diff --git a/server/etcdserver/api/etcdhttp/peer_test.go b/server/etcdserver/api/etcdhttp/peer_test.go
index 8fe300cd1..3770f29ed 100644
--- a/server/etcdserver/api/etcdhttp/peer_test.go
+++ b/server/etcdserver/api/etcdhttp/peer_test.go
@@ -72,9 +72,10 @@ func (s *fakeServer) UpdateMember(ctx context.Context, updateMemb membership.Mem
 func (s *fakeServer) PromoteMember(ctx context.Context, id uint64) ([]*membership.Member, error) {
 	return nil, fmt.Errorf("PromoteMember not implemented in fakeServer")
 }
-func (s *fakeServer) ClusterVersion() *semver.Version { return nil }
-func (s *fakeServer) Cluster() api.Cluster            { return s.cluster }
-func (s *fakeServer) Alarms() []*pb.AlarmMember       { return nil }
+func (s *fakeServer) ClusterVersion() *semver.Version      { return nil }
+func (s *fakeServer) Cluster() api.Cluster                 { return s.cluster }
+func (s *fakeServer) Alarms() []*pb.AlarmMember            { return nil }
+func (s *fakeServer) LeaderChangedNotify() <-chan struct{} { return nil }
 
 var fakeRaftHandler = http.HandlerFunc(func(w http.ResponseWriter, r *http.Request) {
 	w.Write([]byte("test data"))
diff --git a/server/etcdserver/api/v2http/client_test.go b/server/etcdserver/api/v2http/client_test.go
index bdb455c0e..cb4be0b26 100644
--- a/server/etcdserver/api/v2http/client_test.go
+++ b/server/etcdserver/api/v2http/client_test.go
@@ -95,11 +95,12 @@ type fakeServer struct {
 	dummyStats
 }
 
-func (s *fakeServer) Leader() types.ID                    { return types.ID(1) }
-func (s *fakeServer) Alarms() []*etcdserverpb.AlarmMember { return nil }
-func (s *fakeServer) Cluster() api.Cluster                { return nil }
-func (s *fakeServer) ClusterVersion() *semver.Version     { return nil }
-func (s *fakeServer) RaftHandler() http.Handler           { return nil }
+func (s *fakeServer) Leader() types.ID                     { return types.ID(1) }
+func (s *fakeServer) Alarms() []*etcdserverpb.AlarmMember  { return nil }
+func (s *fakeServer) LeaderChangedNotify() <-chan struct{} { return nil }
+func (s *fakeServer) Cluster() api.Cluster                 { return nil }
+func (s *fakeServer) ClusterVersion() *semver.Version      { return nil }
+func (s *fakeServer) RaftHandler() http.Handler            { return nil }
 func (s *fakeServer) Do(ctx context.Context, r etcdserverpb.Request) (rr etcdserver.Response, err error) {
 	return
 }
diff --git a/server/etcdserver/api/v2v3/server.go b/server/etcdserver/api/v2v3/server.go
index 0cdb5c636..be1b43c52 100644
--- a/server/etcdserver/api/v2v3/server.go
+++ b/server/etcdserver/api/v2v3/server.go
@@ -113,9 +113,10 @@ func v3MembersToMembership(v3membs []*pb.Member) []*membership.Member {
 	return membs
 }
 
-func (s *v2v3Server) ClusterVersion() *semver.Version { return s.Version() }
-func (s *v2v3Server) Cluster() api.Cluster            { return s }
-func (s *v2v3Server) Alarms() []*pb.AlarmMember       { return nil }
+func (s *v2v3Server) ClusterVersion() *semver.Version      { return s.Version() }
+func (s *v2v3Server) Cluster() api.Cluster                 { return s }
+func (s *v2v3Server) Alarms() []*pb.AlarmMember            { return nil }
+func (s *v2v3Server) LeaderChangedNotify() <-chan struct{} { return nil }
 
 func (s *v2v3Server) Do(ctx context.Context, r pb.Request) (etcdserver.Response, error) {
 	applier := etcdserver.NewApplierV2(s.lg, s.store, nil)
diff --git a/server/etcdserver/server.go b/server/etcdserver/server.go
index a4fa259ae..5c5a9fb67 100644
--- a/server/etcdserver/server.go
+++ b/server/etcdserver/server.go
@@ -185,6 +185,15 @@ type Server interface {
 	ClusterVersion() *semver.Version
 	Cluster() api.Cluster
 	Alarms() []*pb.AlarmMember
+
+	// LeaderChangedNotify returns a channel for application level code to be notified
+	// when etcd leader changes, this function is intend to be used only in application
+	// which embed etcd.
+	// Caution:
+	// 1. the returned channel is being closed when the leadership changes.
+	// 2. so the new channel needs to be obtained for each raft term.
+	// 3. user can loose some consecutive channel changes using this API.
+	LeaderChangedNotify() <-chan struct{}
 }
 
 // EtcdServer is the production implementation of the Server interface
@@ -1743,7 +1752,7 @@ func (s *EtcdServer) getLead() uint64 {
 	return atomic.LoadUint64(&s.lead)
 }
 
-func (s *EtcdServer) leaderChangedNotify() <-chan struct{} {
+func (s *EtcdServer) LeaderChangedNotify() <-chan struct{} {
 	s.leaderChangedMu.RLock()
 	defer s.leaderChangedMu.RUnlock()
 	return s.leaderChanged
diff --git a/server/etcdserver/v3_server.go b/server/etcdserver/v3_server.go
index 4130d8e08..3fa64f741 100644
--- a/server/etcdserver/v3_server.go
+++ b/server/etcdserver/v3_server.go
@@ -712,7 +712,7 @@ func (s *EtcdServer) linearizableReadLoop() {
 		ctxToSend := make([]byte, 8)
 		id1 := s.reqIDGen.Next()
 		binary.BigEndian.PutUint64(ctxToSend, id1)
-		leaderChangedNotifier := s.leaderChangedNotify()
+		leaderChangedNotifier := s.LeaderChangedNotify()
 		select {
 		case <-leaderChangedNotifier:
 			continue