diff --git a/server/raft.go b/server/raft.go
index 65333221..fb7687f9 100644
--- a/server/raft.go
+++ b/server/raft.go
@@ -485,21 +485,10 @@ func (s *Server) startRaftNode(cfg *RaftConfig) (RaftNode, error) {
 
 // outOfResources checks to see if we are out of resources.
 func (n *raft) outOfResources() bool {
-	n.RLock()
 	js := n.js
 	if !n.track || js == nil {
-		n.RUnlock()
 		return false
 	}
-	n.RUnlock()
-
-	js.mu.RLock()
-	jsDisabled := js.disabled
-	js.mu.RUnlock()
-	if jsDisabled {
-		return false
-	}
-
 	return js.limitsExceeded(n.wtype)
 }
 
@@ -1537,6 +1526,8 @@ func (n *raft) runAsFollower() {
 			}
 		case <-n.respc:
 			// Ignore
+		case <-n.votes:
+			n.debug("Ignoring old vote response, we have stepped down")
 		case vreq := <-n.reqs:
 			n.processVoteRequest(vreq)
 		case newLeader := <-n.stepdown:
@@ -2827,10 +2818,6 @@ func (n *raft) processAppendEntryResponse(ar *appendEntryResponse) {
 
 // handleAppendEntryResponse processes responses to append entries.
 func (n *raft) handleAppendEntryResponse(sub *subscription, c *client, _ *Account, subject, reply string, msg []byte) {
-	// Ignore if not the leader.
-	if !n.Leader() {
-		return
-	}
 	msg = copyBytes(msg)
 	ar := n.decodeAppendEntryResponse(msg)
 	ar.reply = reply
@@ -3140,7 +3127,10 @@ func (n *raft) fileWriter() {
 			n.RLock()
 			copy(buf[0:], n.wtv)
 			n.RUnlock()
-			if err := ioutil.WriteFile(tvf, buf[:], 0640); err != nil {
+			<-dios
+			err := ioutil.WriteFile(tvf, buf[:], 0640)
+			dios <- struct{}{}
+			if err != nil {
 				n.setWriteErr(err)
 				n.warn("Error writing term and vote file for %q: %v", n.group, err)
 			}
@@ -3148,7 +3138,10 @@ func (n *raft) fileWriter() {
 			n.RLock()
 			buf := copyBytes(n.wps)
 			n.RUnlock()
-			if err := ioutil.WriteFile(psf, buf, 0640); err != nil {
+			<-dios
+			err := ioutil.WriteFile(psf, buf, 0640)
+			dios <- struct{}{}
+			if err != nil {
 				n.setWriteErr(err)
 				n.warn("Error writing peer state file for %q: %v", n.group, err)
 			}
@@ -3216,10 +3209,6 @@ func (n *raft) handleVoteResponse(sub *subscription, c *client, _ *Account, _, r
 		n.error("Received malformed vote response for %q", n.group)
 		return
 	}
-	if state := n.State(); state != Candidate && state != Leader {
-		n.debug("Ignoring old vote response, we have stepped down")
-		return
-	}
 
 	select {
 	case n.votes <- vr: