diff --git a/ratis-common/src/main/java/org/apache/ratis/util/ReferenceCountedLeakDetector.java b/ratis-common/src/main/java/org/apache/ratis/util/ReferenceCountedLeakDetector.java
index acf6fb8cfc..9ebbe7c18e 100644
--- a/ratis-common/src/main/java/org/apache/ratis/util/ReferenceCountedLeakDetector.java
+++ b/ratis-common/src/main/java/org/apache/ratis/util/ReferenceCountedLeakDetector.java
@@ -33,7 +33,6 @@
 public final class ReferenceCountedLeakDetector {
   private static final Logger LOG = LoggerFactory.getLogger(ReferenceCountedLeakDetector.class);
   // Leak detection is turned off by default.
-
   private static final AtomicReference<Mode> FACTORY = new AtomicReference<>(Mode.NONE);
   private static final Supplier<LeakDetector> SUPPLIER
       = MemoizedSupplier.valueOf(() -> new LeakDetector(FACTORY.get().name()).start());
diff --git a/ratis-grpc/src/main/java/org/apache/ratis/grpc/server/GrpcLogAppender.java b/ratis-grpc/src/main/java/org/apache/ratis/grpc/server/GrpcLogAppender.java
index 0784eaf047..927bf8ce5c 100644
--- a/ratis-grpc/src/main/java/org/apache/ratis/grpc/server/GrpcLogAppender.java
+++ b/ratis-grpc/src/main/java/org/apache/ratis/grpc/server/GrpcLogAppender.java
@@ -302,8 +302,21 @@ private long errorWaitTimeMs() {
 
   @Override
   public CompletableFuture<LifeCycle.State> stopAsync() {
-    grpcServerMetrics.unregister();
-    return super.stopAsync();
+    try (AutoCloseableLock ignored = lock.writeLock(caller, LOG::trace)) {
+      if (appendLogRequestObserver != null) {
+        appendLogRequestObserver.stop();
+        appendLogRequestObserver = null;
+      }
+      grpcServerMetrics.unregister();
+      return super.stopAsync();
+    }
+    /*grpcServerMetrics.unregister();
+    CompletableFuture<LifeCycle.State> future = super.stopAsync();
+    if (appendLogRequestObserver != null) {
+      appendLogRequestObserver.stop();
+      appendLogRequestObserver = null;
+    }
+    return future;*/
   }
 
