diff --git a/server/etcdserver/api/v3client/v3client.go b/server/etcdserver/api/v3client/v3client.go
index c44479ffad24..25a7395a2245 100644
--- a/server/etcdserver/api/v3client/v3client.go
+++ b/server/etcdserver/api/v3client/v3client.go
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ func New(s *etcdserver.EtcdServer) *clientv3.Client {
 	wc := adapter.WatchServerToWatchClient(v3rpc.NewWatchServer(s))
 	c.Watcher = &watchWrapper{clientv3.NewWatchFromWatchClient(wc, c)}
 
-	mc := adapter.MaintenanceServerToMaintenanceClient(v3rpc.NewMaintenanceServer(s))
+	mc := adapter.MaintenanceServerToMaintenanceClient(v3rpc.NewMaintenanceServer(s, v3rpc.NewHealthChecker(nil, s)))
 	c.Maintenance = clientv3.NewMaintenanceFromMaintenanceClient(mc, c)
 
 	clc := adapter.ClusterServerToClusterClient(v3rpc.NewClusterServer(s))
diff --git a/server/etcdserver/api/v3rpc/grpc.go b/server/etcdserver/api/v3rpc/grpc.go
index 148914e0f9a9..0ec84b58a43b 100644
--- a/server/etcdserver/api/v3rpc/grpc.go
+++ b/server/etcdserver/api/v3rpc/grpc.go
@@ -75,14 +75,15 @@ func Server(s *etcdserver.EtcdServer, tls *tls.Config, interceptor grpc.UnarySer
 	pb.RegisterLeaseServer(grpcServer, NewQuotaLeaseServer(s))
 	pb.RegisterClusterServer(grpcServer, NewClusterServer(s))
 	pb.RegisterAuthServer(grpcServer, NewAuthServer(s))
-	pb.RegisterMaintenanceServer(grpcServer, NewMaintenanceServer(s))
 
 	// server should register all the services manually
 	// use empty service name for all etcd services' health status,
 	// see https://github.com/grpc/grpc/blob/master/doc/health-checking.md for more
 	hsrv := health.NewServer()
-	hsrv.SetServingStatus("", healthpb.HealthCheckResponse_SERVING)
 	healthpb.RegisterHealthServer(grpcServer, hsrv)
+	hc := NewHealthChecker(hsrv, s)
+
+	pb.RegisterMaintenanceServer(grpcServer, NewMaintenanceServer(s, hc))
 
