diff --git a/ratis-server/src/main/java/org/apache/ratis/server/raftlog/RaftLogBase.java b/ratis-server/src/main/java/org/apache/ratis/server/raftlog/RaftLogBase.java
index 1e22e07bd0..9b0367213a 100644
--- a/ratis-server/src/main/java/org/apache/ratis/server/raftlog/RaftLogBase.java
+++ b/ratis-server/src/main/java/org/apache/ratis/server/raftlog/RaftLogBase.java
@@ -314,20 +314,28 @@ public final CompletableFuture<Long> truncate(long index) {
 
   @Override
   public final CompletableFuture<Long> purge(long suggestedIndex) {
+    final long adjustedIndex;
     if (purgePreservation > 0) {
       final long currentIndex = getNextIndex() - 1;
-      suggestedIndex = Math.min(suggestedIndex, currentIndex - purgePreservation);
+      adjustedIndex = Math.min(suggestedIndex, currentIndex - purgePreservation);
+    } else {
+      adjustedIndex = suggestedIndex;
     }
     final long lastPurge = purgeIndex.get();
-    if (suggestedIndex - lastPurge < purgeGap) {
+    if (adjustedIndex - lastPurge < purgeGap) {
+      return CompletableFuture.completedFuture(lastPurge);
+    }
+    final long startIndex = getStartIndex();
+    if (adjustedIndex < startIndex) {
+      LOG.info("{}: purge({}) is skipped: adjustedIndex = {} < startIndex = {}, purgePreservation = {}",
+          getName(), suggestedIndex, adjustedIndex, startIndex, purgePreservation);
       return CompletableFuture.completedFuture(lastPurge);
     }
-    LOG.info("{}: purge {}", getName(), suggestedIndex);
-    final long finalSuggestedIndex = suggestedIndex;
-    return purgeImpl(suggestedIndex).whenComplete((purged, e) -> {
+    LOG.info("{}: purge {}", getName(), adjustedIndex );
+    return purgeImpl(adjustedIndex).whenComplete((purged, e) -> {
       updatePurgeIndex(purged);
       if (e != null) {
-        LOG.warn(getName() + ": Failed to purge " + finalSuggestedIndex, e);
+        LOG.warn(getName() + ": Failed to purge " + adjustedIndex, e);
       }
     });
   }
diff --git a/ratis-server/src/main/java/org/apache/ratis/server/raftlog/segmented/SegmentedRaftLogCache.java b/ratis-server/src/main/java/org/apache/ratis/server/raftlog/segmented/SegmentedRaftLogCache.java
index 20b7a5c372..9509436c35 100644
--- a/ratis-server/src/main/java/org/apache/ratis/server/raftlog/segmented/SegmentedRaftLogCache.java
+++ b/ratis-server/src/main/java/org/apache/ratis/server/raftlog/segmented/SegmentedRaftLogCache.java
@@ -356,7 +356,11 @@ TruncationSegments truncate(long index, LogSegment openSegment, Runnable clearOp
     TruncationSegments purge(long index) {
       try (AutoCloseableLock writeLock = writeLock()) {
         int segmentIndex = binarySearch(index);
-        List<SegmentFileInfo> list = new ArrayList<>();
+        if (segmentIndex == -1) {
+          // nothing to purge
+          return null;
+        }
+        List<SegmentFileInfo> list = new LinkedList<>();
 
         if (segmentIndex == -segments.size() - 1) {
           for (LogSegment ls : segments) {
diff --git a/ratis-test/src/test/java/org/apache/ratis/server/raftlog/segmented/TestSegmentedRaftLog.java b/ratis-test/src/test/java/org/apache/ratis/server/raftlog/segmented/TestSegmentedRaftLog.java
index 93eb7db0e6..a772b00029 100644
--- a/ratis-test/src/test/java/org/apache/ratis/server/raftlog/segmented/TestSegmentedRaftLog.java
+++ b/ratis-test/src/test/java/org/apache/ratis/server/raftlog/segmented/TestSegmentedRaftLog.java
@@ -563,6 +563,7 @@ public void testPurgeOnOpenSegment() throws Exception {
     int segmentSize = 200;
     long beginIndexOfOpenSegment = segmentSize * (endTerm - startTerm - 1);
     long expectedIndex = segmentSize * (endTerm - startTerm - 1);
+    long purgePreservation = 0L;
     purgeAndVerify(startTerm, endTerm, segmentSize, 1, beginIndexOfOpenSegment, expectedIndex);
   }
 
@@ -599,15 +600,36 @@ public void testPurgeOnClosedSegmentsWithPurgeGap() throws Exception {
     purgeAndVerify(startTerm, endTerm, segmentSize, 1000, endIndexOfClosedSegment, expectedIndex);
   }
 
+  @Test
+  public void testPurgeWithLargePurgePreservationAndSmallPurgeGap() throws Exception {
+    int startTerm = 0;
+    int endTerm = 5;
+    int segmentSize = 200;
+    long endIndex = segmentSize * (endTerm - startTerm) - 1;
+    // start index is set so that the suggested index will not be negative, which will not trigger any purge
+    long startIndex = 200;
+    // purge preservation is larger than the total size of the log entries
+    // which causes suggested index to be lower than the start index
+    long purgePreservation = (segmentSize * (endTerm - startTerm )) + 100;
+    // if the suggested index is lower than the start index due to the purge preservation, we should not purge anything
+    purgeAndVerify(startTerm, endTerm, segmentSize, 1, endIndex, startIndex, startIndex, purgePreservation);
+  }
+
   private void purgeAndVerify(int startTerm, int endTerm, int segmentSize, int purgeGap, long purgeIndex,
-      long expectedIndex) throws Exception {
-    List<SegmentRange> ranges = prepareRanges(startTerm, endTerm, segmentSize, 0);
+                              long expectedIndex) throws Exception {
+    purgeAndVerify(startTerm, endTerm, segmentSize, purgeGap, purgeIndex, expectedIndex, 0, 0);
+  }
+
+  private void purgeAndVerify(int startTerm, int endTerm, int segmentSize, int purgeGap, long purgeIndex,
+      long expectedIndex, long startIndex, long purgePreservation) throws Exception {
+    List<SegmentRange> ranges = prepareRanges(startTerm, endTerm, segmentSize, startIndex);
     List<LogEntryProto> entries = prepareLogEntries(ranges, null);
 
     final RaftProperties p = new RaftProperties();
     RaftServerConfigKeys.Log.setPurgeGap(p, purgeGap);
-    try (SegmentedRaftLog raftLog = newSegmentedRaftLog(storage, p)) {
-      raftLog.open(RaftLog.INVALID_LOG_INDEX, null);
+    RaftServerConfigKeys.Log.setPurgePreservationLogNum(p, purgePreservation);
+    try (SegmentedRaftLog raftLog = newSegmentedRaftLogWithSnapshotIndex(storage, p, () -> startIndex - 1)) {
+      raftLog.open(startIndex - 1, null);
       entries.stream().map(raftLog::appendEntry).forEach(CompletableFuture::join);
       final CompletableFuture<Long> f = raftLog.purge(purgeIndex);
       final Long purged = f.get();