diff --git a/vault/ha.go b/vault/ha.go
index 7cfb5139a72d..07e0b3da2afb 100644
--- a/vault/ha.go
+++ b/vault/ha.go
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import (
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
 	"strings"
+	"sync"
 	"sync/atomic"
 	"time"
 
@@ -638,35 +639,48 @@ func (c *Core) waitForLeadership(newLeaderCh chan func(), manualStepDownCh, stop
 	}
 }
 
-// grabLockOrStop returns true if we failed to get the lock before stopCh
-// was closed.  Returns false if the lock was obtained, in which case it's
-// the caller's responsibility to unlock it.
+// grabLockOrStop returns stopped=false if the lock is acquired. Returns
+// stopped=true if the lock is not acquired, because stopCh was closed. If the
+// lock was acquired (stopped=false) then it's up to the caller to unlock.
 func grabLockOrStop(lockFunc, unlockFunc func(), stopCh chan struct{}) (stopped bool) {
-	// Grab the lock as we need it for cluster setup, which needs to happen
-	// before advertising;
-	lockGrabbedCh := make(chan struct{})
+	// lock protects these variables which are shared by parent and child.
+	var lock sync.Mutex
+	parentWaiting := true
+	locked := false
+
+	// doneCh is closed when the child goroutine is done.
+	doneCh := make(chan struct{})
 	go func() {
-		// Grab the lock
+		defer close(doneCh)
 		lockFunc()
-		// If stopCh has been closed, which only happens while the
-		// stateLock is held, we have actually terminated, so we just
-		// instantly give up the lock, otherwise we notify that it's ready
-		// for consumption
-		select {
-		case <-stopCh:
+
+		// The parent goroutine may or may not be waiting.
+		lock.Lock()
+		defer lock.Unlock()
+		if !parentWaiting {
 			unlockFunc()
-		default:
-			close(lockGrabbedCh)
+		} else {
+			locked = true
 		}
 	}()
 
+	stop := false
 	select {
 	case <-stopCh:
-		return true
-	case <-lockGrabbedCh:
-		// We now have the lock and can use it
+		stop = true
+	case <-doneCh:
 	}
 
+	// The child goroutine may not have acquired the lock yet.
+	lock.Lock()
+	defer lock.Unlock()
+	parentWaiting = false
+	if stop {
+		if locked {
+			unlockFunc()
+		}
+		return true
+	}
 	return false
 }
 
diff --git a/vault/ha_test.go b/vault/ha_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..9e753b2c56b5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/vault/ha_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,84 @@
+package vault
+
+import (
+	"fmt"
+	"math/rand"
+	"sync"
+	"sync/atomic"
+	"testing"
+	"time"
+)
+
+// TestGrabLockOrStopped is a non-deterministic test to detect deadlocks in the
+// grabLockOrStopped function. This test starts a bunch of workers which
+// continually lock/unlock and rlock/runlock the same RWMutex. Each worker also
+// starts a goroutine which closes the stop channel 1/2 the time, which races
+// with acquisition of the lock.
+func TestGrabLockOrStop(t *testing.T) {
+	// Stop the test early if we deadlock.
+	const (
+		workers = 100
+		testDuration = time.Second
+		testTimeout = 10*testDuration
+	)
+	done := make(chan struct{})
+	defer close(done)
+	var lockCount int64
+	go func() {
+		select{
+		case <-done:
+		case <-time.After(testTimeout):
+			panic(fmt.Sprintf("deadlock after %d lock count",
+				atomic.LoadInt64(&lockCount)))
+		}
+	}()
+
+	// lock is locked/unlocked and rlocked/runlocked concurrently.
+	var lock sync.RWMutex
+	start := time.Now()
+
+	// workerWg is used to wait until all workers exit.
+	var workerWg sync.WaitGroup
+	workerWg.Add(workers)
+
+	// Start a bunch of worker goroutines.
+	for g := 0; g < workers; g++ {
+		g := g
+		go func() {
+			defer workerWg.Done()
+			for time.Now().Sub(start) < testDuration {
+				stop := make(chan struct{})
+
+				// closerWg waits until the closer goroutine exits before we do
+				// another iteration. This makes sure goroutines don't pile up.
+				var closerWg sync.WaitGroup
+				closerWg.Add(1)
+				go func() {
+					defer closerWg.Done()
+					// Close the stop channel half the time.
+					if rand.Int() % 2 == 0 {
+						close(stop)
+					}
+				}()
+
+				// Half the goroutines lock/unlock and the other half rlock/runlock.
+				if g % 2 == 0 {
+					if !grabLockOrStop(lock.Lock, lock.Unlock, stop) {
+						lock.Unlock()
+					}
+				} else {
+					if !grabLockOrStop(lock.RLock, lock.RUnlock, stop) {
+						lock.RUnlock()
+					}
+				}
+
+				closerWg.Wait()
+
+				// This lets us know how many lock/unlock and rlock/runlock have
+				// happened if there's a deadlock.
+				atomic.AddInt64(&lockCount, 1)
+			}
+		}()
+	}
+	workerWg.Wait()
+}
\ No newline at end of file