 	// set zero values for metrics registered for this grpc server
 	grpc_prometheus.Register(grpcServer)
diff --git a/server/etcdserver/api/v3rpc/health.go b/server/etcdserver/api/v3rpc/health.go
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..3e2419da25f2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/server/etcdserver/api/v3rpc/health.go
@@ -0,0 +1,155 @@
+// Copyright 2023 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 v3rpc
+
+import (
+	"context"
+	"fmt"
+	"sync"
+	"time"
+
+	"go.uber.org/zap"
+	"google.golang.org/grpc/health"
+	healthpb "google.golang.org/grpc/health/grpc_health_v1"
+
+	"go.etcd.io/raft/v3"
+
+	"go.etcd.io/etcd/api/v3/etcdserverpb"
+	"go.etcd.io/etcd/client/pkg/v3/types"
+	"go.etcd.io/etcd/server/v3/auth"
+	"go.etcd.io/etcd/server/v3/etcdserver"
+)
+
+type healthNotifier interface {
+	StartServe()
+	StopServe(reason string)
+}
+
+type healthChecker struct {
+	hs *health.Server
+
+	mu     sync.RWMutex
+	served bool
+
+	// implements readyz prober
+	s *etcdserver.EtcdServer
+	// prober configuration TODO 2023-09-13 externalize as etcd server flag
+	successThreshold    int
+	failureThreshold    int
+	healthCheckInterval time.Duration
+	// prober state
+	successCount int
+	failureCount int
+}
+
+func NewHealthChecker(hs *health.Server, s *etcdserver.EtcdServer) healthNotifier {
+	hc := &healthChecker{hs: hs, s: s, successThreshold: 2, failureThreshold: 3, healthCheckInterval: 100 * time.Millisecond}
+	// set grpc health server as serving status blindly since
+	// the grpc server will serve iff s.ReadyNotify() is closed.
+	hc.StartServe()
+
+	go hc.startProbe()
+	return hc
+}
+
+func (hc *healthChecker) StartServe() {
+	if hc.hs != nil {
+		if hc.s.Logger() != nil {
+			hc.s.Logger().Info("start serving gRPC requests from client")
+		}
+		hc.hs.SetServingStatus("", healthpb.HealthCheckResponse_SERVING)
+		hc.changeServedTo(true)
+	}
+}
+
+func (hc *healthChecker) StopServe(reason string) {
+	if hc.hs != nil {
+		if hc.s.Logger() != nil {
+			hc.s.Logger().Warn("stop serving gRPC requests from client", zap.String("reason", reason))
+		}
+		hc.hs.SetServingStatus("", healthpb.HealthCheckResponse_NOT_SERVING)
+		hc.changeServedTo(false)
+	}
+}
+
+func (hc *healthChecker) changeServedTo(served bool) {
+	hc.mu.Lock()
+	defer hc.mu.Unlock()
+	hc.served = served
+}
+
+func (hc *healthChecker) IsServed() bool {
+	hc.mu.RLock()
+	defer hc.mu.RUnlock()
+	return hc.served
+}
+
+func (hc *healthChecker) startProbe() {
+	// stop probing if there is no consumer.
+	if hc.hs == nil {
+		return
+	}
+
+	ticker := time.NewTicker(hc.healthCheckInterval)
+	defer ticker.Stop()
+	for {
+		select {
+		case <-hc.s.StoppingNotify():
+			return
+		case <-ticker.C:
+			if ready, notReadyReason := checkReadyz(hc.s, 2*time.Second); ready {
+				hc.successCount += 1
+				hc.failureCount = 0
+				if hc.successCount >= hc.successThreshold && !hc.IsServed() {
+					hc.StartServe()
+				}
+			} else {
+				hc.failureCount += 1
+				hc.successCount = 0
+				hc.s.Logger().Warn("readyz check failed", zap.Int("failure-count", hc.failureCount))
+				if hc.failureCount >= hc.failureThreshold && hc.IsServed() {
+					hc.StopServe(notReadyReason)
+				}
+			}
+		}
+	}
+}
+
+// checkReadyz prober implementation should be in sync with readyz design in the future.
+// https://docs.google.com/document/d/1109lUxD326yRwmMVX-tkJMpm8pTbOw7MD1XsSIo37MU
+// it is now in sync with etcdhttp.HandleHealth implementation
+// 1. checkLeader
+// 2. checkAlarms
+// 3. checkQuorumRead
+func checkReadyz(s *etcdserver.EtcdServer, timeout time.Duration) (ready bool, notReadyReason string) {
+	if s.Leader() == types.ID(raft.None) {
+		return false, "local member does not have leader"
+	}
+	for _, alarm := range s.Alarms() {
+		if types.ID(alarm.MemberID) == s.MemberId() && alarm.Alarm == etcdserverpb.AlarmType_CORRUPT {
+			return false, "local member has corrupt alarm"
+		}
+	}
+	ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), timeout)
+	// range requests will only be timed-out in the LinearizableReadNotify phase, and
+	// blocking in the mvcc phase in case of defrag.
+	// However, use solely LinearizableReadNotify to indicate readyz will produce false positive serving status when defrag is active.
+	_, err := s.Range(ctx, &etcdserverpb.RangeRequest{KeysOnly: true, Limit: 1})
+	cancel()
+	if err != nil && err != auth.ErrUserEmpty && err != auth.ErrPermissionDenied {
+		return false, fmt.Sprintf("local member quorum read with %s timeout failed due to %v", timeout.String(), err)
+	}
+	return true, ""
+}
diff --git a/server/etcdserver/api/v3rpc/maintenance.go b/server/etcdserver/api/v3rpc/maintenance.go
index 9920a9cbd6b8..29d40c26b6e0 100644
--- a/server/etcdserver/api/v3rpc/maintenance.go
+++ b/server/etcdserver/api/v3rpc/maintenance.go
@@ -22,6 +22,8 @@ import (
 
 	"github.com/dustin/go-humanize"
 
+	"go.etcd.io/raft/v3"
+
 	pb "go.etcd.io/etcd/api/v3/etcdserverpb"
 	"go.etcd.io/etcd/api/v3/v3rpc/rpctypes"
 	"go.etcd.io/etcd/api/v3/version"
@@ -32,7 +34,6 @@ import (
 	"go.etcd.io/etcd/server/v3/storage/backend"
 	"go.etcd.io/etcd/server/v3/storage/mvcc"
 	"go.etcd.io/etcd/server/v3/storage/schema"
-	"go.etcd.io/raft/v3"
 
 	"go.uber.org/zap"
 )
@@ -75,10 +76,11 @@ type maintenanceServer struct {
 	cs     ClusterStatusGetter
 	d      Downgrader
 	vs     serverversion.Server
+	hs     healthNotifier
 }
 
-func NewMaintenanceServer(s *etcdserver.EtcdServer) pb.MaintenanceServer {
-	srv := &maintenanceServer{lg: s.Cfg.Logger, rg: s, hasher: s.KV().HashStorage(), bg: s, a: s, lt: s, hdr: newHeader(s), cs: s, d: s, vs: etcdserver.NewServerVersionAdapter(s)}
+func NewMaintenanceServer(s *etcdserver.EtcdServer, hs healthNotifier) pb.MaintenanceServer {
+	srv := &maintenanceServer{lg: s.Cfg.Logger, rg: s, hasher: s.KV().HashStorage(), bg: s, a: s, lt: s, hdr: newHeader(s), cs: s, d: s, vs: etcdserver.NewServerVersionAdapter(s), hs: hs}
 	if srv.lg == nil {
 		srv.lg = zap.NewNop()
 	}
@@ -87,6 +89,8 @@ func NewMaintenanceServer(s *etcdserver.EtcdServer) pb.MaintenanceServer {
 
 func (ms *maintenanceServer) Defragment(ctx context.Context, sr *pb.DefragmentRequest) (*pb.DefragmentResponse, error) {
 	ms.lg.Info("starting defragment")
+	ms.hs.StopServe("defrag is active")
+	defer ms.hs.StartServe()
 	err := ms.bg.Backend().Defrag()
 	if err != nil {
 		ms.lg.Warn("failed to defragment", zap.Error(err))