diff --git a/server/raft.go b/server/raft.go
index dad6b902c21..d5bcc0c5eee 100644
--- a/server/raft.go
+++ b/server/raft.go
@@ -3184,6 +3184,13 @@ func (n *raft) processAppendEntry(ae *appendEntry, sub *subscription) {
 		return
 	}
 
+	if ae.term < n.term {
+		// ignore
+		n.debug("ignoring ae req from a leader with term %d which is less than ours", ae.term)
+		n.Unlock()
+		return
+	}
+
 	// Scratch buffer for responses.
 	var scratch [appendEntryResponseLen]byte
 	arbuf := scratch[:]
@@ -3294,12 +3301,7 @@ func (n *raft) processAppendEntry(ae *appendEntry, sub *subscription) {
 			n.debug("Term higher than ours and we are not a follower: %v, stepping down to %q", n.State(), ae.leader)
 			n.stepdownLocked(ae.leader)
 		}
-	} else if ae.term < n.term {
-		// ignore
-		n.debug("ignoring ae req from a leader with term %d which is less than ours")
-		return
 	}
-	// FIX: we need to handle if term is less than ours as well, we should be ignoring the entry
 
 	// BUG: leader was being updated even if the leader's term was out of date (behind ours)
 	if isNew && n.leader != ae.leader && n.State() == Follower {