diff --git a/server/etcdserver/server.go b/server/etcdserver/server.go
index 0600a31b896..f8b19d4c455 100644
--- a/server/etcdserver/server.go
+++ b/server/etcdserver/server.go
@@ -979,6 +979,7 @@ func (s *EtcdServer) applyAll(ep *etcdProgress, apply *toApply) {
 	<-apply.notifyc
 
 	s.triggerSnapshot(ep)
+	s.maybeCompactRaftLog(ep.appliedi)
 	select {
 	// snapshot requested via send()
 	case m := <-s.r.msgSnapC:
@@ -2169,6 +2170,10 @@ func (s *EtcdServer) snapshot(snapi uint64, confState raftpb.ConfState) {
 		"saved snapshot",
 		zap.Uint64("snapshot-index", snap.Metadata.Index),
 	)
+}
+
+func (s *EtcdServer) maybeCompactRaftLog(appliedi uint64) {
+	lg := s.Logger()
 
 	// When sending a snapshot, etcd will pause compaction.
 	// After receives a snapshot, the slow follower needs to get all the entries right after
@@ -2180,13 +2185,13 @@ func (s *EtcdServer) snapshot(snapi uint64, confState raftpb.ConfState) {
 		return
 	}
 
-	// keep some in memory log entries for slow followers.
-	compacti := uint64(1)
-	if snapi > s.Cfg.SnapshotCatchUpEntries {
-		compacti = snapi - s.Cfg.SnapshotCatchUpEntries
+	if appliedi <= s.Cfg.SnapshotCatchUpEntries {
+		return
 	}
 
-	err = s.r.raftStorage.Compact(compacti)
+	compacti := appliedi - s.Cfg.SnapshotCatchUpEntries
+
+	err := s.r.raftStorage.Compact(compacti)
 	if err != nil {
 		// the compaction was done asynchronously with the progress of raft.
 		// raft log might already been compact.
diff --git a/tests/integration/reproduce_raft_panic_test.go b/tests/integration/reproduce_raft_panic_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..fb2cadf5339
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/integration/reproduce_raft_panic_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,103 @@
+// Copyright 2024 The etcd Authors
+//
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+//     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+// limitations under the License.
+
+package integration
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+
+	"go.etcd.io/etcd/tests/v3/framework/integration"
+)
+
+func TestMustPanic(t *testing.T) {
+	integration.BeforeTest(t)
+
+	clus := integration.NewCluster(t, &integration.ClusterConfig{
+		Size:                   3,
+		SnapshotCount:          1000,
+		SnapshotCatchUpEntries: 100,
+	})
+	defer clus.Terminate(t)
+
+	// inject partition between [member-0] and [member-1, member 2]
+	clus.Members[0].InjectPartition(t, clus.Members[1:]...)
+
+	// wait for leader in [member-1, member 2]
+	lead := clus.WaitMembersForLeader(t, clus.Members[1:]) + 1
+	t.Logf("elected lead: %v", clus.Members[lead].Server.MemberID())
+	time.Sleep(2 * time.Second)
+
+	// send 500 put request to [member-1, member 2], resulting at least 400 compactions in raft log
+	for i := 0; i < 500; i++ {
+		_, err := clus.Client(1).Put(context.TODO(), "foo", "bar")
+		if err != nil {
+			return
+		}
+	}
+
+	expectMemberLog(t, clus.Members[lead], 5*time.Second, "compacted Raft logs", 400)
+	expectMemberLog(t, clus.Members[lead], 5*time.Second, "\"compact-index\": 400", 1)
+
+	// member-0 rejoins the cluster. Since its appliedIndex is very low (less than 10, not in leader raft log's range),
+	// the leader decides to send a snapshot to member-0.
+	clus.Members[0].RecoverPartition(t, clus.Members[1:]...)
+
+	// Wait for the leader to panic with `panic("need non-empty snapshot")`
+	time.Sleep(5 * time.Second)
+}
+
+func TestMustNotPanic(t *testing.T) {
+	integration.BeforeTest(t)
+
+	clus := integration.NewCluster(t, &integration.ClusterConfig{
+		Size:                   3,
+		SnapshotCount:          1000,
+		SnapshotCatchUpEntries: 100,
+	})
+	defer clus.Terminate(t)
+
+	// inject partition between [member-0] and [member-1, member 2]
+	clus.Members[0].InjectPartition(t, clus.Members[1:]...)
+
+	// wait for leader in [member-1, member 2]
+	lead := clus.WaitMembersForLeader(t, clus.Members[1:]) + 1
+	t.Logf("elected lead: %v", clus.Members[lead].Server.MemberID())
+	time.Sleep(2 * time.Second)
+
+	// send 80 put request to [member-1, member 2], no compaction in raft log
+	for i := 0; i < 80; i++ {
+		_, err := clus.Client(1).Put(context.TODO(), "foo", "bar")
+		if err != nil {
+			return
+		}
+	}
+
+	// leader should not compact raft logs
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.TODO(), 5*time.Second)
+	defer cancel()
+	_, err := clus.Members[lead].LogObserver.Expect(ctx, "compacted Raft logs", 1)
+	assert.ErrorIs(t, err, context.DeadlineExceeded)
+
+	// member-0 rejoins the cluster.
+	// Since member-0's appliedIndex is within the leader raft log's range,
+	// the leader won't send a snapshot. So, no panic should happen here.
+	clus.Members[0].RecoverPartition(t, clus.Members[1:]...)
+
+	// No errors should occur during this wait
+	time.Sleep(5 * time.Second)
+}