diff --git a/raft/bootstrap.go b/raft/bootstrap.go
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..fdd0987561a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/raft/bootstrap.go
@@ -0,0 +1,80 @@
+// Copyright 2015 The etcd Authors
+//
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+//     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+// limitations under the License.
+
+package raft
+
+import (
+	"errors"
+
+	pb "go.etcd.io/etcd/raft/raftpb"
+)
+
+// Bootstrap initializes the RawNode for first use by appending configuration
+// changes for the supplied peers. This method returns an error if the Storage
+// is nonempty.
+//
+// It is recommended that instead of calling this method, applications bootstrap
+// their state manually by setting up a Storage that has a first index > 1 and
+// which stores the desired ConfState as its InitialState.
+func (rn *RawNode) Bootstrap(peers []Peer) error {
+	if len(peers) == 0 {
+		return errors.New("must provide at least one peer to Bootstrap")
+	}
+	lastIndex, err := rn.raft.raftLog.storage.LastIndex()
+	if err != nil {
+		return err
+	}
+
+	if lastIndex != 0 {
+		return errors.New("can't bootstrap a nonempty Storage")
+	}
+
+	// We've faked out initial entries above, but nothing has been
+	// persisted. Start with an empty HardState (thus the first Ready will
+	// emit a HardState update for the app to persist).
+	rn.prevHardSt = emptyState
+
+	// TODO(tbg): remove StartNode and give the application the right tools to
+	// bootstrap the initial membership in a cleaner way.
+	rn.raft.becomeFollower(1, None)
+	ents := make([]pb.Entry, len(peers))
+	for i, peer := range peers {
+		cc := pb.ConfChange{Type: pb.ConfChangeAddNode, NodeID: peer.ID, Context: peer.Context}
+		data, err := cc.Marshal()
+		if err != nil {
+			return err
+		}
+
+		ents[i] = pb.Entry{Type: pb.EntryConfChange, Term: 1, Index: uint64(i + 1), Data: data}
+	}
+	rn.raft.raftLog.append(ents...)
+
+	// Now apply them, mainly so that the application can call Campaign
+	// immediately after StartNode in tests. Note that these nodes will
+	// be added to raft twice: here and when the application's Ready
+	// loop calls ApplyConfChange. The calls to addNode must come after
+	// all calls to raftLog.append so progress.next is set after these
+	// bootstrapping entries (it is an error if we try to append these
+	// entries since they have already been committed).
+	// We do not set raftLog.applied so the application will be able
+	// to observe all conf changes via Ready.CommittedEntries.
+	//
+	// TODO(bdarnell): These entries are still unstable; do we need to preserve
+	// the invariant that committed < unstable?
+	rn.raft.raftLog.committed = uint64(len(ents))
+	for _, peer := range peers {
+		rn.raft.applyConfChange(pb.ConfChange{NodeID: peer.ID, Type: pb.ConfChangeAddNode})
+	}
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/raft/node.go b/raft/node.go
index 7c0d154bfe6..6b730c0d4c1 100644
--- a/raft/node.go
+++ b/raft/node.go
@@ -207,52 +207,7 @@ func StartNode(c *Config, peers []Peer) Node {
 	if err != nil {
 		panic(err)
 	}
-
-	lastIndex, err := rn.raft.raftLog.storage.LastIndex()
-	if err != nil {
-		panic(err)
-	}
-
-	if lastIndex != 0 {
-		panic("can't StartNode on a nonempty Storage")
-	}
-
-	// We've faked out initial entries above, but nothing has been
-	// persisted. Start with an empty HardState (thus the first Ready will
-	// emit a HardState update for the app to persist).
-	rn.prevHardSt = emptyState
-
-	// TODO(tbg): remove StartNode and give the application the right tools to
-	// bootstrap the initial membership in a cleaner way.
-	rn.raft.becomeFollower(1, None)
-	ents := make([]pb.Entry, len(peers))
-	for i, peer := range peers {
-		cc := pb.ConfChange{Type: pb.ConfChangeAddNode, NodeID: peer.ID, Context: peer.Context}
-		data, err := cc.Marshal()
-		if err != nil {
-			panic(err)
-		}
-
-		ents[i] = pb.Entry{Type: pb.EntryConfChange, Term: 1, Index: uint64(i + 1), Data: data}
-	}
-	rn.raft.raftLog.append(ents...)
-
-	// Now apply them, mainly so that the application can call Campaign
-	// immediately after StartNode in tests. Note that these nodes will
-	// be added to raft twice: here and when the application's Ready
-	// loop calls ApplyConfChange. The calls to addNode must come after
-	// all calls to raftLog.append so progress.next is set after these
-	// bootstrapping entries (it is an error if we try to append these
-	// entries since they have already been committed).
-	// We do not set raftLog.applied so the application will be able
-	// to observe all conf changes via Ready.CommittedEntries.
-	//
-	// TODO(bdarnell): These entries are still unstable; do we need to preserve
-	// the invariant that committed < unstable?
-	rn.raft.raftLog.committed = uint64(len(ents))
-	for _, peer := range peers {
-		rn.raft.applyConfChange(pb.ConfChange{NodeID: peer.ID, Type: pb.ConfChangeAddNode})
-	}
+	rn.Bootstrap(peers)
 
 	n := newNode()
 	n.logger = c.Logger
diff --git a/raft/rawnode.go b/raft/rawnode.go
index ff6faf2abdb..b7e53434640 100644
--- a/raft/rawnode.go
+++ b/raft/rawnode.go
@@ -38,6 +38,12 @@ type RawNode struct {
 }
 
 // NewRawNode instantiates a RawNode from the given configuration.
+//
+// See Bootstrap() for bootstrapping an initial state; this replaces the former
+// 'peers' argument to this method (with identical behavior). However, It is
+// recommended that instead of calling Bootstrap, applications bootstrap their
+// state manually by setting up a Storage that has a first index > 1 and which
+// stores the desired ConfState as its InitialState.
 func NewRawNode(config *Config) (*RawNode, error) {
 	if config.ID == 0 {
 		panic("config.ID must not be zero")