diff --git a/include/raft_server.h b/include/raft_server.h
index 823e8df7..b78364aa 100644
--- a/include/raft_server.h
+++ b/include/raft_server.h
@@ -95,6 +95,8 @@ class ReplicationState : public braft::StateMachine {
 private:
     static constexpr const char* db_snapshot_name = "db_snapshot";
 
+    mutable std::shared_mutex mutex;
+
     braft::Node* volatile node;
     butil::atomic<int64_t> leader_term;
     std::set<braft::PeerId> peers;
@@ -168,6 +170,7 @@ public:
 
     // Blocking this thread until the node is eventually down.
     void join() {
+        std::unique_lock lock(mutex);
         if (node) {
             node->join();
             delete node;
diff --git a/src/raft_server.cpp b/src/raft_server.cpp
index 34ec01d8..91ce970e 100644
--- a/src/raft_server.cpp
+++ b/src/raft_server.cpp
@@ -115,6 +115,8 @@ std::string ReplicationState::to_nodes_config(const butil::EndPoint& peering_end
 }
 
 void ReplicationState::write(const std::shared_ptr<http_req>& request, const std::shared_ptr<http_res>& response) {
+    std::shared_lock lock(mutex);
+
     if(!node) {
         return ;
     }
@@ -146,6 +148,7 @@ void ReplicationState::write(const std::shared_ptr<http_req>& request, const std
 }
 
 void ReplicationState::write_to_leader(const std::shared_ptr<http_req>& request, const std::shared_ptr<http_res>& response) const {
+    // no lock on `node` needed as caller uses the lock
     if(!node || node->leader_id().is_empty()) {
         // Handle no leader scenario
         LOG(ERROR) << "Rejecting write: could not find a leader.";
@@ -277,6 +280,7 @@ void ReplicationState::on_apply(braft::Iterator& iter) {
         if(request_generated->_req == nullptr && request_generated->body == "INIT_SNAPSHOT") {
             // We attempt to trigger a cold snapshot against an existing stand-alone DB for backward compatibility
             InitSnapshotClosure* init_snapshot_closure = new InitSnapshotClosure(this);
+            std::shared_lock lock(mutex);
             node->snapshot(init_snapshot_closure);
             continue ;
         }
@@ -385,7 +389,9 @@ int ReplicationState::init_db() {
 }
 
 int ReplicationState::on_snapshot_load(braft::SnapshotReader* reader) {
+    std::shared_lock lock(mutex);
     CHECK(!node || !node->is_leader()) << "Leader is not supposed to load snapshot";
+    lock.unlock();
 
     LOG(INFO) << "on_snapshot_load";
 
@@ -405,6 +411,8 @@ int ReplicationState::on_snapshot_load(braft::SnapshotReader* reader) {
 }
 
 void ReplicationState::refresh_nodes(const std::string & nodes) {
+    std::shared_lock lock(mutex);
+
     if(!node) {
         LOG(WARNING) << "Node state is not initialized: unable to refresh nodes.";
         return ;
@@ -452,10 +460,14 @@ void ReplicationState::refresh_nodes(const std::string & nodes) {
             return ;
         }
 
+        lock.unlock();
+
         // update catch up status
         thread_pool->enqueue([this]() {
             auto seq_num = this->store->get_latest_seq_number();
+            std::shared_lock lock(this->mutex);
             const std::string & leader_addr = node->leader_id().to_string();
+            lock.unlock();
 
             std::vector<std::string> addr_parts;
             StringUtils::split(leader_addr, addr_parts, ":");
@@ -513,6 +525,8 @@ ReplicationState::ReplicationState(Store *store, ThreadPool* thread_pool, http_m
 }
 
 bool ReplicationState::is_alive() const {
+    std::shared_lock lock(mutex);
+
     if(node == nullptr || !is_ready()) {
         return false;
     }
@@ -522,6 +536,8 @@ bool ReplicationState::is_alive() const {
 }
 
 uint64_t ReplicationState::node_state() const {
+    std::shared_lock lock(mutex);
+
     if(node == nullptr) {
         return 0;
     }
@@ -539,6 +555,7 @@ void ReplicationState::do_snapshot(const std::string& snapshot_path, const std::
     thread_pool->enqueue([&snapshot_path, req, res, this]() {
         OnDemandSnapshotClosure* snapshot_closure = new OnDemandSnapshotClosure(this, req, res);
         ext_snapshot_path = snapshot_path;
+        std::shared_lock lock(this->mutex);
         node->snapshot(snapshot_closure);
     });
 }
@@ -552,12 +569,16 @@ const std::string &ReplicationState::get_ext_snapshot_path() const {
 }
 
 void ReplicationState::do_dummy_write() {
+    std::shared_lock lock(mutex);
+
     if(node->leader_id().is_empty()) {
         LOG(ERROR) << "Could not do a dummy write, as node does not have a leader";
         return ;
     }
 
     const std::string & leader_addr = node->leader_id().to_string();
+    lock.unlock();
+
     const std::string protocol = api_uses_ssl ? "https" : "http";
     std::string url = get_leader_url_path(leader_addr, "/health", protocol);
 
@@ -569,6 +590,8 @@ void ReplicationState::do_dummy_write() {
 }
 
 bool ReplicationState::trigger_vote() {
+    std::shared_lock lock(mutex);
+
     if(node) {
         auto status = node->vote(election_timeout_interval_ms);
         LOG(INFO) << "Triggered vote. Ok? " << status.ok() << ", status: " << status;