+
 	cfg := &etcdserver.ServerConfig{
 		Name:         *name,
 		ClientURLs:   acurls,
@@ -191,43 +227,17 @@ func startEtcd() {
 		Info:    corsInfo,
 	}
 	ph := etcdhttp.NewPeerHandler(s)
-
-	lpurls, err := flags.URLsFromFlags(fs, "listen-peer-urls", "peer-bind-addr", peerTLSInfo)
-	if err != nil {
-		log.Fatal(err.Error())
-	}
-
-	for _, u := range lpurls {
-		l, err := transport.NewListener(u.Host, peerTLSInfo)
-		if err != nil {
-			log.Fatal(err)
-		}
-
-		// Start the peer server in a goroutine
-		urlStr := u.String()
-		go func() {
-			log.Print("etcd: listening for peers on ", urlStr)
+	// Start the peer server in a goroutine
+	for _, l := range plns {
+		go func(l net.Listener) {
 			log.Fatal(http.Serve(l, ph))
-		}()
+		}(l)
 	}
-
-	lcurls, err := flags.URLsFromFlags(fs, "listen-client-urls", "bind-addr", clientTLSInfo)
-	if err != nil {
-		log.Fatal(err.Error())
-	}
-
 	// Start a client server goroutine for each listen address
-	for _, u := range lcurls {
-		l, err := transport.NewListener(u.Host, clientTLSInfo)
-		if err != nil {
-			log.Fatal(err)
-		}
-
-		urlStr := u.String()
-		go func() {
-			log.Print("etcd: listening for client requests on ", urlStr)
+	for _, l := range clns {
+		go func(l net.Listener) {
 			log.Fatal(http.Serve(l, ch))
-		}()
+		}(l)
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/raft/node.go b/raft/node.go
index 85fce43ed..67ebb1d68 100644
--- a/raft/node.go
+++ b/raft/node.go
@@ -168,8 +168,12 @@ func RestartNode(id uint64, election, heartbeat int, snapshot *pb.Snapshot, st p
 	if snapshot != nil {
 		r.restore(*snapshot)
 	}
-	r.loadState(st)
-	r.loadEnts(ents)
+	if !isHardStateEqual(st, emptyState) {
+		r.loadState(st)
+	}
+	if len(ents) != 0 {
+		r.loadEnts(ents)
+	}
 	go n.run(r)
 	return &n
 }
diff --git a/wal/wal.go b/wal/wal.go
index 0051b8b09..c2e037a89 100644
--- a/wal/wal.go
+++ b/wal/wal.go
@@ -97,6 +97,7 @@ func Create(dirpath string, metadata []byte) (*WAL, error) {
 	if err := w.encoder.encode(&walpb.Record{Type: metadataType, Data: metadata}); err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
+	w.Sync()
 	return w, nil
 }
 
diff --git a/wal/wal_test.go b/wal/wal_test.go
index 101f77367..65b2ce811 100644
--- a/wal/wal_test.go
+++ b/wal/wal_test.go
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ import (
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/coreos/etcd/raft/raftpb"
+	"github.com/coreos/etcd/wal/walpb"
 )
 
 func TestNew(t *testing.T) {
@@ -34,14 +35,33 @@ func TestNew(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 	defer os.RemoveAll(p)
 
-	w, err := Create(p, nil)
+	w, err := Create(p, []byte("somedata"))
 	if err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("err = %v, want nil", err)
 	}
 	if g := path.Base(w.f.Name()); g != walName(0, 0) {
 		t.Errorf("name = %+v, want %+v", g, walName(0, 0))
 	}
-	w.Close()
+	defer w.Close()
+	gd, err := ioutil.ReadFile(w.f.Name())
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("err = %v, want nil", err)
+	}
+
+	var wb bytes.Buffer
+	e := newEncoder(&wb, 0)
+	err = e.encode(&walpb.Record{Type: crcType, Crc: 0})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("err = %v, want nil", err)
+	}
+	err = e.encode(&walpb.Record{Type: metadataType, Data: []byte("somedata")})
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("err = %v, want nil", err)
+	}
+	e.flush()
+	if !reflect.DeepEqual(gd, wb.Bytes()) {
+		t.Errorf("data = %v, want %v", gd, wb.Bytes())
+	}
 }
 
 func TestNewForInitedDir(t *testing.T) {