diff --git a/internal/cluster/balancer/balancer_test.go b/internal/cluster/balancer/balancer_test.go
index 4bd09805..65d8435c 100644
--- a/internal/cluster/balancer/balancer_test.go
+++ b/internal/cluster/balancer/balancer_test.go
@@ -112,6 +112,9 @@ func (mc *mockCluster) addNode(e *environment.Environment) *Balancer {
 		require.NoError(mc.t, err)
 	}
 
+	err = b.rt.Join()
+	require.NoError(mc.t, err)
+
 	err = b.rt.Start()
 	if err != nil {
 		require.NoError(mc.t, err)
diff --git a/internal/cluster/routingtable/discovery.go b/internal/cluster/routingtable/discovery.go
index d3343392..d3630845 100644
--- a/internal/cluster/routingtable/discovery.go
+++ b/internal/cluster/routingtable/discovery.go
@@ -21,8 +21,9 @@ import (
 )
 
 var (
-	ErrServerGone  = errors.New("server is gone")
-	ErrClusterJoin = errors.New("cannot join the cluster")
+	ErrServerGone   = errors.New("server is gone")
+	ErrNotJoinedYet = errors.New("not joined yet")
+	ErrClusterJoin  = errors.New("cannot join the cluster")
 	// ErrOperationTimeout is returned when an operation times out.
 	ErrOperationTimeout = errors.New("operation timeout")
 )
diff --git a/internal/cluster/routingtable/operations.go b/internal/cluster/routingtable/operations.go
index b6610532..d475f7c4 100644
--- a/internal/cluster/routingtable/operations.go
+++ b/internal/cluster/routingtable/operations.go
@@ -25,6 +25,9 @@ import (
 )
 
 func (r *RoutingTable) lengthOfPartCommandHandler(conn redcon.Conn, cmd redcon.Command) {
+	// The command handlers of the routing table service should wait for the cluster join event.
+	<-r.joined
+
 	lengthOfPartCmd, err := protocol.ParseLengthOfPartCommand(cmd)
 	if err != nil {
 		protocol.WriteError(conn, err)
@@ -61,6 +64,9 @@ func (r *RoutingTable) verifyRoutingTable(id uint64, table map[uint64]*route) er
 }
 
 func (r *RoutingTable) updateRoutingCommandHandler(conn redcon.Conn, cmd redcon.Command) {
+	// The command handlers of the routing table service should wait for the cluster join event.
+	<-r.joined
+
 	r.updateRoutingMtx.Lock()
 	defer r.updateRoutingMtx.Unlock()
 
diff --git a/internal/cluster/routingtable/routingtable.go b/internal/cluster/routingtable/routingtable.go
index 5ddbda3a..c59880ce 100644
--- a/internal/cluster/routingtable/routingtable.go
+++ b/internal/cluster/routingtable/routingtable.go
@@ -71,9 +71,11 @@ type RoutingTable struct {
 	callbacks        []func()
 	callbackMtx      sync.Mutex
 	pushPeriod       time.Duration
-	ctx              context.Context
-	cancel           context.CancelFunc
-	wg               sync.WaitGroup
+	// The command handlers of the routing table service should wait for the cluster join event.
+	joined chan struct{}
+	ctx    context.Context
+	cancel context.CancelFunc
+	wg     sync.WaitGroup
 }
 
 func registerErrors() {
@@ -108,6 +110,7 @@ func New(e *environment.Environment) *RoutingTable {
 		client:     e.Get("client").(*server.Client),
 		server:     e.Get("server").(*server.Server),
 		pushPeriod: c.RoutingTablePushInterval,
+		joined:     make(chan struct{}),
 		ctx:        ctx,
 		cancel:     cancel,
 	}
@@ -343,7 +346,7 @@ func (r *RoutingTable) pushPeriodically() {
 	}
 }
 
-func (r *RoutingTable) Start() error {
+func (r *RoutingTable) Join() error {
 	err := r.discovery.Start()
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
@@ -361,13 +364,25 @@ func (r *RoutingTable) Start() error {
 	this, err := r.discovery.FindMemberByName(r.config.MemberlistConfig.Name)
 	if err != nil {
 		r.log.V(2).Printf("[ERROR] Failed to get this node in cluster: %v", err)
-		serr := r.discovery.Shutdown()
-		if serr != nil {
-			return serr
+		shutdownError := r.discovery.Shutdown()
+		if shutdownError != nil {
+			return shutdownError
 		}
 		return err
 	}
 	r.this = this
+	close(r.joined)
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (r *RoutingTable) Start() error {
+	select {
+	case <-r.joined:
+		// It's time to start the routing table service. Otherwise, this method will return an error.
+	default:
+		// Not yet, or the join process has failed
+		return ErrNotJoinedYet
+	}
 
 	// Store the current number of members in the member list.
 	// We need this to implement a simple split-brain protection algorithm.
@@ -379,7 +394,7 @@ func (r *RoutingTable) Start() error {
 	// 1 Hour
 	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(r.ctx, time.Hour)
 	defer cancel()
-	err = r.tryWithInterval(ctx, time.Second, func() error {
+	err := r.tryWithInterval(ctx, time.Second, func() error {
 		// Check member count quorum now. If there is no enough peers to work, wait forever.
 		err := r.CheckMemberCountQuorum()
 		if err != nil {
diff --git a/internal/cluster/routingtable/routingtable_test.go b/internal/cluster/routingtable/routingtable_test.go
index d475b73a..5b5d0ccc 100644
--- a/internal/cluster/routingtable/routingtable_test.go
+++ b/internal/cluster/routingtable/routingtable_test.go
@@ -87,6 +87,10 @@ func (t *testCluster) addNode(c *config.Config) (*RoutingTable, error) {
 
 	srv := testutil.NewServer(c)
 	rt := newRoutingTableForTest(c, srv)
+	err = rt.Join()
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
 	err = rt.Start()
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
diff --git a/internal/testcluster/testcluster.go b/internal/testcluster/testcluster.go
index 0e9cec24..6c1c1ff8 100644
--- a/internal/testcluster/testcluster.go
+++ b/internal/testcluster/testcluster.go
@@ -142,6 +142,10 @@ func (t *TestCluster) AddMember(e *environment.Environment) service.Service {
 
 	s := t.newService(e)
 	rt := e.Get("routingtable").(*routingtable.RoutingTable)
+	err = rt.Join()
+	if err != nil {
+		panic(fmt.Sprintf("failed to join the Olric cluster: %v", err))
+	}
 	err = rt.Start()
 	if err != nil {
 		panic(fmt.Sprintf("failed to start the routing table: %v", err))
diff --git a/olric.go b/olric.go
index 7b638376..44e4a19f 100644
--- a/olric.go
+++ b/olric.go
@@ -341,6 +341,13 @@ func (db *Olric) Start() error {
 		return err
 	}
 
+	// First, we need to join the cluster. Then, the routing table has been started.
+	if err := db.rt.Join(); err != nil {
+		if err != nil {
+			db.log.V(2).Printf("[ERROR] Failed to join the Olric cluster: %v", err)
+		}
+		return err
+	}
 	// Start routing table service and member discovery subsystem.
 	if err := db.rt.Start(); err != nil {
 		if err != nil {