diff --git a/mvcc/watchable_store.go b/mvcc/watchable_store.go
index 7be9641d402..be38af1338f 100644
--- a/mvcc/watchable_store.go
+++ b/mvcc/watchable_store.go
@@ -267,6 +267,7 @@ func (s *watchableStore) Restore(b backend.Backend) error {
 	}
 
 	for wa := range s.synced.watchers {
+		wa.restore = true
 		s.unsynced.add(wa)
 	}
 	s.synced = newWatcherGroup()
@@ -549,6 +550,14 @@ type watcher struct {
 	// compacted is set when the watcher is removed because of compaction
 	compacted bool
 
+	// restore is true when the watcher is being restored from leader snapshot
+	// which means that this watcher has just been moved from "synced" to "unsynced"
+	// watcher group, possibly with a future revision when it was first added
+	// to the synced watcher
+	// "unsynced" watcher revision must always be <= current revision,
+	// except when the watcher were to be moved from "synced" watcher group
+	restore bool
+
 	// minRev is the minimum revision update the watcher will accept
 	minRev int64
 	id     WatchID
diff --git a/mvcc/watchable_store_test.go b/mvcc/watchable_store_test.go
index cef00d41f57..3e3c4a51c16 100644
--- a/mvcc/watchable_store_test.go
+++ b/mvcc/watchable_store_test.go
@@ -336,6 +336,62 @@ func TestWatchRestore(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Run("RunSyncWatchLoopBeforeRestore", test(time.Millisecond*120)) // longer than default waitDuration
 }
 
+// TestWatchRestoreSyncedWatcher tests such a case that:
+//   1. watcher is created with a future revision "math.MaxInt64 - 2"
+//   2. watcher with a future revision is added to "synced" watcher group
+//   3. restore/overwrite storage with snapshot of a higher lasat revision
+//   4. restore operation moves "synced" to "unsynced" watcher group
+//   5. choose the watcher from step 1, without panic
+func TestWatchRestoreSyncedWatcher(t *testing.T) {
+	b1, b1Path := backend.NewDefaultTmpBackend()
+	s1 := newWatchableStore(b1, &lease.FakeLessor{}, nil)
+	defer cleanup(s1, b1, b1Path)
+
+	b2, b2Path := backend.NewDefaultTmpBackend()
+	s2 := newWatchableStore(b2, &lease.FakeLessor{}, nil)
+	defer cleanup(s2, b2, b2Path)
+
+	testKey, testValue := []byte("foo"), []byte("bar")
+	rev := s1.Put(testKey, testValue, lease.NoLease)
+	startRev := rev + 2
+
+	// create a watcher with a future revision
+	// add to "synced" watcher group (startRev > s.store.currentRev)
+	w1 := s1.NewWatchStream()
+	w1.Watch(testKey, nil, startRev)
+
+	// make "s2" ends up with a higher last revision
+	s2.Put(testKey, testValue, lease.NoLease)
+	s2.Put(testKey, testValue, lease.NoLease)
+
+	// overwrite storage with higher revisions
+	if err := s1.Restore(b2); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+
+	// wait for next "syncWatchersLoop" iteration
+	// and the unsynced watcher should be chosen
+	time.Sleep(2 * time.Second)
+
+	// trigger events for "startRev"
+	s1.Put(testKey, testValue, lease.NoLease)
+
+	select {
+	case resp := <-w1.Chan():
+		if resp.Revision != startRev {
+			t.Fatalf("resp.Revision expect %d, got %d", startRev, resp.Revision)
+		}
+		if len(resp.Events) != 1 {
+			t.Fatalf("len(resp.Events) expect 1, got %d", len(resp.Events))
+		}
+		if resp.Events[0].Kv.ModRevision != startRev {
+			t.Fatalf("resp.Events[0].Kv.ModRevision expect %d, got %d", startRev, resp.Events[0].Kv.ModRevision)
+		}
+	case <-time.After(time.Second):
+		t.Fatal("failed to receive event in 1 second")
+	}
+}
+
 // TestWatchBatchUnsynced tests batching on unsynced watchers
 func TestWatchBatchUnsynced(t *testing.T) {
 	b, tmpPath := backend.NewDefaultTmpBackend()
diff --git a/mvcc/watcher_group.go b/mvcc/watcher_group.go
index 2710c1cc940..8920656d1b8 100644
--- a/mvcc/watcher_group.go
+++ b/mvcc/watcher_group.go
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 package mvcc
 
 import (
+	"fmt"
 	"math"
 
 	"github.com/coreos/etcd/mvcc/mvccpb"
@@ -238,7 +239,15 @@ func (wg *watcherGroup) chooseAll(curRev, compactRev int64) int64 {
 	minRev := int64(math.MaxInt64)
 	for w := range wg.watchers {
 		if w.minRev > curRev {
-			panic("watcher current revision should not exceed current revision")
+			// after network partition, possibly choosing future revision watcher from restore operation
+			// with watch key "proxy-namespace__lostleader" and revision "math.MaxInt64 - 2"
+			// do not panic when such watcher had been moved from "synced" watcher during restore operation
+			if !w.restore {
+				panic(fmt.Errorf("watcher minimum revision %d should not exceed current revision %d", w.minRev, curRev))
+			}
+
+			// mark 'restore' done, since it's chosen
+			w.restore = false
 		}
 		if w.minRev < compactRev {
 			select {