diff --git a/openraft/src/core/admin.rs b/openraft/src/core/admin.rs
index 61773c16c..c34e71ad5 100644
--- a/openraft/src/core/admin.rs
+++ b/openraft/src/core/admin.rs
@@ -246,7 +246,7 @@ impl<'a, D: AppData, R: AppDataResponse, N: RaftNetwork<D>, S: RaftStorage<D, R>
     ///
     /// This is ony called by leader.
     #[tracing::instrument(level = "debug", skip(self))]
-    pub(super) fn handle_uniform_consensus_committed(&mut self, log_id: &LogId) {
+    pub(super) async fn handle_uniform_consensus_committed(&mut self, log_id: &LogId) -> Result<(), StorageError> {
         tracing::info!("handle_uniform_consensus_committed at log id: {}", log_id);
         let index = log_id.index;
 
@@ -257,24 +257,32 @@ impl<'a, D: AppData, R: AppDataResponse, N: RaftNetwork<D>, S: RaftStorage<D, R>
             // TODO(xp): transfer leadership
             self.core.set_target_state(State::Learner);
             self.core.current_leader = None;
-            return;
+            return Ok(());
         }
 
         let membership = &self.core.effective_membership.membership;
 
-        for (id, state) in self.nodes.iter_mut() {
-            if membership.contains(id) {
-                continue;
-            }
+        let (_, committed_membership) = self.core.storage.last_applied_state().await?;
+
+        if let Some(prev) = committed_membership {
+            let prev_x = prev.membership.all_nodes().clone();
+            let curr = membership.all_nodes();
 
-            tracing::info!(
-                "set remove_after_commit for {} = {}, membership: {:?}",
-                id,
-                index,
-                self.core.effective_membership
-            );
+            let removed = prev_x.difference(curr);
+            for id in removed {
+                if let Some(state) = self.nodes.get_mut(id) {
+                    tracing::info!(
+                        "set remove_after_commit for {} = {}, membership: {:?}",
+                        id,
+                        index,
+                        self.core.effective_membership
+                    );
 
-            state.remove_since = Some(index)
+                    state.remove_since = Some(index)
+                } else {
+                    tracing::warn!("replication not found to target: {}", id)
+                }
+            }
         }
 
         let targets = self.nodes.keys().cloned().collect::<Vec<_>>();
@@ -283,6 +291,7 @@ impl<'a, D: AppData, R: AppDataResponse, N: RaftNetwork<D>, S: RaftStorage<D, R>
         }
 
         self.leader_report_metrics();
+        Ok(())
     }
 
     /// Remove a replication if the membership that does not include it has committed.
diff --git a/openraft/src/core/client.rs b/openraft/src/core/client.rs
index 23269faf8..4be6e3022 100644
--- a/openraft/src/core/client.rs
+++ b/openraft/src/core/client.rs
@@ -270,24 +270,26 @@ impl<'a, D: AppData, R: AppDataResponse, N: RaftNetwork<D>, S: RaftStorage<D, R>
         );
     }
 
-    pub fn handle_special_log(&mut self, entry: &Entry<D>) {
+    pub async fn handle_special_log(&mut self, entry: &Entry<D>) -> Result<(), StorageError> {
         match &entry.payload {
             EntryPayload::Membership(ref m) => {
                 if m.is_in_joint_consensus() {
                     // nothing to do
                 } else {
-                    self.handle_uniform_consensus_committed(&entry.log_id);
+                    self.handle_uniform_consensus_committed(&entry.log_id).await?;
                 }
             }
             EntryPayload::Blank => {}
             EntryPayload::Normal(_) => {}
         }
+
+        Ok(())
     }
 
     /// Apply the given log entry to the state machine.
     #[tracing::instrument(level = "debug", skip(self, entry))]
     pub(super) async fn apply_entry_to_state_machine(&mut self, entry: &Entry<D>) -> Result<R, StorageError> {
-        self.handle_special_log(entry);
+        self.handle_special_log(entry).await?;
 
         // First, we just ensure that we apply any outstanding up to, but not including, the index
         // of the given entry. We need to be able to return the data response from applying this
diff --git a/openraft/tests/membership/main.rs b/openraft/tests/membership/main.rs
index e3bf9dc7b..fcf4c78f1 100644
--- a/openraft/tests/membership/main.rs
+++ b/openraft/tests/membership/main.rs
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ mod t10_add_learner;
 mod t10_remove_learner;
 mod t15_add_remove_follower;
 mod t20_change_membership;
+mod t21_change_membership_keep_learner;
 mod t25_elect_with_new_config;
 mod t30_commit_joint_config;
 mod t30_step_down;
diff --git a/openraft/tests/membership/t21_change_membership_keep_learner.rs b/openraft/tests/membership/t21_change_membership_keep_learner.rs
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..92dbbefb1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/openraft/tests/membership/t21_change_membership_keep_learner.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,61 @@
+use std::sync::Arc;
+use std::time::Duration;
+
+use maplit::btreeset;
+use openraft::Config;
+
+use crate::fixtures::RaftRouter;
+
+/// Given a cluster of voter {0,1,2} and learners {3,4,5};
+/// Changing membership to {0,3,4} should not remove replication to node-5, should only remove replication to {1,2}
+#[tokio::test(flavor = "multi_thread", worker_threads = 4)]
+async fn change_membership_keep_learners() -> anyhow::Result<()> {
+    let (_log_guard, ut_span) = init_ut!();
+    let _ent = ut_span.enter();
+
+    let lag_threshold = 1;
+
+    let config = Arc::new(
+        Config {
+            replication_lag_threshold: lag_threshold,
+            ..Default::default()
+        }
+        .validate()?,
+    );
+    let router = Arc::new(RaftRouter::new(config.clone()));
+
+    let mut log_index = router.new_nodes_from_single(btreeset! {0,1,2}, btreeset! {3,4,5}).await?;
+
+    tracing::info!("--- change membership to: 0,3,4");
+    router.change_membership(0, btreeset! {0,3,4}).await?;
+    log_index += 2;
+
+    tracing::info!("--- write 5 logs");
+    {
+        router.client_request_many(0, "foo", 5).await;
+        log_index += 5;
+
+        for id in [1, 2] {
+            assert!(router
+                .wait(&id, timeout())
+                .await?
+                .log(Some(log_index), "removed voters can not receive logs")
+                .await
+                .is_err());
+        }
+
+        for id in [0, 3, 4, 5] {
+            router
+                .wait(&id, timeout())
+                .await?
+                .log(Some(log_index), "other voters and learners receive all logs")
+                .await?;
+        }
+    }
+
+    Ok(())
+}
+
+fn timeout() -> Option<Duration> {
+    Some(Duration::from_millis(500))
+}