   @Override
@@ -382,6 +395,9 @@ private void appendLog(boolean heartbeat) throws IOException {
     final ReferenceCountedObject<AppendEntriesRequestProto> pending;
     final AppendEntriesRequest request;
     try (AutoCloseableLock writeLock = lock.writeLock(caller, LOG::trace)) {
+      if (!isRunning()) {
+        return;
+      }
       // Prepare and send the append request.
       // Note changes on follower's nextIndex and ops on pendingRequests should always be done under the write-lock
       pending = nextAppendEntriesRequest(callId.getAndIncrement(), heartbeat);
diff --git a/ratis-server/src/main/java/org/apache/ratis/server/leader/LogAppenderBase.java b/ratis-server/src/main/java/org/apache/ratis/server/leader/LogAppenderBase.java
index d1557588d6..e6c92ce046 100644
--- a/ratis-server/src/main/java/org/apache/ratis/server/leader/LogAppenderBase.java
+++ b/ratis-server/src/main/java/org/apache/ratis/server/leader/LogAppenderBase.java
@@ -261,12 +261,19 @@ protected ReferenceCountedObject<AppendEntriesRequestProto> nextAppendEntriesReq
     final long halfMs = heartbeatWaitTimeMs/2;
     final Map<Long, ReferenceCountedObject<EntryWithData>> offered = new HashMap<>();
     for (long next = followerNext; leaderNext > next && getHeartbeatWaitTimeMs() - halfMs > 0; next++) {
-      final ReferenceCountedObject<EntryWithData> entryWithData = getRaftLog().retainEntryWithData(next);
-      if (!buffer.offer(entryWithData.get())) {
-        entryWithData.release();
-        break;
+      ReferenceCountedObject<EntryWithData> entryWithData = null;
+      try {
+        entryWithData = getRaftLog().retainEntryWithData(next);
+        if (!buffer.offer(entryWithData.get())) {
+          entryWithData.release();
+          break;
+        }
+        offered.put(next, entryWithData);
+      } catch (Exception e){
+        if (entryWithData != null) {
+          entryWithData.release();
+        }
       }
-      offered.put(next, entryWithData);
     }
     if (buffer.isEmpty()) {
       return null;
diff --git a/ratis-server/src/main/java/org/apache/ratis/server/raftlog/segmented/LogSegment.java b/ratis-server/src/main/java/org/apache/ratis/server/raftlog/segmented/LogSegment.java
index 2eea0f90f1..5a5d3eb1f8 100644
--- a/ratis-server/src/main/java/org/apache/ratis/server/raftlog/segmented/LogSegment.java
+++ b/ratis-server/src/main/java/org/apache/ratis/server/raftlog/segmented/LogSegment.java
@@ -281,12 +281,16 @@ public ReferenceCountedObject<LogEntryProto> load(LogRecord key) throws IOExcept
       final AtomicReference<ReferenceCountedObject<LogEntryProto>> toReturn = new AtomicReference<>();
       final LogSegmentStartEnd startEnd = LogSegmentStartEnd.valueOf(startIndex, endIndex, isOpen);
       readSegmentFile(file, startEnd, maxOpSize, getLogCorruptionPolicy(), raftLogMetrics, entryRef -> {
-        final LogEntryProto entry = entryRef.retain();
-        final TermIndex ti = TermIndex.valueOf(entry);
-        putEntryCache(ti, entryRef, Op.LOAD_SEGMENT_FILE);
-        if (ti.equals(key.getTermIndex())) {
-          toReturn.set(entryRef);
-        } else {
+        try {
+          final LogEntryProto entry = entryRef.retain();
+          final TermIndex ti = TermIndex.valueOf(entry);
+          putEntryCache(ti, entryRef, Op.LOAD_SEGMENT_FILE);
+          if (ti.equals(key.getTermIndex())) {
+            toReturn.set(entryRef);
+          } else {
+            entryRef.release();
+          }
+        } catch (Exception e) {
           entryRef.release();
         }
       });
diff --git a/ratis-server/src/main/java/org/apache/ratis/server/raftlog/segmented/SegmentedRaftLog.java b/ratis-server/src/main/java/org/apache/ratis/server/raftlog/segmented/SegmentedRaftLog.java
index 01143c753f..beebeba350 100644
--- a/ratis-server/src/main/java/org/apache/ratis/server/raftlog/segmented/SegmentedRaftLog.java
+++ b/ratis-server/src/main/java/org/apache/ratis/server/raftlog/segmented/SegmentedRaftLog.java
@@ -282,14 +282,17 @@ private void loadLogSegments(long lastIndexInSnapshot,
 
   @Override
   public LogEntryProto get(long index) throws RaftLogIOException {
-    final ReferenceCountedObject<LogEntryProto> ref = retainLog(index);
-    if (ref == null) {
-      return null;
-    }
+    ReferenceCountedObject<LogEntryProto> ref = null;
     try {
+      ref = retainLog(index);
+      if (ref == null) {
+        return null;
+      }
       return LogProtoUtils.copy(ref.get());
     } finally {
-      ref.release();
+      if (ref != null) {
+        ref.release();
+      }
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/ratis-server/src/test/java/org/apache/ratis/server/impl/MiniRaftCluster.java b/ratis-server/src/test/java/org/apache/ratis/server/impl/MiniRaftCluster.java
index 86ebfa52ca..e180f3ecbb 100644
--- a/ratis-server/src/test/java/org/apache/ratis/server/impl/MiniRaftCluster.java
+++ b/ratis-server/src/test/java/org/apache/ratis/server/impl/MiniRaftCluster.java
@@ -859,12 +859,11 @@ public void shutdown() {
     getServers().forEach(proxy -> executor.submit(() -> JavaUtils.runAsUnchecked(proxy::close)));
     final int maxRetries = 30;
     final TimeDuration retrySleep = TimeDuration.ONE_SECOND;
-    try {
-      executor.shutdown();
-      // just wait for a few seconds
-      boolean terminated = false;
+    executor.shutdown();
+    boolean terminated = false;
 
-      for(int i = 0; i < maxRetries && !terminated; ) {
+    for(int i = 0; i < maxRetries && !terminated; ) {
+      try {
         terminated = executor.awaitTermination(retrySleep.getDuration(), retrySleep.getUnit());
         if (!terminated) {
           i++;
@@ -874,10 +873,9 @@ public void shutdown() {
             LOG.error("Failed to shutdown executor, some servers may be still running:\n{}", printServers());
           }
         }
-      }
-    } catch (InterruptedException e) {
+      } catch (InterruptedException e) {
       LOG.warn("shutdown interrupted", e);
-      Thread.currentThread().interrupt();
+      }
     }
 
     Optional.ofNullable(timer.get()).ifPresent(Timer::cancel);