diff --git a/api.go b/api.go
index 1348453f5..d757ea708 100644
--- a/api.go
+++ b/api.go
@@ -111,6 +111,12 @@ type Raft struct {
 	// leaderCh is used to notify of leadership changes
 	leaderCh chan bool
 
+	leaderChs     []chan bool
+	leaderChsLock sync.Mutex
+	// leaderChLastMessage is the last message sent over leaderCh that has been processed.
+	// It is sent to new channels created by LeaderCh().
+	leaderChLastMessage bool
+
 	// leaderState used only while state is leader
 	leaderState leaderState
 
@@ -957,14 +963,37 @@ func (r *Raft) State() RaftState {
 // lose it.
 //
 // Receivers can expect to receive a notification only if leadership
-// transition has occured.
+// transition has occured and immediately after LeaderCh() returns with the
+// current state.
 //
 // If receivers aren't ready for the signal, signals may drop and only the
 // latest leadership transition. For example, if a receiver receives subsequent
 // `true` values, they may deduce that leadership was lost and regained while
-// the the receiver was processing first leadership transition.
+// the receiver was processing first leadership transition.
 func (r *Raft) LeaderCh() <-chan bool {
-	return r.leaderCh
+	ch := make(chan bool, 1)
+	r.leaderChsLock.Lock()
+	if len(r.leaderChs) == 0 {
+		select {
+		case v := <-r.leaderCh:
+			r.leaderChLastMessage = v
+		default:
+		}
+		go func() {
+			for v := range r.leaderCh {
+				r.leaderChsLock.Lock()
+				r.leaderChLastMessage = v
+				for _, c := range r.leaderChs {
+					overrideNotifyBool(c, v)
+				}
+				r.leaderChsLock.Unlock()
+			}
+		}()
+	}
+	r.leaderChs = append(r.leaderChs, ch)
+	ch <- r.leaderChLastMessage
+	r.leaderChsLock.Unlock()
+	return ch
 }
 
 // String returns a string representation of this Raft node.
diff --git a/raft_test.go b/raft_test.go
index e0086b085..3b1205b0a 100644
--- a/raft_test.go
+++ b/raft_test.go
@@ -263,13 +263,15 @@ func TestRaft_SingleNode(t *testing.T) {
 	raft := c.rafts[0]
 
 	// Watch leaderCh for change
-	select {
-	case v := <-raft.LeaderCh():
-		if !v {
-			c.FailNowf("should become leader")
+	ch := raft.LeaderCh()
+	isLeader := false
+	for !isLeader {
+		select {
+		case v := <-ch:
+			isLeader = v
+		case <-time.After(conf.HeartbeatTimeout * 3):
+			c.FailNowf("timeout becoming leader")
 		}
-	case <-time.After(conf.HeartbeatTimeout * 3):
-		c.FailNowf("timeout becoming leader")
 	}
 
 	// Should be leader
@@ -1507,10 +1509,11 @@ func TestRaft_LeaderLeaseExpire(t *testing.T) {
 
 	// Watch the leaderCh
 	timeout := time.After(conf.LeaderLeaseTimeout * 2)
+	lch := leader.LeaderCh()
 LOOP:
 	for {
 		select {
-		case v := <-leader.LeaderCh():
+		case v := <-lch:
 			if !v {
 				break LOOP
 			}