diff --git a/append_entries_request_test.go b/append_entries_request_test.go
index 97107022ed..ef6732fc46 100644
--- a/append_entries_request_test.go
+++ b/append_entries_request_test.go
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ func BenchmarkAppendEntriesRequestDecoding(b *testing.B) {
 func createTestAppendEntriesRequest(entryCount int) (*AppendEntriesRequest, []byte) {
 	entries := make([]*LogEntry, 0)
 	for i := 0; i < entryCount; i++ {
-		command := &JoinCommand{Name: "localhost:1000"}
+		command := &DefaultJoinCommand{Name: "localhost:1000"}
 		entry, _ := newLogEntry(nil, 1, 2, command)
 		entries = append(entries, entry)
 	}
diff --git a/http_transporter_test.go b/http_transporter_test.go
index d869509a8b..1334a91060 100644
--- a/http_transporter_test.go
+++ b/http_transporter_test.go
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ func runTestHttpServers(t *testing.T, servers *[]*Server, transporter *HTTPTrans
 
 	// Setup configuration.
 	for _, server := range *servers {
-		if _, err := (*servers)[0].Do(&JoinCommand{Name: server.Name()}); err != nil {
+		if _, err := (*servers)[0].Do(&DefaultJoinCommand{Name: server.Name()}); err != nil {
 			t.Fatalf("Server %s unable to join: %v", server.Name(), err)
 		}
 	}
diff --git a/join_command.go b/join_command.go
index d960f01d8a..74e14239db 100644
--- a/join_command.go
+++ b/join_command.go
@@ -1,17 +1,28 @@
 package raft
 
+// Join command interface
+type JoinCommand interface {
+	CommandName() string
+	Apply(server *Server) (interface{}, error)
+	NodeName() string
+}
+
 // Join command
-type JoinCommand struct {
+type DefaultJoinCommand struct {
 	Name string `json:"name"`
 }
 
 // The name of the Join command in the log
-func (c *JoinCommand) CommandName() string {
+func (c *DefaultJoinCommand) CommandName() string {
 	return "raft:join"
 }
 
-func (c *JoinCommand) Apply(server *Server) (interface{}, error) {
+func (c *DefaultJoinCommand) Apply(server *Server) (interface{}, error) {
 	err := server.AddPeer(c.Name)
 
 	return []byte("join"), err
 }
+
+func (c *DefaultJoinCommand) NodeName() string {
+	return c.Name
+}
diff --git a/server.go b/server.go
index c3a13e6757..ca0e49b49a 100644
--- a/server.go
+++ b/server.go
@@ -313,7 +313,7 @@ func (s *Server) SetHeartbeatTimeout(duration time.Duration) {
 // Reg the NOPCommand
 func init() {
 	RegisterCommand(&NOPCommand{})
-	RegisterCommand(&JoinCommand{})
+	RegisterCommand(&DefaultJoinCommand{})
 	RegisterCommand(&LeaveCommand{})
 }
 
@@ -441,7 +441,7 @@ func (s *Server) setCurrentTerm(term uint64, leaderName string, append bool) {
 		return
 	}
 
-	// discover new leader when candidate 
+	// discover new leader when candidate
 	// save leader name when follower
 	if term == s.currentTerm && s.state != Leader && append {
 		s.state = Follower
@@ -524,19 +524,13 @@ func (s *Server) followerLoop() {
 		case e := <-s.c:
 			if e.target == &stopValue {
 				s.setState(Stopped)
-			} else if command, ok := e.target.(Command); ok {
-
-				if command, ok := command.(*JoinCommand); ok {
-
-					//If no log entries exist and a self-join command is issued
-					//then immediately become leader and commit entry.
-					if s.log.currentIndex() == 0 && command.Name == s.Name() {
-						s.debugln("selfjoin and promote to leader")
-						s.setState(Leader)
-						s.processCommand(command, e)
-					} else {
-						err = NotLeaderError
-					}
+			} else if command, ok := e.target.(JoinCommand); ok {
+				//If no log entries exist and a self-join command is issued
+				//then immediately become leader and commit entry.
+				if s.log.currentIndex() == 0 && command.NodeName() == s.Name() {
+					s.debugln("selfjoin and promote to leader")
+					s.setState(Leader)
+					s.processCommand(command, e)
 				} else {
 					err = NotLeaderError
 				}
@@ -546,6 +540,8 @@ func (s *Server) followerLoop() {
 				e.returnValue, update = s.processRequestVoteRequest(req)
 			} else if req, ok := e.target.(*SnapshotRequest); ok {
 				e.returnValue = s.processSnapshotRequest(req)
+			} else {
+				err = NotLeaderError
 			}
 
 			// Callback to event.
diff --git a/server_test.go b/server_test.go
index 14bc36f468..829b5a3030 100644
--- a/server_test.go
+++ b/server_test.go
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ func TestServerRequestVote(t *testing.T) {
 	server := newTestServer("1", &testTransporter{})
 
 	server.Start()
-	if _, err := server.Do(&JoinCommand{Name: server.Name()}); err != nil {
+	if _, err := server.Do(&DefaultJoinCommand{Name: server.Name()}); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("Server %s unable to join: %v", server.Name(), err)
 	}
 
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@ func TestServerRequestVoteDeniedForStaleTerm(t *testing.T) {
 	server := newTestServer("1", &testTransporter{})
 
 	server.Start()
-	if _, err := server.Do(&JoinCommand{Name: server.Name()}); err != nil {
+	if _, err := server.Do(&DefaultJoinCommand{Name: server.Name()}); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("Server %s unable to join: %v", server.Name(), err)
 	}
 
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ func TestServerRequestVoteDeniedIfAlreadyVoted(t *testing.T) {
 	server := newTestServer("1", &testTransporter{})
 
 	server.Start()
-	if _, err := server.Do(&JoinCommand{Name: server.Name()}); err != nil {
+	if _, err := server.Do(&DefaultJoinCommand{Name: server.Name()}); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("Server %s unable to join: %v", server.Name(), err)
 	}
 
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@ func TestServerRequestVoteApprovedIfAlreadyVotedInOlderTerm(t *testing.T) {
 	server := newTestServer("1", &testTransporter{})
 
 	server.Start()
-	if _, err := server.Do(&JoinCommand{Name: server.Name()}); err != nil {
+	if _, err := server.Do(&DefaultJoinCommand{Name: server.Name()}); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("Server %s unable to join: %v", server.Name(), err)
 	}
 
@@ -331,7 +331,7 @@ func TestServerSingleNode(t *testing.T) {
 	time.Sleep(50 * time.Millisecond)
 
 	// Join the server to itself.
-	if _, err := server.Do(&JoinCommand{Name: "1"}); err != nil {
+	if _, err := server.Do(&DefaultJoinCommand{Name: "1"}); err != nil {
 		t.Fatalf("Unable to join: %v", err)
 	}
 	debugln("finish command")
@@ -403,7 +403,7 @@ func TestServerMultiNode(t *testing.T) {
 			server.Start()
 			time.Sleep(10 * time.Millisecond)
 		}
-		if _, err := leader.Do(&JoinCommand{Name: name}); err != nil {
+		if _, err := leader.Do(&DefaultJoinCommand{Name: name}); err != nil {
 			t.Fatalf("Unable to join server[%s]: %v", name, err)
 		}