diff --git a/api.go b/api.go
index 6cb8065db1a..6bbc74d910f 100644
--- a/api.go
+++ b/api.go
@@ -260,13 +260,59 @@ func BootstrapCluster(conf *Config, logs LogStore, stable StableStore,
 // the usual APIs in order to bring the cluster back into a known state.
 func RecoverCluster(conf *Config, fsm FSM, logs LogStore, stable StableStore,
 	snaps SnapshotStore, trans Transport, configuration Configuration) error {
+	var err error
+	var lastSnapIndex, lastTerm, lastLogIndex uint64
+	// check error conditions for misconfigured or unreadable configuration and state
+	if err = validateState(conf, logs, stable, snaps, configuration); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	// The snapshot information is the best known end point for the data
+	// until we play back the Raft log entries.
+	// Attempt to restore any snapshots we find, newest to oldest.
+	lastSnapIndex, lastTerm, err = restoreSnapshots(snaps, fsm)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	// Apply any Raft log entries past the snapshot.
+	lastSnapIndex, lastTerm, lastLogIndex, err = applyLogs(logs, fsm)
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	// Take new snapshot
+	if err = commitSnapshot(conf, logs, snaps, fsm, configuration, trans, lastSnapIndex, lastTerm); err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	// Compact the log so that we don't get bad interference from any
+	// configuration change log entries that might be there.
+	var firstLogIndex uint64
+	firstLogIndex, err = logs.FirstIndex()
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("failed to get first log index: %v", err)
+	}
+	if err = logs.DeleteRange(firstLogIndex, lastLogIndex); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("log compaction failed: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
+
+// validateState anticipates a couple of different error conditions
+// for recovering the Raft cluster.
+func validateState(conf *Config, logs LogStore, stable StableStore,
+	snaps SnapshotStore, configuration Configuration) error {
+	var err error
+	var hasState bool
 	// Validate the Raft server config.
-	if err := ValidateConfig(conf); err != nil {
+	if err = ValidateConfig(conf); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
 	// Sanity check the Raft peer configuration.
-	if err := checkConfiguration(configuration); err != nil {
+	if err = checkConfiguration(configuration); err != nil {
 		return err
 	}
 
@@ -275,23 +321,29 @@ func RecoverCluster(conf *Config, fsm FSM, logs LogStore, stable StableStore,
 	// expect data to be there and it's not. By refusing, we force them
 	// to show intent to start a cluster fresh by explicitly doing a
 	// bootstrap, rather than quietly fire up a fresh cluster here.
-	hasState, err := HasExistingState(logs, stable, snaps)
+	hasState, err = HasExistingState(logs, stable, snaps)
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to check for existing state: %v", err)
 	}
 	if !hasState {
 		return fmt.Errorf("refused to recover cluster with no initial state, this is probably an operator error")
 	}
+	return nil
+}
+
+// restoreSnapshots attempts to restore each snapshot
+func restoreSnapshots(snaps SnapshotStore, fsm FSM) (index, term uint64, err error) {
+	var snapshots []*SnapshotMeta
+	snapshots, err = snaps.List()
 
-	// Attempt to restore any snapshots we find, newest to oldest.
-	var snapshotIndex uint64
-	var snapshotTerm uint64
-	snapshots, err := snaps.List()
 	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("failed to list snapshots: %v", err)
+		return 0, 0, fmt.Errorf("failed to list snapshots: %v", err)
 	}
+
 	for _, snapshot := range snapshots {
-		_, source, err := snaps.Open(snapshot.ID)
+		var source io.ReadCloser
+
+		_, source, err = snaps.Open(snapshot.ID)
 		if err != nil {
 			// Skip this one and try the next. We will detect if we
 			// couldn't open any snapshots.
@@ -305,29 +357,28 @@ func RecoverCluster(conf *Config, fsm FSM, logs LogStore, stable StableStore,
 			// Same here, skip and try the next one.
 			continue
 		}
-
-		snapshotIndex = snapshot.Index
-		snapshotTerm = snapshot.Term
+		index, term = snapshot.Index, snapshot.Term
 		break
 	}
-	if len(snapshots) > 0 && (snapshotIndex == 0 || snapshotTerm == 0) {
-		return fmt.Errorf("failed to restore any of the available snapshots")
-	}
 
-	// The snapshot information is the best known end point for the data
-	// until we play back the Raft log entries.
-	lastIndex := snapshotIndex
-	lastTerm := snapshotTerm
+	if len(snapshots) > 0 && (index == 0 || term == 0) {
+		err = fmt.Errorf("failed to restore any of the available snapshots")
+		return index, term, err
+	}
+	return index, term, nil
+}
 
