diff --git a/server/jetstream_cluster.go b/server/jetstream_cluster.go
index 22a5aa76..5fc58336 100644
--- a/server/jetstream_cluster.go
+++ b/server/jetstream_cluster.go
@@ -408,6 +408,47 @@ func (cc *jetStreamCluster) isStreamCurrent(account, stream string) bool {
 	return false
 }
 
+// isStreamHealthy will determine if the stream is up to date or very close.
+// For R1 it will make sure the stream is present on this server.
+// Read lock should be held.
+func (cc *jetStreamCluster) isStreamHealthy(account, stream string) bool {
+	if cc == nil {
+		// Non-clustered mode
+		return true
+	}
+	as := cc.streams[account]
+	if as == nil {
+		return false
+	}
+	sa := as[stream]
+	if sa == nil {
+		return false
+	}
+	rg := sa.Group
+	if rg == nil {
+		return false
+	}
+
+	if rg.node == nil || rg.node.Healthy() {
+		// Check if we are processing a snapshot and are catching up.
+		acc, err := cc.s.LookupAccount(account)
+		if err != nil {
+			return false
+		}
+		mset, err := acc.lookupStream(stream)
+		if err != nil {
+			return false
+		}
+		if mset.isCatchingUp() {
+			return false
+		}
+		// Success.
+		return true
+	}
+
+	return false
+}
+
 // isConsumerCurrent will determine if the consumer is up to date.
 // For R1 it will make sure the consunmer is present on this server.
 // Read lock should be held.
diff --git a/server/jetstream_cluster_3_test.go b/server/jetstream_cluster_3_test.go
index ce865116..4665b5d1 100644
--- a/server/jetstream_cluster_3_test.go
+++ b/server/jetstream_cluster_3_test.go
@@ -2500,3 +2500,51 @@ func TestJetStreamClusterKVWatchersWithServerDown(t *testing.T) {
 		w.Stop()
 	}
 }
+
+// TestJetStreamClusterCurrentVsHealth is designed to show the
+// difference between "current" and "healthy" when async publishes
+// outpace the rate at which they can be applied.
+func TestJetStreamClusterCurrentVsHealth(t *testing.T) {
+	c := createJetStreamClusterExplicit(t, "R3S", 3)
+	defer c.shutdown()
+
+	c.waitOnLeader()
+	server := c.randomNonLeader()
+
+	nc, js := jsClientConnect(t, server)
+	defer nc.Close()
+
+	_, err := js.AddStream(&nats.StreamConfig{
+		Name:     "TEST",
+		Subjects: []string{"foo"},
+		Replicas: 3,
+	})
+	require_NoError(t, err)
+
+	server = c.randomNonStreamLeader(globalAccountName, "TEST")
+	stream, err := server.GlobalAccount().lookupStream("TEST")
+	require_NoError(t, err)
+
+	raft, ok := stream.raftGroup().node.(*raft)
+	require_True(t, ok)
+
+	for i := 0; i < 1000; i++ {
+		_, err := js.PublishAsync("foo", []byte("bar"))
+		require_NoError(t, err)
+
+		raft.RLock()
+		commit := raft.commit
+		applied := raft.applied
+		raft.RUnlock()
+
+		current := raft.Current()
+		healthy := raft.Healthy()
+
+		if !current || !healthy || commit != applied {
+			t.Logf(
+				"%d | Current %v, healthy %v, commit %d, applied %d, pending %d",
+				i, current, healthy, commit, applied, commit-applied,
+			)
+		}
+	}
+}
diff --git a/server/monitor.go b/server/monitor.go
index d2aadfc6..3322a3ee 100644
--- a/server/monitor.go
+++ b/server/monitor.go
@@ -3105,7 +3105,7 @@ func (s *Server) healthz(opts *HealthzOptions) *HealthStatus {
 		for stream, sa := range asa {
 			if sa.Group.isMember(ourID) {
 				// Make sure we can look up
-				if !cc.isStreamCurrent(acc, stream) {
+				if !cc.isStreamHealthy(acc, stream) {
 					health.Status = na
 					health.Error = fmt.Sprintf("JetStream stream '%s > %s' is not current", acc, stream)
 					return health
diff --git a/server/raft.go b/server/raft.go
index 88077360..1c95aeef 100644
--- a/server/raft.go
+++ b/server/raft.go
@@ -47,6 +47,7 @@ type RaftNode interface {
 	Leader() bool
 	Quorum() bool
 	Current() bool
+	Healthy() bool
 	Term() uint64
 	GroupLeader() string
 	HadPreviousLeader() bool
@@ -1160,13 +1161,15 @@ func (n *raft) isCatchingUp() bool {
 	return n.catchup != nil
 }
 
-// Lock should be held.
-func (n *raft) isCurrent() bool {
-	// First check if have had activity and we match commit and applied.
-	if n.commit == 0 || n.commit != n.applied {
-		n.debug("Not current, commit %d != applied %d", n.commit, n.applied)
+// Lock should be held. This function may block for up to ~5ms to check
+// forward progress in some cases.
+func (n *raft) isCurrent(includeForwardProgress bool) bool {
+	// Check whether we've made progress on any state, 0 is invalid so not healthy.
+	if n.commit == 0 {
+		n.debug("Not current, no commits")
 		return false
 	}
+
 	// Make sure we are the leader or we know we have heard from the leader recently.
 	if n.state == Leader {
 		return true
@@ -1181,14 +1184,40 @@ func (n *raft) isCurrent() bool {
 	if n.leader != noLeader && n.leader != n.id && n.catchup == nil {
 		okInterval := int64(hbInterval) * 2
 		ts := time.Now().UnixNano()
-		if ps := n.peers[n.leader]; ps != nil && ps.ts > 0 && (ts-ps.ts) <= okInterval {
-			return true
+		if ps := n.peers[n.leader]; ps == nil || ps.ts == 0 && (ts-ps.ts) > okInterval {
+			n.debug("Not current, no recent leader contact")
+			return false
 		}
-		n.debug("Not current, no recent leader contact")
 	}
 	if cs := n.catchup; cs != nil {
 		n.debug("Not current, still catching up pindex=%d, cindex=%d", n.pindex, cs.cindex)
 	}
+
+	if n.commit == n.applied {
+		// At this point if we are current, we can return saying so.
+		return true
+	} else if !includeForwardProgress {
+		// Otherwise, if we aren't allowed to include forward progress
+		// (i.e. we are checking "current" instead of "healthy") then
+		// give up now.
+		return false
+	}
+
+	// Otherwise, wait for a short period of time and see if we are making any
+	// forward progress.
+	if startDelta := n.commit - n.applied; startDelta > 0 {
+		for i := 0; i < 10; i++ { // 5ms, in 0.5ms increments
+			n.RUnlock()
+			time.Sleep(time.Millisecond / 2)
+			n.RLock()
+			if n.commit-n.applied < startDelta {
+				// The gap is getting smaller, so we're making forward progress.
+				return true
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
+	n.warn("Falling behind in health check, commit %d != applied %d", n.commit, n.applied)
 	return false
 }
 
@@ -1199,7 +1228,17 @@ func (n *raft) Current() bool {
 	}
 	n.RLock()
 	defer n.RUnlock()
-	return n.isCurrent()
+	return n.isCurrent(false)
+}
+
+// Healthy returns if we are the leader for our group and nearly up-to-date.
+func (n *raft) Healthy() bool {
+	if n == nil {
+		return false
+	}
+	n.RLock()
+	defer n.RUnlock()
+	return n.isCurrent(true)
 }
 
 // HadPreviousLeader indicates if this group ever had a leader.