diff --git a/nomad/serf.go b/nomad/serf.go
index 67c9ddfff..0e63630bb 100644
--- a/nomad/serf.go
+++ b/nomad/serf.go
@@ -91,6 +91,12 @@ func (s *Server) nodeJoin(me serf.MemberEvent) {
 
 // maybeBootstrap is used to handle bootstrapping when a new server joins
 func (s *Server) maybeBootstrap() {
+
+	// redundant check to ease testing
+	if s.config.BootstrapExpect == 0 {
+		return
+	}
+
 	// Bootstrap can only be done if there are no committed logs, remove our
 	// expectations of bootstrapping. This is slightly cheaper than the full
 	// check that BootstrapCluster will do, so this is a good pre-filter.
diff --git a/nomad/serf_test.go b/nomad/serf_test.go
index ce97b9970..de747df0d 100644
--- a/nomad/serf_test.go
+++ b/nomad/serf_test.go
@@ -473,7 +473,10 @@ func TestNomad_NonBootstraping_ShouldntBootstap(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("expected 1 local peer: %v", err)
 	})
 
-	time.Sleep(500 * time.Millisecond)
+	// as non-bootstrap mode is the initial state, we must wait long enough to assert that
+	// we don't bootstrap even if enough time has elapsed.  Also, explicitly attempt bootstrap.
+	s1.maybeBootstrap()
+	time.Sleep(100 * time.Millisecond)
 
 	bootstrapped := atomic.LoadInt32(&s1.config.Bootstrapped)
 	require.Zero(t, bootstrapped, "expecting non-bootstrapped servers")