+// Applies log entries that exist past the snapshot point
+func applyLogs(logs LogStore, fsm FSM) (lastIndex, lastTerm, lastLogIndex uint64, err error) {
 	// Apply any Raft log entries past the snapshot.
-	lastLogIndex, err := logs.LastIndex()
+	lastLogIndex, err = logs.LastIndex()
 	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("failed to find last log: %v", err)
+		err = fmt.Errorf("failed to find last log: %v", err)
 	}
-	for index := snapshotIndex + 1; index <= lastLogIndex; index++ {
+	for index := lastIndex + 1; index <= lastLogIndex; index++ {
 		var entry Log
-		if err := logs.GetLog(index, &entry); err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("failed to get log at index %d: %v", index, err)
+		if err = logs.GetLog(index, &entry); err != nil {
+			err = fmt.Errorf("failed to get log at index %d: %v", index, err)
 		}
 		if entry.Type == LogCommand {
 			_ = fsm.Apply(&entry)
@@ -335,35 +386,29 @@ func RecoverCluster(conf *Config, fsm FSM, logs LogStore, stable StableStore,
 		lastIndex = entry.Index
 		lastTerm = entry.Term
 	}
+	return lastIndex, lastTerm, lastLogIndex, nil
+}
 
-	// Create a new snapshot, placing the configuration in as if it was
-	// committed at index 1.
-	snapshot, err := fsm.Snapshot()
+func commitSnapshot(conf *Config, log LogStore, snaps SnapshotStore, fsm FSM, configuration Configuration, trans Transport,
+	lastIndex, lastTerm uint64) error {
+	var err error
+	var snapshot FSMSnapshot
+	snapshot, err = fsm.Snapshot()
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to snapshot FSM: %v", err)
 	}
 	version := getSnapshotVersion(conf.ProtocolVersion)
-	sink, err := snaps.Create(version, lastIndex, lastTerm, configuration, 1, trans)
+	var sink SnapshotSink
+	sink, err = snaps.Create(version, lastIndex, lastTerm, configuration, 1, trans)
 	if err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to create snapshot: %v", err)
 	}
-	if err := snapshot.Persist(sink); err != nil {
+	if err = snapshot.Persist(sink); err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to persist snapshot: %v", err)
 	}
-	if err := sink.Close(); err != nil {
+	if err = sink.Close(); err != nil {
 		return fmt.Errorf("failed to finalize snapshot: %v", err)
 	}
-
-	// Compact the log so that we don't get bad interference from any
-	// configuration change log entries that might be there.
-	firstLogIndex, err := logs.FirstIndex()
-	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("failed to get first log index: %v", err)
-	}
-	if err := logs.DeleteRange(firstLogIndex, lastLogIndex); err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("log compaction failed: %v", err)
-	}
-
 	return nil
 }
 
diff --git a/net_transport_test.go b/net_transport_test.go
index 5c614b7ecd4..869b45a9921 100644
--- a/net_transport_test.go
+++ b/net_transport_test.go
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ func TestNetworkTransport_CloseStreams(t *testing.T) {
 		PrevLogEntry: 100,
 		PrevLogTerm:  4,
 		Entries: []*Log{
-			&Log{
+			{
 				Index: 101,
 				Term:  4,
 				Type:  LogNoop,
@@ -76,7 +76,6 @@ func TestNetworkTransport_CloseStreams(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("err: %v", err)
 	}
 	defer trans2.Close()
-
 	for i := 0; i < 2; i++ {
 		// Create wait group
 		wg := &sync.WaitGroup{}
@@ -199,7 +198,7 @@ func TestNetworkTransport_AppendEntries(t *testing.T) {
 			PrevLogEntry: 100,
 			PrevLogTerm:  4,
 			Entries: []*Log{
-				&Log{
+				{
 					Index: 101,
 					Term:  4,
 					Type:  LogNoop,
@@ -268,7 +267,7 @@ func TestNetworkTransport_AppendEntriesPipeline(t *testing.T) {
 			PrevLogEntry: 100,
 			PrevLogTerm:  4,
 			Entries: []*Log{
-				&Log{
+				{
 					Index: 101,
 					Term:  4,
 					Type:  LogNoop,
@@ -351,7 +350,7 @@ func TestNetworkTransport_AppendEntriesPipeline_CloseStreams(t *testing.T) {
 		PrevLogEntry: 100,
 		PrevLogTerm:  4,
 		Entries: []*Log{
-			&Log{
+			{
 				Index: 101,
 				Term:  4,
 				Type:  LogNoop,
@@ -625,7 +624,7 @@ func TestNetworkTransport_PooledConn(t *testing.T) {
 		PrevLogEntry: 100,
 		PrevLogTerm:  4,
 		Entries: []*Log{
-			&Log{
+			{
 				Index: 101,
 				Term:  4,
 				Type:  LogNoop,