diff --git a/server/gateway.go b/server/gateway.go
index 2a7de885..4cab3303 100644
--- a/server/gateway.go
+++ b/server/gateway.go
@@ -164,6 +164,13 @@ type srvGateway struct {
 
 	// This is to track recent subscriptions for a given connection
 	rsubs sync.Map
+	// This client will be used for SYSTEM clients when storing/looking up
+	// recent subscriptions in rsubs. This is because some code may not
+	// use the same actual *client object for SYSTEM client. For instance
+	// a raft node creates an internal client, that would be used to store
+	// the subscription in rsubs, but the sending part that checks for rsubs
+	// is using an internal client created in sendq.go's internalLoop.
+	sysCli *client
 
 	resolver  netResolver   // Used to resolve host name before calling net.Dial()
 	sqbsz     int           // Max buffer size to send queue subs protocol. Used for testing.
@@ -359,6 +366,7 @@ func (s *Server) newGateway(opts *Options) error {
 		resolver: opts.Gateway.resolver,
 		runknown: opts.Gateway.RejectUnknown,
 		oldHash:  getOldHash(opts.Gateway.Name),
+		sysCli:   &client{},
 	}
 	gateway.Lock()
 	defer gateway.Unlock()
@@ -2360,6 +2368,9 @@ func (s *Server) gatewayUpdateSubInterest(accName string, sub *subscription, cha
 	if sub.client != nil {
 		rsubs := &s.gateway.rsubs
 		c := sub.client
+		if c.kind == SYSTEM {
+			c = s.gateway.sysCli
+		}
 		sli, _ := rsubs.Load(c)
 		if change > 0 {
 			var sl *Sublist
@@ -2425,6 +2436,8 @@ func (g *srvGateway) shouldMapReplyForGatewaySend(c *client, acc *Account, reply
 		acc.mu.Lock()
 		c = acc.internalClient()
 		acc.mu.Unlock()
+	} else if c.kind == SYSTEM {
+		c = g.sysCli
 	}
 	// If for this client there is a recent matching subscription interest
 	// then we will map.