diff --git a/etcdserver/raft.go b/etcdserver/raft.go
index b87ceea54660..a7867db684d6 100644
--- a/etcdserver/raft.go
+++ b/etcdserver/raft.go
@@ -83,7 +83,8 @@ type RaftTimer interface {
 type apply struct {
 	entries  []raftpb.Entry
 	snapshot raftpb.Snapshot
-	raftDone <-chan struct{} // rx {} after raft has persisted messages
+	// notifyc synchronizes etcd server applies with the raft node
+	notifyc chan struct{}
 }
 
 type raftNode struct {
@@ -190,11 +191,11 @@ func (r *raftNode) start(rh *raftReadyHandler) {
 					}
 				}
 
-				raftDone := make(chan struct{}, 1)
+				notifyc := make(chan struct{}, 1)
 				ap := apply{
 					entries:  rd.CommittedEntries,
 					snapshot: rd.Snapshot,
-					raftDone: raftDone,
+					notifyc:  notifyc,
 				}
 
 				updateCommittedIndex(&ap, rh)
@@ -227,10 +228,14 @@ func (r *raftNode) start(rh *raftReadyHandler) {
 					if err := r.storage.SaveSnap(rd.Snapshot); err != nil {
 						plog.Fatalf("raft save snapshot error: %v", err)
 					}
+					// etcdserver now claim the snapshot has been persisted onto the disk
+					notifyc <- struct{}{}
+
 					// gofail: var raftAfterSaveSnap struct{}
 					r.raftStorage.ApplySnapshot(rd.Snapshot)
 					plog.Infof("raft applied incoming snapshot at index %d", rd.Snapshot.Metadata.Index)
 					// gofail: var raftAfterApplySnap struct{}
+
 				}
 
 				r.raftStorage.Append(rd.Entries)
@@ -240,7 +245,7 @@ func (r *raftNode) start(rh *raftReadyHandler) {
 					msgs := r.processMessages(rd.Messages)
 
 					// now unblocks 'applyAll' that waits on Raft log disk writes before triggering snapshots
-					raftDone <- struct{}{}
+					notifyc <- struct{}{}
 
 					// Candidate or follower needs to wait for all pending configuration
 					// changes to be applied before sending messages.
@@ -259,9 +264,9 @@ func (r *raftNode) start(rh *raftReadyHandler) {
 					if waitApply {
 						// blocks until 'applyAll' calls 'applyWait.Trigger'
 						// to be in sync with scheduled config-change job
-						// (assume raftDone has cap of 1)
+						// (assume notifyc has cap of 1)
 						select {
-						case raftDone <- struct{}{}:
+						case notifyc <- struct{}{}:
 						case <-r.stopped:
 							return
 						}
@@ -271,7 +276,7 @@ func (r *raftNode) start(rh *raftReadyHandler) {
 					r.transport.Send(msgs)
 				} else {
 					// leader already processed 'MsgSnap' and signaled
-					raftDone <- struct{}{}
+					notifyc <- struct{}{}
 				}
 
 				r.Advance()
diff --git a/etcdserver/server.go b/etcdserver/server.go
index 33430276bff6..1c2a95c05b58 100644
--- a/etcdserver/server.go
+++ b/etcdserver/server.go
@@ -274,20 +274,7 @@ func NewServer(cfg *ServerConfig) (srv *EtcdServer, err error) {
 	bepath := filepath.Join(cfg.SnapDir(), databaseFilename)
 	beExist := fileutil.Exist(bepath)
 
-	var be backend.Backend
-	beOpened := make(chan struct{})
-	go func() {
-		be = newBackend(bepath, cfg.QuotaBackendBytes)
-		beOpened <- struct{}{}
-	}()
-
-	select {
-	case <-beOpened:
-	case <-time.After(time.Second):
-		plog.Warningf("another etcd process is running with the same data dir and holding the file lock.")
-		plog.Warningf("waiting for it to exit before starting...")
-		<-beOpened
-	}
+	be := openBackend(bepath, cfg.QuotaBackendBytes)
 
 	defer func() {
 		if err != nil {
@@ -385,6 +372,11 @@ func NewServer(cfg *ServerConfig) (srv *EtcdServer, err error) {
 				plog.Panicf("recovered store from snapshot error: %v", err)
 			}
 			plog.Infof("recovered store from snapshot at index %d", snapshot.Metadata.Index)
+
+			be, err = checkAndRecoverDB(snapshot, be, cfg.QuotaBackendBytes, cfg.SnapDir())
+			if err != nil {
+				plog.Panicf("recovering backend from snapshot error: %v", err)
+			}
 		}
 		cfg.Print()
 		if !cfg.ForceNewCluster {
@@ -778,7 +770,7 @@ func (s *EtcdServer) applyAll(ep *etcdProgress, apply *apply) {
 	// wait for the raft routine to finish the disk writes before triggering a
 	// snapshot. or applied index might be greater than the last index in raft
 	// storage, since the raft routine might be slower than apply routine.
-	<-apply.raftDone
+	<-apply.notifyc
 
 	s.triggerSnapshot(ep)
 	select {
@@ -803,6 +795,9 @@ func (s *EtcdServer) applySnapshot(ep *etcdProgress, apply *apply) {
 			apply.snapshot.Metadata.Index, ep.appliedi)
 	}
 
+	// wait for raftNode to persist snashot onto the disk
+	<-apply.notifyc
+
 	snapfn, err := s.r.storage.DBFilePath(apply.snapshot.Metadata.Index)
 	if err != nil {
 		plog.Panicf("get database snapshot file path error: %v", err)
diff --git a/etcdserver/util.go b/etcdserver/util.go
index e3896ffc2d3d..12fbe87e126e 100644
--- a/etcdserver/util.go
+++ b/etcdserver/util.go
@@ -15,11 +15,19 @@
 package etcdserver
 
 import (
+	"os"
 	"time"
 
+	"fmt"
+
 	"github.com/coreos/etcd/etcdserver/membership"
+	"github.com/coreos/etcd/lease"
+	"github.com/coreos/etcd/mvcc"
+	"github.com/coreos/etcd/mvcc/backend"
 	"github.com/coreos/etcd/pkg/types"
+	"github.com/coreos/etcd/raft/raftpb"
 	"github.com/coreos/etcd/rafthttp"
+	"github.com/coreos/etcd/snap"
 )
 
 // isConnectedToQuorumSince checks whether the local member is connected to the
@@ -95,3 +103,54 @@ func (nc *notifier) notify(err error) {
 	nc.err = err
 	close(nc.c)
 }
+
+// checkAndRecoverDB attempts to recover db in the scenario when
+// etcd server crashes before updating its in-state db
+// and after persisting snapshot to disk from syncing with leader,
+// snapshot can be newer than db where
+// (snapshot.Metadata.Index > db.consistentIndex ).
+//
+// when that happen:
+// 1. find xxx.snap.db that matches snap index.
+// 2. rename xxx.snap.db to db.
+// 3. open the new db as the backend.
+func checkAndRecoverDB(snapshot *raftpb.Snapshot, oldbe backend.Backend, quotaBackendBytes int64, snapdir string) (be backend.Backend, err error) {
+	var cIndex consistentIndex
+	kv := mvcc.New(oldbe, &lease.FakeLessor{}, &cIndex)
+	kvindex := kv.ConsistentIndex()
+	if snapshot.Metadata.Index < kvindex {
+		return oldbe, nil
+	}
+
+	id := snapshot.Metadata.Index
+	snapfn, err := snap.DBFilePathFromID(snapdir, id)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("finding %v error: %v", snapdir+fmt.Sprintf("%016x.snap.db", id), err)
+	}
+
+	bepath := snapdir + databaseFilename
+	if err := os.Rename(snapfn, bepath); err != nil {
+		return nil, fmt.Errorf("rename snapshot file error: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	oldbe.Close()
+	be = openBackend(bepath, quotaBackendBytes)
+	return be, nil
+}
+
+func openBackend(bepath string, quotaBackendBytes int64) (be backend.Backend) {
+	beOpened := make(chan struct{})
+	go func() {
+		be = newBackend(bepath, quotaBackendBytes)
+		beOpened <- struct{}{}
+	}()
+
+	select {
+	case <-beOpened:
+	case <-time.After(time.Second):
+		plog.Warningf("another etcd process is running with the same data dir and holding the file lock.")
+		plog.Warningf("waiting for it to exit before starting...")
+		<-beOpened
+	}
+	return be
+}
diff --git a/snap/db.go b/snap/db.go
index ae3c743f80c1..77d109141e90 100644
--- a/snap/db.go
+++ b/snap/db.go
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 package snap
 
 import (
+	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"io/ioutil"
@@ -24,6 +25,8 @@ import (
 	"github.com/coreos/etcd/pkg/fileutil"
 )
 
+var ErrNoDBSnapshot = errors.New("snap: snapshot file doesn't exist")
+
 // SaveDBFrom saves snapshot of the database from the given reader. It
 // guarantees the save operation is atomic.
 func (s *Snapshotter) SaveDBFrom(r io.Reader, id uint64) (int64, error) {
@@ -60,15 +63,19 @@ func (s *Snapshotter) SaveDBFrom(r io.Reader, id uint64) (int64, error) {
 // DBFilePath returns the file path for the snapshot of the database with
 // given id. If the snapshot does not exist, it returns error.
 func (s *Snapshotter) DBFilePath(id uint64) (string, error) {
-	fns, err := fileutil.ReadDir(s.dir)
+	return DBFilePathFromID(s.dir, id)
+}
+
+func DBFilePathFromID(dbPath string, id uint64) (string, error) {
+	fns, err := fileutil.ReadDir(dbPath)
 	if err != nil {
 		return "", err
 	}
 	wfn := fmt.Sprintf("%016x.snap.db", id)
 	for _, fn := range fns {
 		if fn == wfn {
-			return filepath.Join(s.dir, fn), nil
+			return filepath.Join(dbPath, fn), nil
 		}
 	}
-	return "", fmt.Errorf("snap: snapshot file doesn't exist")
+	return "", ErrNoDBSnapshot
 }