diff --git a/src/raft/FedReplicaManager.cc b/src/raft/FedReplicaManager.cc
index 4e964709ea..1bef300c29 100644
--- a/src/raft/FedReplicaManager.cc
+++ b/src/raft/FedReplicaManager.cc
@@ -221,6 +221,8 @@ void FedReplicaManager::update_zones(std::vector<int>& zone_ids)
 
 void FedReplicaManager::add_zone(int zone_id)
 {
+    std::ostringstream oss;
+
     Nebula& nd       = Nebula::instance();
     ZonePool * zpool = nd.get_zonepool();
 
@@ -234,15 +236,21 @@ void FedReplicaManager::add_zone(int zone_id)
 
     zones.insert(make_pair(zone_id, zs));
 
-    pthread_mutex_unlock(&mutex);
+    oss << "Starting federation replication thread for slave: " << zone_id;
+
+    NebulaLog::log("FRM", Log::INFO, oss);
 
     add_replica_thread(zone_id);
+
+    pthread_mutex_unlock(&mutex);
 }
 
 /* -------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
 
 void FedReplicaManager::delete_zone(int zone_id)
 {
+    std::ostringstream oss;
+
     std::map<int, ZoneServers *>::iterator it;
 
     pthread_mutex_lock(&mutex);
@@ -258,9 +266,13 @@ void FedReplicaManager::delete_zone(int zone_id)
 
     zones.erase(it);
 
-    pthread_mutex_unlock(&mutex);
+    oss << "Stopping replication thread for slave: " << zone_id;
+
+    NebulaLog::log("FRM", Log::INFO, oss);
 
     delete_replica_thread(zone_id);
+
+    pthread_mutex_unlock(&mutex);
 };
 
 /* -------------------------------------------------------------------------- */
diff --git a/src/raft/RaftManager.cc b/src/raft/RaftManager.cc
index 6d83b08e05..e984227598 100644
--- a/src/raft/RaftManager.cc
+++ b/src/raft/RaftManager.cc
@@ -291,6 +291,8 @@ int RaftManager::get_leader_endpoint(std::string& endpoint)
 
 void RaftManager::add_server(int follower_id, const std::string& endpoint)
 {
+    std::ostringstream oss;
+
 	LogDB * logdb = Nebula::instance().get_logdb();
 
 	unsigned int log_index, log_term;
@@ -299,6 +301,12 @@ void RaftManager::add_server(int follower_id, const std::string& endpoint)
 
 	pthread_mutex_lock(&mutex);
 
+    if ( state != LEADER )
+    {
+        pthread_mutex_unlock(&mutex);
+        return;
+    }
+
     num_servers++;
     servers.insert(std::make_pair(follower_id, endpoint));
 
@@ -306,6 +314,11 @@ void RaftManager::add_server(int follower_id, const std::string& endpoint)
 
 	match.insert(std::make_pair(follower_id, 0));
 
+    oss << "Starting replication and heartbeat threads for follower: "
+        << follower_id;
+
+    NebulaLog::log("RCM", Log::INFO, oss);
+
 	replica_manager.add_replica_thread(follower_id);
 
 	heartbeat_manager.add_replica_thread(follower_id);
@@ -317,10 +330,17 @@ void RaftManager::add_server(int follower_id, const std::string& endpoint)
 
 void RaftManager::delete_server(int follower_id)
 {
+    std::ostringstream oss;
     std::map<int, std::string> _servers;
 
 	pthread_mutex_lock(&mutex);
 
+    if ( state != LEADER )
+    {
+        pthread_mutex_unlock(&mutex);
+        return;
+    }
+
     num_servers--;
     servers.erase(follower_id);
 
@@ -328,6 +348,11 @@ void RaftManager::delete_server(int follower_id)
 
 	match.erase(follower_id);
 
+    oss << "Stopping replication and heartbeat threads for follower: "
+        << follower_id;
+
+    NebulaLog::log("RCM", Log::INFO, oss);
+
 	replica_manager.delete_replica_thread(follower_id);
 
 	heartbeat_manager.delete_replica_thread(follower_id);
@@ -367,11 +392,7 @@ void RaftManager::leader()
 
     if ( state != CANDIDATE )
     {
-        NebulaLog::log("RCM", Log::INFO, "Cannot become leader, no longer "
-                "candidate");
-
         pthread_mutex_unlock(&mutex);
-
         return;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/raft/ReplicaManager.cc b/src/raft/ReplicaManager.cc
index 4aaaabde7d..cc7a0e44f7 100644
--- a/src/raft/ReplicaManager.cc
+++ b/src/raft/ReplicaManager.cc
@@ -60,8 +60,6 @@ void ReplicaManager::stop_replica_threads()
     {
         it->second->finalize();
 
-        pthread_join(it->second->thread_id(), 0);
-
         delete it->second;
     }
 
@@ -98,7 +96,6 @@ void ReplicaManager::replicate(int follower)
 
 void ReplicaManager::delete_replica_thread(int follower_id)
 {
-    std::ostringstream oss;
 
     std::map<int, ReplicaThread *>::iterator it;
 
@@ -109,14 +106,8 @@ void ReplicaManager::delete_replica_thread(int follower_id)
         return;
     }
 
-    oss << "Stopping replication thread for follower: " << follower_id;
-
-    NebulaLog::log("RCM", Log::INFO, oss);
-
     it->second->finalize();
 
-    pthread_join(it->second->thread_id(), 0);
-
     NebulaLog::log("RCM", Log::INFO, "Replication thread stopped");
 
     delete it->second;
@@ -129,8 +120,6 @@ void ReplicaManager::delete_replica_thread(int follower_id)
 
 void ReplicaManager::add_replica_thread(int follower_id)
 {
-    std::ostringstream oss;
-
     pthread_attr_t pattr;
     pthread_t thid;
 
@@ -147,11 +136,7 @@ void ReplicaManager::add_replica_thread(int follower_id)
     thread_pool.insert(std::make_pair(follower_id, rthread));
 
     pthread_attr_init (&pattr);
-    pthread_attr_setdetachstate(&pattr, PTHREAD_CREATE_JOINABLE);
-
-    oss << "Starting replication thread for follower: " << follower_id;
-
-    NebulaLog::log("RCM", Log::INFO, oss);
+    pthread_attr_setdetachstate(&pattr, PTHREAD_CREATE_DETACHED);
 
     pthread_create(&thid, &pattr, replication_thread, (void *) rthread);