diff --git a/pkg/kv/kvserver/liveness/liveness.go b/pkg/kv/kvserver/liveness/liveness.go
index a5ceb1da1fd9..38a5eebc878d 100644
--- a/pkg/kv/kvserver/liveness/liveness.go
+++ b/pkg/kv/kvserver/liveness/liveness.go
@@ -67,6 +67,24 @@ var (
 	ErrEpochAlreadyIncremented = errors.New("epoch already incremented")
 )
 
+type ErrEpochCondFailed struct {
+	expected, actual livenesspb.Liveness
+}
+
+// SafeFormatError implements errors.SafeFormatter.
+func (e *ErrEpochCondFailed) SafeFormatError(p errors.Printer) error {
+	p.Printf(
+		"liveness record changed while incrementing epoch for %+v; actual is %+v; is the node still live?",
+		redact.Safe(e.expected), redact.Safe(e.actual))
+	return nil
+}
+
+func (e *ErrEpochCondFailed) Format(s fmt.State, verb rune) { errors.FormatError(e, s, verb) }
+
+func (e *ErrEpochCondFailed) Error() string {
+	return fmt.Sprint(e)
+}
+
 type errRetryLiveness struct {
 	error
 }
@@ -1223,7 +1241,10 @@ func (nl *NodeLiveness) IncrementEpoch(ctx context.Context, liveness livenesspb.
 		} else if actual.Epoch < liveness.Epoch {
 			return errors.Errorf("unexpected liveness epoch %d; expected >= %d", actual.Epoch, liveness.Epoch)
 		}
-		return errors.Errorf("mismatch incrementing epoch for %+v; actual is %+v", liveness, actual)
+		return &ErrEpochCondFailed{
+			expected: liveness,
+			actual:   actual.Liveness,
+		}
 	})
 	if err != nil {
 		return err
diff --git a/pkg/kv/kvserver/replica_range_lease.go b/pkg/kv/kvserver/replica_range_lease.go
index 448312aad1c9..9fdcfd84183b 100644
--- a/pkg/kv/kvserver/replica_range_lease.go
+++ b/pkg/kv/kvserver/replica_range_lease.go
@@ -511,7 +511,14 @@ func (p *pendingLeaseRequest) requestLease(
 				// so we don't log it as an error.
 				//
 				// https://github.com/cockroachdb/cockroach/issues/35986
-				if !errors.Is(err, liveness.ErrEpochAlreadyIncremented) {
+				if errors.Is(err, liveness.ErrEpochAlreadyIncremented) {
+					// ignore
+				} else if errors.HasType(err, &liveness.ErrEpochCondFailed{}) {
+					// ErrEpochCondFailed indicates that someone else changed the liveness
+					// record while we were incrementing it. The node could still be
+					// alive, or someone else updated it. Don't log this as an error.
+					log.Infof(ctx, "failed to increment leaseholder's epoch: %s", err)
+				} else {
 					log.Errorf(ctx, "failed to increment leaseholder's epoch: %s", err)
 				}
 			}