diff --git a/apps/emqx_ds_builtin_raft/src/emqx_ds_replication_layer_shard.erl b/apps/emqx_ds_builtin_raft/src/emqx_ds_replication_layer_shard.erl
index 12d621102..36dc654b4 100644
--- a/apps/emqx_ds_builtin_raft/src/emqx_ds_replication_layer_shard.erl
+++ b/apps/emqx_ds_builtin_raft/src/emqx_ds_replication_layer_shard.erl
@@ -18,7 +18,8 @@
 
 %% Dynamic server location API
 -export([
-    servers/3
+    servers/3,
+    shard_info/3
 ]).
 
 %% Safe Process Command API
@@ -38,6 +39,7 @@
 -behaviour(gen_server).
 -export([
     init/1,
+    handle_continue/2,
     handle_call/3,
     handle_cast/2,
     terminate/2
@@ -160,6 +162,12 @@ local_site() ->
 
 %%
 
+-spec shard_info(emqx_ds:db(), emqx_ds_replication_layer:shard_id(), _Info) -> _Value.
+shard_info(DB, Shard, ready) ->
+    persistent_term:get({?MODULE, DB, Shard}, false).
+
+%%
+
 -spec process_command([server()], _Command, timeout()) ->
     {ok, _Result, _Leader :: server()} | server_error().
 process_command(Servers, Command, Timeout) ->
@@ -324,10 +332,38 @@ ra_overview(Server) ->
 
 %%
 
+-record(st, {
+    db :: emqx_ds:db(),
+    shard :: emqx_ds_replication_layer:shard_id(),
+    server :: server(),
+    bootstrapped :: boolean(),
+    stage :: term()
+}).
+
 init({DB, Shard, Opts}) ->
     _ = process_flag(trap_exit, true),
-    ok = start_server(DB, Shard, Opts),
-    {ok, {DB, Shard}}.
+    case start_server(DB, Shard, Opts) of
+        {_New = true, Server} ->
+            NextStage = trigger_election;
+        {_New = false, Server} ->
+            NextStage = wait_leader
+    end,
+    St = #st{
+        db = DB,
+        shard = Shard,
+        server = Server,
+        bootstrapped = false,
+        stage = NextStage
+    },
+    {ok, St, {continue, bootstrap}}.
+
+handle_continue(bootstrap, St0) ->
+    case bootstrap(St0) of
+        St = #st{bootstrapped = true} ->
+            {noreply, St};
+        St = #st{bootstrapped = false} ->
+            {noreply, St, {continue, bootstrap}}
+    end.
 
 handle_call(_Call, _From, State) ->
     {reply, ignored, State}.
@@ -336,6 +372,8 @@ handle_cast(_Msg, State) ->
     {noreply, State}.
 
 terminate(_Reason, {DB, Shard}) ->
+    %% FIXME
+    persistent_term:erase({?MODULE, DB, Shard}),
     %% NOTE: Timeouts are ignored, it's a best effort attempt.
     catch prep_stop_server(DB, Shard),
     LocalServer = get_local_server(DB, Shard),
@@ -343,6 +381,34 @@ terminate(_Reason, {DB, Shard}) ->
 
 %%
 
+bootstrap(St = #st{stage = trigger_election, server = Server}) ->
+    ok = trigger_election(Server),
+    St#st{stage = wait_leader};
+bootstrap(St = #st{stage = wait_leader, server = Server}) ->
+    case current_leader(Server) of
+        Leader = {_, _} ->
+            St#st{stage = {wait_log, Leader}};
+        unknown ->
+            St
+    end;
+bootstrap(St = #st{stage = {wait_log, Leader}}) ->
+    case ra_overview(Leader) of
+        #{commit_index := RaftIdx} ->
+            St#st{stage = {wait_log_index, RaftIdx}};
+        #{} ->
+            St#st{stage = wait_leader}
+    end;
+bootstrap(St = #st{stage = {wait_log_index, RaftIdx}, db = DB, shard = Shard, server = Server}) ->
+    case ra_overview(Server) of
+        #{commit_index := RaftIdx} ->
+            ok = announce_shard_ready(DB, Shard),
+            St#st{bootstrapped = true, stage = undefined};
+        #{} ->
+            St
+    end.
+
+%%
+
 start_server(DB, Shard, #{replication_options := ReplicationOpts}) ->
     ClusterName = cluster_name(DB, Shard),
     LocalServer = local_server(DB, Shard),
@@ -350,7 +416,6 @@ start_server(DB, Shard, #{replication_options := ReplicationOpts}) ->
     MutableConfig = #{tick_timeout => 100},
     case ra:restart_server(DB, LocalServer, MutableConfig) of
         {error, name_not_registered} ->
-            Bootstrap = true,
             Machine = {module, emqx_ds_replication_layer, #{db => DB, shard => Shard}},
             LogOpts = maps:with(
                 [
@@ -366,30 +431,35 @@ start_server(DB, Shard, #{replication_options := ReplicationOpts}) ->
                 initial_members => Servers,
                 machine => Machine,
                 log_init_args => LogOpts
-            });
+            }),
+            {_NewServer = true, LocalServer};
         ok ->
-            Bootstrap = false;
+            {_NewServer = false, LocalServer};
         {error, {already_started, _}} ->
-            Bootstrap = false
-    end,
+            {_NewServer = false, LocalServer}
+    end.
+
+trigger_election(Server) ->
     %% NOTE
     %% Triggering election is necessary when a new consensus group is being brought up.
     %% TODO
     %% It's probably a good idea to rebalance leaders across the cluster from time to
     %% time. There's `ra:transfer_leadership/2` for that.
-    try Bootstrap andalso ra:trigger_election(LocalServer, _Timeout = 1_000) of
-        false ->
-            ok;
-        ok ->
-            ok
+    try ra:trigger_election(Server) of
+        ok -> ok
     catch
-        %% TODO
+        %% NOTE
         %% Tolerating exceptions because server might be occupied with log replay for
         %% a while.
-        exit:{timeout, _} when not Bootstrap ->
+        exit:{timeout, _} ->
+            ?tp(emqx_ds_replshard_trigger_election, #{server => Server, error => timeout}),
             ok
     end.
 
+announce_shard_ready(DB, Shard) ->
+    %% FIXME
+    persistent_term:put({?MODULE, DB, Shard}, true).
+
 server_uid(_DB, Shard) ->
     %% NOTE
     %% Each new "instance" of a server should have a unique identifier. Otherwise,