diff --git a/server/etcdserver/api/etcdhttp/health.go b/server/etcdserver/api/etcdhttp/health.go
index 234580805b40..5be949b67b66 100644
--- a/server/etcdserver/api/etcdhttp/health.go
+++ b/server/etcdserver/api/etcdhttp/health.go
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ type ServerHealth interface {
 	Range(context.Context, *pb.RangeRequest) (*pb.RangeResponse, error)
 	Config() config.ServerConfig
 	AuthStore() auth.AuthStore
+	GetReadIndex(ctx context.Context) (uint64, error)
 }
 
 // HandleHealth registers metrics and health handlers. it checks health by using v3 range request
@@ -215,6 +216,7 @@ func installReadyzEndpoints(lg *zap.Logger, mux *http.ServeMux, server ServerHea
 	reg := CheckRegistry{path: "/readyz", checks: make(map[string]HealthCheck)}
 	reg.Register("data_corruption", activeAlarmCheck(server, pb.AlarmType_CORRUPT))
 	reg.Register("serializable_read", serializableReadCheck(server))
+	reg.Register("read_index", readIndexCheck(server))
 	reg.InstallHttpEndpoints(lg, mux)
 }
 
@@ -365,3 +367,10 @@ func serializableReadCheck(srv ServerHealth) func(ctx context.Context) error {
 		return nil
 	}
 }
+
+func readIndexCheck(srv ServerHealth) func(ctx context.Context) error {
+	return func(ctx context.Context) error {
+		_, err := srv.GetReadIndex(ctx)
+		return err
+	}
+}
diff --git a/server/etcdserver/api/etcdhttp/health_test.go b/server/etcdserver/api/etcdhttp/health_test.go
index 122fbf6adcf5..be4e1b6cdd0b 100644
--- a/server/etcdserver/api/etcdhttp/health_test.go
+++ b/server/etcdserver/api/etcdhttp/health_test.go
@@ -38,9 +38,10 @@ import (
 
 type fakeHealthServer struct {
 	fakeServer
-	apiError      error
-	missingLeader bool
-	authStore     auth.AuthStore
+	apiError       error
+	missingLeader  bool
+	authStore      auth.AuthStore
+	readIndexError error
 }
 
 func (s *fakeHealthServer) Range(_ context.Context, _ *pb.RangeRequest) (*pb.RangeResponse, error) {
@@ -58,6 +59,10 @@ func (s *fakeHealthServer) Leader() types.ID {
 	return types.ID(raft.None)
 }
 
+func (s *fakeHealthServer) GetReadIndex(ctx context.Context) (uint64, error) {
+	return 0, s.readIndexError
+}
+
 func (s *fakeHealthServer) AuthStore() auth.AuthStore { return s.authStore }
 
 func (s *fakeHealthServer) ClientCertAuthEnabled() bool { return false }
@@ -69,9 +74,10 @@ type healthTestCase struct {
 	inResult         []string
 	notInResult      []string
 
-	alarms        []*pb.AlarmMember
-	apiError      error
-	missingLeader bool
+	alarms         []*pb.AlarmMember
+	apiError       error
+	readIndexError error
+	missingLeader  bool
 }
 
 func TestHealthHandler(t *testing.T) {
@@ -295,6 +301,40 @@ func TestSerializableReadCheck(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestReadIndexCheck(t *testing.T) {
+	be, _ := betesting.NewDefaultTmpBackend(t)
+	defer betesting.Close(t, be)
+	tests := []healthTestCase{
+		{
+			name:             "Alive ok",
+			healthCheckURL:   "/livez",
+			readIndexError:   fmt.Errorf("failed to get read index"),
+			expectStatusCode: http.StatusOK,
+		},
+		{
+			name:             "Not ready if read index error",
+			healthCheckURL:   "/readyz",
+			readIndexError:   fmt.Errorf("failed to get read index"),
+			expectStatusCode: http.StatusServiceUnavailable,
+			inResult:         []string{"[-]read_index failed: failed to get read index"},
+		},
+	}
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			mux := http.NewServeMux()
+			logger := zaptest.NewLogger(t)
+			s := &fakeHealthServer{
+				readIndexError: tt.readIndexError,
+				authStore:      auth.NewAuthStore(logger, schema.NewAuthBackend(logger, be), nil, 0),
+			}
+			HandleHealth(logger, mux, s)
+			ts := httptest.NewServer(mux)
+			defer ts.Close()
+			checkHttpResponse(t, ts, tt.healthCheckURL, tt.expectStatusCode, tt.inResult, tt.notInResult)
+		})
+	}
+}
+
 func checkHttpResponse(t *testing.T, ts *httptest.Server, url string, expectStatusCode int, inResult []string, notInResult []string) {
 	res, err := ts.Client().Do(&http.Request{Method: http.MethodGet, URL: testutil.MustNewURL(t, ts.URL+url)})
 
diff --git a/server/etcdserver/server.go b/server/etcdserver/server.go
index 4b40e32bada2..4f969b82b380 100644
--- a/server/etcdserver/server.go
+++ b/server/etcdserver/server.go
@@ -229,6 +229,13 @@ type EtcdServer struct {
 	// when there is no error
 	readNotifier *notifier
 
