diff --git a/server/raft.go b/server/raft.go
index 62995f717fb..80db17b639a 100644
--- a/server/raft.go
+++ b/server/raft.go
@@ -946,14 +946,16 @@ func (n *raft) Applied(index uint64) (entries uint64, bytes uint64) {
 	}
 
 	// Ignore if already applied.
-	if index > n.applied {
-		n.applied = index
-	} else {
-		assert.Unreachable("New applied is equal or lower than existing applied index", map[string]any{
+	assert.Always(
+		index > n.applied,
+		"New applied is equal or lower than existing applied index",
+		map[string]any{
 			"new_applied_index": index,
 			"applied_index":     n.applied,
-		})
-
+		},
+	)
+	if index > n.applied {
+		n.applied = index
 	}
 
 	// Calculate the number of entries and estimate the byte size that