+	// GetReadIndex notifies etcd server that it waits for the read index by sending an empty struct to
+	// readIndexWaitc
+	readIndexWaitc chan struct{}
+	// readIndexNotifier is used to notify GetReadIndex when it is able to get the read index
+	// when there is no error
+	readIndexNotifier *notifier
+
 	// stop signals the run goroutine should shutdown.
 	stop chan struct{}
 	// stopping is closed by run goroutine on shutdown.
@@ -528,6 +535,7 @@ func (s *EtcdServer) Start() {
 	s.GoAttach(s.monitorClusterVersions)
 	s.GoAttach(s.monitorStorageVersion)
 	s.GoAttach(s.linearizableReadLoop)
+	s.GoAttach(s.readIndexLoop)
 	s.GoAttach(s.monitorKVHash)
 	s.GoAttach(s.monitorCompactHash)
 	s.GoAttach(s.monitorDowngrade)
@@ -564,6 +572,8 @@ func (s *EtcdServer) start() {
 	s.ctx, s.cancel = context.WithCancel(context.Background())
 	s.readwaitc = make(chan struct{}, 1)
 	s.readNotifier = newNotifier()
+	s.readIndexWaitc = make(chan struct{}, 1)
+	s.readIndexNotifier = newNotifier()
 	s.leaderChanged = notify.NewNotifier()
 	if s.ClusterVersion() != nil {
 		lg.Info(
diff --git a/server/etcdserver/util.go b/server/etcdserver/util.go
index fbba5491b071..cf303a40a6b7 100644
--- a/server/etcdserver/util.go
+++ b/server/etcdserver/util.go
@@ -84,6 +84,9 @@ func longestConnected(tp rafthttp.Transporter, membs []types.ID) (types.ID, bool
 type notifier struct {
 	c   chan struct{}
 	err error
+
+	// pass some values in the notifier
+	uint64Val uint64
 }
 
 func newNotifier() *notifier {
diff --git a/server/etcdserver/v3_server.go b/server/etcdserver/v3_server.go
index 07d1f546c9f1..549e002f91a3 100644
--- a/server/etcdserver/v3_server.go
+++ b/server/etcdserver/v3_server.go
@@ -780,16 +780,11 @@ func (s *EtcdServer) Watchable() mvcc.WatchableKV { return s.KV() }
 
 func (s *EtcdServer) linearizableReadLoop() {
 	for {
-		requestId := s.reqIDGen.Next()
-		leaderChangedNotifier := s.leaderChanged.Receive()
 		select {
-		case <-leaderChangedNotifier:
-			continue
 		case <-s.readwaitc:
 		case <-s.stopping:
 			return
 		}
-
 		// as a single loop is can unlock multiple reads, it is not very useful
 		// to propagate the trace from Txn or Range.
 		trace := traceutil.New("linearizableReadLoop", s.Logger())
@@ -799,8 +794,9 @@ func (s *EtcdServer) linearizableReadLoop() {
 		nr := s.readNotifier
 		s.readNotifier = nextnr
 		s.readMu.Unlock()
-
-		confirmedIndex, err := s.requestCurrentIndex(leaderChangedNotifier, requestId)
+		ctx, cancel := context.WithTimeout(context.Background(), s.Cfg.ReqTimeout())
+		confirmedIndex, err := s.GetReadIndex(ctx)
+		cancel()
 		if isStopped(err) {
 			return
 		}
@@ -831,6 +827,59 @@ func (s *EtcdServer) linearizableReadLoop() {
 	}
 }
 
+func (s *EtcdServer) readIndexLoop() {
+	for {
+		requestId := s.reqIDGen.Next()
+		leaderChangedNotifier := s.leaderChanged.Receive()
+		select {
+		case <-leaderChangedNotifier:
+			continue
+		case <-s.readIndexWaitc:
+		case <-s.stopping:
+			return
+		}
+
+		nextnr := newNotifier()
+		s.readMu.Lock()
+		nr := s.readIndexNotifier
+		s.readIndexNotifier = nextnr
+		s.readMu.Unlock()
+
+		confirmedIndex, err := s.requestCurrentIndex(leaderChangedNotifier, requestId)
+		if isStopped(err) {
+			return
+		}
+		if err != nil {
+			nr.notify(err)
+			continue
+		}
+		nr.uint64Val = confirmedIndex
+		// unblock all read index requested at indices before confirmedIndex
+		nr.notify(nil)
+	}
+}
+
+func (s *EtcdServer) GetReadIndex(ctx context.Context) (uint64, error) {
+	s.readMu.RLock()
+	nc := s.readIndexNotifier
+	s.readMu.RUnlock()
+
+	// signal linearizable loop for current notify if it hasn't been already
+	select {
+	case s.readIndexWaitc <- struct{}{}:
+	default:
+	}
+	// wait for read state notification
+	select {
+	case <-nc.c:
+		return nc.uint64Val, nc.err
+	case <-ctx.Done():
+		return 0, ctx.Err()
+	case <-s.done:
+		return 0, errors.ErrStopped
+	}
+}
+
 func isStopped(err error) bool {
 	return err == raft.ErrStopped || err == errors.ErrStopped
 }
diff --git a/tests/e2e/http_health_check_test.go b/tests/e2e/http_health_check_test.go
index 0ee7e51c08a8..97f4648701bd 100644
--- a/tests/e2e/http_health_check_test.go
+++ b/tests/e2e/http_health_check_test.go
@@ -225,8 +225,9 @@ func TestHTTPLivezReadyzHandler(t *testing.T) {
 					expectedStatusCode: http.StatusOK,
 				},
 				{
-					url:                "/readyz",
-					expectedStatusCode: http.StatusOK,
+					url:                  "/readyz",
+					expectedTimeoutError: true,
+					expectedStatusCode:   http.StatusServiceUnavailable,
 				},
 			},
 		},
@@ -243,8 +244,8 @@ func TestHTTPLivezReadyzHandler(t *testing.T) {
 					expectedStatusCode: http.StatusOK,
 				},
 				{
-					url:                "/readyz",
-					expectedStatusCode: http.StatusOK,
+					url:                  "/readyz",
+					expectedTimeoutError: true,
 				},
 			},
 		},